Everyone has a skincare routine; whether its a swift wipe to remove your makeup at the end of the day, or a ten-step morning routine with serums, acids, and retinoids. Lets face it, we all have a skincare regime.
Skin-soothing ingredients are an exceptional group of ingredients that work to visibly calm signs of irritation or sensitivity when applied to skin. They’re often derived from plants, and the best of them deliver antioxidant benefits, too.
Sensitive and sensitised skin, including eczema-, acne- and rosacea-prone skin, greatly benefits from using this group of ingredients. However, research has shown soothing ingredients are wonderful for all skin types. That’s why Paula’s Choice Skincare uses them in our toners, serums, moisturisers, and face masks.
How soothing ingredients work
Think of skin-soothing ingredients as the level-headed friend who always keeps her cool when the heat is on. Skin-soothing agents work to diminish signs of irritation, including redness and blotchiness from environmental influences, like pollution and the sun. They do this by gently quieting sensitising factors in the skin's surface, stopping the sources of distress before they make skin look as if it’s misbehaving.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman notes, “Since most skin damage via skin disorders has been linked to inflammation, this class of ingredients is beneficial for just about anyone dealing with a skin disorder. Even melasma has been identified as having an inflammatory component. The more we learn about the role of different receptors in the inflammatory skin cascade, the more important this class of ingredients becomes”.
There’s more to love: The way skin-soothing agents calm skin also helps reduce signs of ageing. Essentially, the more you can keep ageing skin in a Zen-like state, the happier it will be—and the younger it will look!
Here are the top soothing ingredients of skincare:
Allantoin
Allantoin occurs naturally in most organisms; however, it can be produced synthetically. It has both soothing and moisturising properties for the skin. It helps mitigate skin’s response to more active ingredients and is used in concentrations up to 2% in cosmetics.
Allantoin can be found in Grafen Jeju Sea Water Cleanser.
Bisabolol (used on its own and also found in chamomile)
Bisabolol at a glance is a famous skin-soothing ingredient; often included as a calming agent in bio-active formulations or products designed for sensitive skin. It may also offer some discolouration-fading properties. Commonly derived from chamomile but can also be created synthetically. Bisabolol is a colourless light yellow, oily liquid.
Dr. Jart+ Brightening Solution sheet mask contains this active ingredient.
Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
The root extract delivers skin-soothing, antioxidant properties. It shows promise for correcting the look of discoloration (i.e. hyperpigmentation and dark spots). It is a source of amino acids that is beneficial for skin. The plant itself has a long history of use in ayurvedic practices and traditional medicine and is highly water soluble.
This ingredient can be found in Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster.
Green Tea
Research has established that topical application of green tea leaves or extracts have many benefits for skin, including anti-aging properties. The polyphenols in green tea possess potent antioxidant and skin-soothing properties, and show significant promise for improving the appearance of sun-damaged skin. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is one of the active constituents of green tea believed to be responsible for its many health and appearance benefits, both orally and topically.If you’re looking for green tea in your personal care products it may be listed by its Latin name, camellia sinensis. It is a gentle antioxidant that is among the most well researched and impressive in terms of its many benefits; however, it’s not the best or the only antioxidants to look for, so stick with products that contain several antioxidants.
Green Tea can be found in Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum.
Colloidal Oatmeal
Colloidal oatmeal is a form of oatmeal used in cosmetics and skin care products. It is produced by finely grinding oats, then boiling them. Research shows avenanthramides, potent types of antioxidants found in oats (and colloidal oatmeal), can help soothe skin. A high concentration of beta-glucan and starches in colloidal oatmeal also mean it has water-binding properties and is an effective skin protectant. In fact, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) categorises colloidal oatmeal as a skin protectant, allowing it to be listed as an active ingredient on skin care products.
Colloidal Oatmeal can be found in Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion.
These five ingredients will level up your skincare regime, including the issues they can help tackle and the types of products you’ll find them in.
Join the conversation