With so many products on the shelves, it can feel like you need a degree in cosmetic science to decipher exactly what ingredients you should be seeking out in order to get the most from your skincare routine. And with different ingredients garnering online hype each week—it’s niacinamide one day and azelaic acid the next—it’s easy to become drawn in by the buzz of something that’s being touted as the next skincare essential. And just because it’s trending on TikTok, does it mean that it really lives up to its claims?
In order to separate the hype from the science, I spoke to a group of skin experts, dermatologists and doctors to find out which skincare ingredients simply aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. They might be prevalent in the ingredients lists of some of the most popular skincare products on the market, but when we get into it these ingredients simply don’t have enough research behind them to justify their bold assertions.
