Ingredients Explained

The ingredient list is the most honest part of any beauty product, and this collection teaches you to read it. We cover the actives that dominate skincare marketing — retinoids, vitamin C, exfoliating acids, humectants — plus the label terms that sound regulated but aren't. Each explainer sticks to what mainstream cosmetic science supports, at what concentrations, and for whom. We don't promise results, and we flag ingredients that commonly need patch-testing or a slow introduction. The goal is simple: you should be able to judge a product before you pay for it.