Reading Ingredient Labels

The most useful skill in skincare is reading ingredient labels. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, so a marketed hero ingredient near the bottom is present in too small an amount to matter.

Look for your target ingredients in the top third of the list. Water is usually first, and the next five to seven ingredients determine what the product actually does. Be wary of products boasting dozens of actives: two or three at proper concentrations beat a cocktail of twenty at negligible levels.