Welcome to the vast world of clean beauty and skincare. Whenever you might step out to the store to excitedly browse products or surf the online stores, there is a whole universe of options waiting for you. Your social media is full of people recommending products, and new launches happen every day! So for both men and women, it can be difficult to figure out what to buy. Buying the right product that nourishes your skin should be a fun and easy decision.
There are many factors that you would want to consider when you buy the skincare product. Picking products that suit your skin type is absolutely essential. Understanding what ingredients are in the product and how they help your skin is another key point. There are loads more points going into the decision. From the right moisturiser to a potent serum, you can find everything you want and need if you do the research. But what should your process look like? Let us elaborate!
Factor One – Choose According to your Skin Type
You only get the best if you’re prepared to become aware of what your skin needs. Figuring out if you have normal, oily, dry or combination skin is a great place to start. For example, oily skin can handle almost all types of products, but if you have dry or sensitive skin that is prone to acne, you have to be more careful if you want that flawless glow. Here is a bit of information on the most common skin types:
- Oily Skin – When it comes to oily skin, you have to keep in mind that your skin is producing an excess of sebum. You will require products that hydrate the skin, such as a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturiser, for example.
- Dry Skin – Dry skin cracks easily, so apply creams and moisturisers instead of lotions. The key thing is not to irritate it, so the best serums and moisturisers for dry skin are often plant-based and contain ingredients like Sunflower, Almond and Hyaluronic Acid, all of which hydrate the skin strongly. OZiva Bioactive Vitamin E122 Night Gel contains these ingredients, making it a perfect choice.
- Sensitive Skin – For sensitive skin, you are likely to experience problems like acne. Ingredients like Tea Tree, Aloe and Guava Leaf have anti-inflammatory, soothing properties and feel like balm to your skin, also helping to treat acne in the process. OZiva Bioactive Salicylic32 Face Serum is a potent and powerful plant-based choice for sensitive skin.
Factor Two – Know What Concern You’re Shopping For
So you’ve learned your skin type, that’s step one. What do you do next? Become thoroughly aware of what concern you’re shopping for. There are a vast world of skin concerns beyond the obvious – including acne, wrinkles, ageing, blackheads, dry skin, dullness or pigmentation. What is the problem you are facing among them? Or do you have a concern beyond the standard?
You have to look for products with ingredients that directly address the skin concern. Some common ones and their solutions:
- Your Skin Needs Hydration– If you’re looking for plump, supple skin that retains moisture, an infusion of Vitamin E in your skin will give your skin strong moisturising and hydrating properties. Try out OZiva Bioactive Vitamin E122 Night Gel, OZiva Bioactive Vitamin E122 Face Serum or OZiva Bioactive Vitamin E122 Gel Face Wash
- Your Skin is Too Dull and Needs Radiance – If you’re looking for rejuvenation and a youthful glow by naturally building collagen in your skin, Vitamin C will help give you a luminous shine naturally. Try out OZiva Bioactive Vitamin C30 Face Serum, OZiva Bioactive Vitamin C30 Moisturiser or OZiva Bioactive Vitamin C30 Face Cleanser.
- Your Skin Has Too Many Dark Spots and Blemishes – If you’re worried about an uneven skin tone and too many blackheads and whiteheads, Bioactive Niacinamide will help bust these blemishes and reduce melanin buildup in your skin. Try out the OZiva Bioactive Niacinamide79 Face Serum, or the OZiva Bioactive Niacinamide79 Face Cleanser.
- Your Skin is Experiencing Acne and Needs Soothing – If you’re experiencing acne buildup and scars, Bioactive Salicylic Acid will help treat acne with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Try out the OZiva Bioactive Salicylic32 Face Serum and the OZiva Bioactive Salicylic32 Face Cleanser
Factor Three – Always, Always Read Skincare Label for Ingredients and Expiry Date
Choosing the right ingredients in your skin products will contribute to the betterment of your skin. The fact is that not all ingredients that companies claim will be helpful to your skin will actually work. Some might even damage your skin, so you need to look out for those carefully.
It’s important to thoroughly check the product label for active ingredients in the product and then do the research on what each ingredient can do for you. On a label, ingredients are usually listed in order of concentrations. Active ingredients first and then inactive ingredients. Certain ingredients have an efficacy associated with them that causes the product to work – you need to look out for those and pick based on that. You need to avoid ingredients like parabens, sulphates, formaldehyde and paraben, which should not be in your skincare product at all.
Perfect Ingredients for Your Skin Type
Dry Skin
- Rosehip
Powerful source of Vitamin C, nourishing oil from this plant is perfect for dry skin.
- Sweet Almond Oil
A powerful source of Vitamin E to prevent drying and peeling of the skin
Oily Skin
- Tea Tree Oil
Fights skin inflammation, itchiness and breakouts and soothes skin
- Hyaluronic Acid
Keeps skin hydrated and balanced without clogging any pores
Combination Skin
- Sunflower
A great oil for normal skin, sunflower offers hydration and oil moderation
- Aloe Vera
Heals sunburn, burns, frostbite and soothes any skin
Sensitive Skin
- Guava Leaf
Used to get rid of any skin irritation
- Willow Bark
Clears pores, alleviates acne and irritation
That’s why plant-based skincare and clean beauty products are very important, as they enhance your natural beauty while also being completely safe for your skin in the long-term.
For example, all of OZiva’s Clean Beauty products and Bioactive Range are clinically tested, cruelty-free, sulphate-free, paraben-free, mineral oil-free and vegan.
If you are looking for a particular ingredient, search the label for it. More importantly, also scan for the product’s expiry date. Some clean beauty products expire 12-18 months after you open the bottle, so pick products with a longer expiry date.
Factor Four – Efficacy, Efficacy, Efficacy!
“Efficacy” is a new buzzword in beauty and skincare ingredients, but what does it truly mean? It means how well the skincare product truly works. A lot of products make promises for therapeutic effect on the skin, but efficacy means they deliver the promised result. Efficacy is essential to consider as it is the delivery system of ingredients to the skin.
Look for products that can genuinely make a difference to your skin. Bold brands are ready to make claims on efficacy within a particular time period (for example – 30% increase in radiance and procollagen synthesis in 30 days*, as in OZiva Bioactive Vitamin C30 Face Serum) and you might have difficulty trusting them. But always look for products that make claims and can prove it with results or scientifically formulated ingredients. Look for products that can corroborate those claims
Look for efficacious products that also solve your skin concerns, that make claims based on well-known ingredients, and that suit your skin type.
What’s the Take
Skincare is a vast world of many choices, but it’s always an adventure! Look out based on the following factors, and you can find your dream product. If you’d like products that meet your skin type, that contain useful, plant-based ingredients free of sulphates, parabens and mineral oils, that are highly efficacious, consider the entirety of OZiva Clean Beauty range and especially the OZiva Bioactive Range! Read more on our Bioactive range here.
