Active-ingredient encyclopaedia

K-beauty actives, decoded for your skin and your climate.

What each active does, who it suits, in which climate, and what not to mix it with. Not a list: a useful read.

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Redness and reactive skinDehydrationDullness and radianceAnti-aging and firmnessBreakouts and blemishesEnlarged poresDamaged skin barrierDark spots and pigmentation
Activated charcoalPore detoxOil controlAdenosineCellular anti-agingFirming · SoothingAlgae (kelp)Hydrating marine mineralsHydrating · Antioxidant · SoothingAllantoinSoothing healerSoothing · Barrier repairAloe veraCooling sootherSoothing · HydratingAlpha-arbutinGentle brightenerBrighteningArgan oilNourishing oilOcclusive · Barrier repair · AntioxidantAzelaic acidAnti-redness · spotsSoothing · Brightening · Oil controlBakuchiolGentle retinol alternativeFirming · Antioxidant · SoothingBeta-glucanSoothing hydratorHydrating · Soothing · Barrier repairBetaineSoothing humectantHydrating · SoothingBifida fermentMicrobiome and barrierSoothing · Barrier repair · AntioxidantCaffeineDe-puffing antioxidantAntioxidantCalendulaSoothing repairSoothing · Barrier repairCentella asiatica (Cica)K-beauty sootherSoothing · Barrier repair · AntioxidantCeramidesBarrier repairBarrier repair · Hydrating · SoothingCholesterolBarrier lipidBarrier repair · OcclusiveClay (kaolin)Sebum absorberOil controlCoenzyme Q10Energising antioxidantAntioxidant · FirmingColloidal oatAnti-itch sootherSoothing · Barrier repair · HydratingEctoinHydration shieldHydrating · Barrier repair · SoothingEdelweissAlpine antioxidantAntioxidant · SoothingExosomesNext-gen regenerativeFirming · Barrier repair · SoothingFerulic acidAntioxidant stabiliserAntioxidant · BrighteningFruit enzymesGentle enzyme exfoliantExfoliatingGalactomyces (ferment)K-beauty glow essenceBrightening · Hydrating · AntioxidantGinkgo bilobaCirculation antioxidantAntioxidant · SoothingGinseng (Panax)Energising antioxidantAntioxidant · Firming · BrighteningGlutathioneBrightening antioxidantAntioxidant · BrighteningGlycolic acid (AHA)Glow exfoliantExfoliating · BrighteningGreen tea (EGCG)Antioxidant · sebum controlAntioxidant · Soothing · Oil controlHeartleaf (Houttuynia)Blemish-calming sootherSoothing · Oil control · AntioxidantHoneySoothing humectantHydrating · SoothingHyaluronic acidHumectant hydratorHydratingHydrolyzed collagenPlumping hydratorHydrating · FirmingJojoba oilBalancing oilOcclusive · HydratingKojic acidTargeted spot-faderBrighteningLactic acid (AHA)Hydrating exfoliantExfoliating · Hydrating · BrighteningLactobionic acid (PHA)Gentle antioxidant exfoliantExfoliating · Hydrating · AntioxidantLicorice (glabridin)Soothing brightenerBrightening · Soothing · AntioxidantLinoleic acid (vitamin F)Non-comedogenic barrier lipidBarrier repair · SoothingMadecassosideConcentrated cicaSoothing · Barrier repairMandelic acid (AHA)Gentle AHA for sensitive skinExfoliating · Brightening · Oil controlMugwort (Artemisia)K-beauty sootherSoothing · Barrier repair · AntioxidantMulberry extractBotanical spot-faderBrighteningNiacinamideMultitasker · vitamin B3Oil control · Brightening · SoothingPanthenol (B5)Soothing humectantHydrating · Soothing · Barrier repairPDRN (salmon DNA)Regenerating repairFirming · Soothing · Barrier repairPeptidesGentle firmingFirming · Barrier repairPHA (gluconolactone)The gentlest exfoliantExfoliating · HydratingPolyglutamic acidHigh-capacity humectantHydratingPropolisNourishing sootherSoothing · Antioxidant · Barrier repairResveratrolNighttime antioxidantAntioxidant · FirmingRetinaldehyde (retinal)Faster retinoidFirmingRetinolGold-standard anti-agingFirming · ExfoliatingRice extract (Oryza sativa)Glow and comfortBrightening · Soothing · HydratingRosehip oilAntioxidant glow oilAntioxidant · Barrier repair · BrighteningSalicylic acid (BHA)Pore exfoliantExfoliating · Oil controlSea buckthornOrange antioxidant oilAntioxidant · Barrier repairShea butterNourishing occlusiveOcclusive · Barrier repair · HydratingSnail mucinHydrating repairHydrating · Barrier repair · SoothingSnow mushroom (Tremella)Next-gen humectantHydratingSqualaneLight emollientOcclusive · Barrier repair · HydratingSulfurDrying anti-acneOil controlTea treeBlemish fighterOil control · SoothingTranexamic acidTargeted spot-faderBrightening · SoothingUreaHumectant keratolyticHydrating · Barrier repairVitamin CAntioxidant · glowAntioxidant · Brightening · FirmingVitamin E (tocopherol)Lipid antioxidantAntioxidant · Barrier repair · OcclusiveWillow barkGentle natural BHAExfoliating · Oil control · SoothingWitch hazelGentle astringentOil control · SoothingZinc PCASebum balancerOil control · Soothing