Calming vs. Active Skincare: When Less is More
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Time to read 3 min
How to choose products that work hard for you, without over-sensitizing or irritating skin
We are living in the age of overachieving skincare. Just walk into a Sephora on any given Sunday and peruse shelf after shelf of lotions and potions that claim to firm, hydrate, brighten and eradicate fine lines via retinol, vitamin C, peptides or exosomes. Got a pimple? No problem; choose from treatments containing salicylic acid, sulphur, azaleic acid, benzoyl peroxide or, perhaps, kojic acid to get a jump on the dark spot that might be left once a blemish heals.
While this brave new beauty world may offer endless solutions, and an opportunity to take control over every skin issue, an abundance of active skincare on the market can also create confusion. And the potential for inflammation and irritation. Sometimes, turning to calming skincare may be your best bet, especially if you are a sensitive skin type or you’ve been experimenting with procedures or devices, but to make this choice, it’s important to realize that there’s a time and place for active — and calming — formulas. Let’s get into it.
What Exactly is “Active” Skincare?
Active formulas are designed to create a chemical or biological effect in the skin in pursuit of a desired result. If you’re looking to achieve a specific benefit such as firming, plumpness, a more even skintone or a clearer complexion, active skincare will help achieve these goals.
When shopping for beauty, lean in to the following ingredients: Retinoids, alpha hydroxy acid or glycolic acid to smooth fine lines; peptides or collagen for firming; exosomes to create plumper skin, vitamin C and niacinimide to brighten, polyhdryoxy acid for gentle pore purging plus improved texture and zinc, sulphur or salicylic acid to flatten blemishes.
When Do You Need “Calming” Skincare?
Think of calming skincare as the superheroes that diffuse situations like redness, puffiness, rashes and crinkly, crepey texture. Calming formulas work to rebuild and support the skin barrier, keeping nourishing ingredients in and the potential for irritation at bay.
Most calming formulas are powered by anti-inflammatory agents including colloidal oatmeal, centella asiatica, and copaiba oil. While they help to bolster the barrier, these ingredients also work to keep skin clear, bright and happy.
How to Know When Your Skin Needs a Break
Skin is our largest organ — and it has an uncanny way of telling us everything we need to know about how it’s feeling. If you’re experiencing signs of irritation like redness, a dry, taught feeling, crepey fine lines or even worse, bumps, it’s time to ease off active ingredients and turn to calming formulas for a bit to give your skin a chance to get back in to balance.
Why More Isn’t Necessarily Better
It’s never been more possible to become your own skincare expert and work towards a desired goal with at-home treatments, But the notion of stacking treatments, as may seem popular on social media, can overload your skin.
Many active ingredient have the same biological effect on skin and can create inflammation when used in tandem. For instance, lactic, alpha hydroxy and glycolic acids exfoliate cells, as do retinoids. If you use a glycolic acid cleanser followed by a retinal serum, you risk stripping your barrier, which will show up as dryness and redness, and actually leave you vulnerable to blemishes.
Resist the urge to participate in the skinmaxxing trend.
Build a Customized, Balanced Routine
Healthy skin doesn’t have to work so hard. By choosing a regimen that meets your specific needs, you’ll be able to troubleshoot issues that may arise.
First, identify your skin goals. Are you looking to diminish fine lines and crepiness, lessen the look of past sun damage, fade hyperpigmentation or just get an overall glow? Focus on your main desire and choose one treatment serum or moisturizer with active ingredients that achieve the results you’re seeking.
Once armed with the active product for you, fold it into a routine that includes an anti-inflammatory cleanser such as Halo42’s Soothing Face Cleanser. Next, consider the practice of skin cycling: Fold in your most active product only every other or third night. On the nights when you’re not using an active, use a skin-calming oil like Halo42’s Nourishing Face & Body Oil, laced with copaiba.
