Every term you would need to know in skincare, just simplfied.
Calms and softens skin, taking the edge off potentially irritating actives.
Support hydration and a healthy barrier. Common in gentle cleansers so they clean without stripping.
When it's healthy, skin holds water and keeps irritants out. Most good skincare is really just barrier maintenance.
What you want in a sunscreen — UVB burns, UVA ages. You need cover from both.
Repair and reinforce the skin barrier, locking moisture in and irritants out. The backbone of most good moisturisers.
The first step. The right one cleans without leaving skin tight or stripped.
Tells you to treat zones differently — lighter on the T-zone, richer on the cheeks. Not the same as normal skin.
Most men who think they're “normal” are actually mild combination.
What “non-comedogenic” is promising to avoid causing.
Gentler and more hydrating — better for dry and sensitive skin.
Tells you to add water-binding ingredients and seal them in with richer creams.
If your skin is sensitive, fragrance-free is the safer choice.
These two are not the same, despite sounding identical.
Relevant if you get small, itchy, uniform bumps that normal acne products don't fix.
Tends to suit oily and combination skin — cleans thoroughly without heaviness.
The sweet spot for combination skin: hydrates drier areas without greasing up the T-zone.
Basic, reliable hydration. Quietly present in most decent moisturisers and cleansers.
Absorbs excess oil, helping skin look less shiny. Found in oil-control formulas.
A good moisturiser combines them. Explains why ingredients like HA (humectant) and squalane (occlusive/emollient) pair well.
Pulls moisture into the skin and plumps it, so skin feels hydrated rather than tight. Works for oily and dry skin alike.
Often listed as “sodium hyaluronate” on labels — same family.
Gives actives like salicylic acid far more contact time, so they do more.
Protects against ultra-long UVA rays — the deep-penetrating kind linked to ageing — better than most filters. Why their SPF is a standout.
Keeps the barrier working so skin stays comfortable and functions properly. A genuine essential.
Calms redness, helps regulate oil, reduces the look of pores, and strengthens the skin barrier. Suits almost every skin type.
One of the most genuinely useful, low-drama ingredients in skincare.
A reassurance for oily and breakout-prone skin — though it's not a regulated guarantee.
Useful signal, not an ironclad promise. Your skin is the final judge.
Tells you that you can keep things simple. The basics genuinely are enough.
Genuinely normal skin is fairly uncommon in adults.
Tells you to control shine and keep pores clear — without stripping, which only makes the oil come back harder.
Stripping oily skin backfires. The goal is balance, not a squeaky-clean face.
Clears clogged pores, reduces blackheads and breakouts, and smooths texture. Best for oily, breakout-prone skin.
“BHA” means beta hydroxy acid — same thing. In a cleanser it does less than a leave-on product because it rinses off.
Too much reads as oily skin and clogged pores; too little as dry, tight skin. Balance is the goal.
Tells you to favour gentle, fragrance-free formulas and introduce new products slowly.
Delivers a higher dose of an active. Optional — not everyone needs one.
Higher isn't dramatically better past a point — SPF50 is plenty for daily use. Applying enough, and often, matters more than the number.
An expensive SPF50 protects no better than a cheap one. Finish and feel are what you're paying extra for.
The single most effective anti-ageing step there is, and protection against sun damage. Daily, year-round.
If you do one thing for your skin, make it this.
Softens and seals in moisture without feeling greasy. Good for dry and sensitive skin; fine for acne-prone too.
Spelled with an ‘a’ (squalane) once stabilised for skincare — don't confuse with squalene.
A reference point for where to go lighter with product if your skin is combination.
Helps regulate oil and has mild calming, antibacterial properties. A useful extra in oily-skin products.