The effectiveness of skin care products depends on the concentration of the active agent and the duration of treatment. Reading product labels are tricky because they don’t actually list the quantities of each ingredient. Keep in mind that actives are only beneficial at adequate concentrations and if you follow the recommended instructions for use. To be effective, products also need to be specially formulated in such a way that the active ingredients can be absorbed through the skin. Permeability can be a challenge because our skin functions as our body’s armour or protective outer shell and so it’s designed to keep things out. Also, many active ingredients can irritate sensitive skin, even if they’re listed as natural, so look for products labelled as hypo-allergenic and always start with the lowest concentration and work your way up.
