As a beauty journalist, you are expected to know about the latest product trends in the body, skin, hair and make-up categories - but one thing that’s often swept under the rug is understanding what’s trending in ingredients. To help you navigate this part of beauty writing, we have sourced the newest, most unique ingredients currently being found in beauty products and explained (as simply as possible) how they work.
Bee venom has been a staple in anti-ageing products for a long time, thanks to its ability to spur the body into producing collagen when used cosmetically. Bee venom tricks the skin into thinking it has been stung with the compound melittin, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin and reducing long-term ageing of the skin.
Found in: Skin Doctors
Biosome5 technology is made up of five age-fighting active ingredients: horseradish, mulberry root, rosemary leaf extract, peppermint leaf extract and glycogen. These synergise to create a natural liposome delivery system that penetrates into the epidermis and dermis, targeting the appearance of fine lines as well as sagging skin.
Found in: Jurlique
Caviar extract is often added to anti-ageing skincare products. It works to provides hydration and combat the loss of firmness in skin. It also speeds up the natural production of collagen and is very rich in vitamins, microelements and amino acids. These intensify the processes inside the skin cells and slow down ageing.
Found in: LACURA®
Dioic acid is an anti-acne ingredient that reduces sebum production and targets blemish-causing bacteria without creating antibiotic resistance. It delivers long-term results and also has anti-inflammatory benefits.
Found in: Medik8
Hydrolysed wheat protein rebuilds the structure of the eyelashes. The ingredient boosts circulation from the root to the lash, allowing for growth as well as the formation of thicker lashes.
Found in: Soshan
Juve-11™ is an anti-ageing peptide that enhances cellular repair. Its benefits were uncovered when scientists found that the marine hydra (aka the jellyfish) could replicate cells without errors and repair DNA damage. Juve-11™ mimics the marine hydra to reduce the visible signs of ageing by protecting and repairing the skin cells.
Found in: Synergie
Lava rock is a mineral-rich volcanic ash found in hair product. It lifts and adds volume to dull, lifeless hair with a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles.
Found in: Schwarzkopf Professional
Mamuku extract is an ingredient sourced in New Zealand that rejuvenates, cools and hydrates the skin. Mamuku fronds are a national symbol of regeneration and new beginnings, and the ingredient itself can be used to repair dry, damaged skin, leaving it soft and radiant.
Found in: KIO KIO
Organic paw paw works to soothe and restore damaged and irritated skin. Packed with revitalising qualities, it can also be used as a daily lotion or facial moisturiser in the summer months. It is particularly ideal for oily skin types who find they break out after using sunscreen.
Found in: Natralus
Phycosaccharide™ is harvested from the marine bacteria that grows on seaweed. It rebuilds and repairs fragile, ageing skin through growth factor and stem cell activation. The anti-irritant is clinically proven to reduce inflammation and stinging, and improve the skin’s immune defence.
Found in: Synergie Skin
Platinum peptide bonds platinum particles with an anti-ageing tetrapeptide. The compound promotes firmness, reduces the appearance of wrinkles in the eye area and improves skin elasticity and hydration. The binding of the two particles not only enhances protective benefits - it also shields the formed peptide from the peptide-destroying enzymes that exist naturally in the epidermis.
Found in: La Prairie
Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant found in grapes, berries, nuts and other plant sources. In the past, it has gained a reputation as the ‘longevity molecule’, as it helps to neutralise free radical damage and repair the visible effects of age-accelerated skin.
Found in: SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E
SH-Decapeptide-9 is composed of 10 amino acid sequences that vitalise fibroblasts and is similar, constituent-wise, to neuropeptides. Neuropeptides bind to specific receptors present in skin cells and activate gene expansion. SH-Decapeptide-9 promotes wound healing and tissue repair in damaged skin, activating collagen synthesis and strengthening the skin elastic.
Found in: RACINNE
Taurine is an amino acid mainly derived from animal tissues. It is increasingly being used in anti-ageing skincare, as it helps to calm the skin when combined with glycolic acid.
Found in: L’Oréal Paris