Active Ingredients In Skin Care: What They Are, Where To Find Them & Examples  

In beauty writing, we love to toss around a very specific lexicon of words—do this enough, and with regularity, and sometimes it's easy to forget that certain words aren't always clearly defined or understood. I think about this a lot with the word "actives" or "active ingredients." Sure, with some context cues, you may be able to suss out what it means in relation to skin care—but wouldn't it be easier to delve into a full-blown explainer, no? 

A broad-stroke definition of it is: Active ingredients are those found in your beauty products that have an intended purpose—ingredients meant to address a specific concern. And, well, there are as wide a variety of skin concerns out there as there are types of actives—from those that protect from sun damage, soothe, tend to acne, hydrate, and target fine lines. 

See, according to the FDA, "actives" are actually considered topical drugs. "Any ingredient classified as a drug by the FDA must be designated as 'active' on the product label. The FDA classifies an ingredient as a drug if its use is intended to treat or prevent certain conditions or if the ingredient alters the way the body works," says board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D. "Active ingredients must be approved by the FDA for both efficacy and safety before being brought to market."

But on a less stringent level, this language is often used to describe ingredients that alter the appearance of the skin. These are not regulated by the FDA as they are not considered drugs but rather cosmetic ingredients. So while these ingredients—usually things like antioxidants or the like—can serve a specific purpose in the skin, they aren't under the same scrutiny nor do they need to be explicitly stated on the label. 

Within this context, perhaps the easiest way to explain active ingredients is by example. Let's say you've been developing dark spots recently, and you decide it's time to invest in a dark spot corrector. The "actives" in said product will be whatever is intended to lighten and treat those marks. You may find a mask infused with alpha-hydroxy acids to slough off the stained skin. You may find a serum with vitamin C to help brighten tone and fight free radicals. You may also look into a retinol night cream, which will encourage cell renewal and turnover. All of these things have actives that target spots but do so in several ways. 

Active ingredients are formulated into a variety of products—from cleansers to creams to serums. You can find them at many price points, too; they are also both OTC or prescription-strength. However: How the active is formulated, to what percentage, and how high quality the ingredients are can make a pretty big difference in the outcome. So while actives can be found in a wide range of products, they are certainly not all created equal. 

OTC options run the gamut. You can find serums and creams north of $500 at retailers or direct-to-consumer—or you can find drugstore options that are decidedly less costly. The type of product, too, tends to have an influence. For example, face washes are often less expensive than serums or creams, so even if your cleanser has an active in it, it may be less costly than its cream counterpart.

So, unless you're just using a pure ingredient—there's likely going to be other additives in the formula which are not considered "actives." And while you may be tempted to think that these are nothing more than filler, many times they serve a purpose. 

There are preservatives—in the natural space, look for phenoxyethanol, sea salt, and citric acid, among others—which keep the formula free of mold and bacteria for long-term use. They can also help stabilize the product so you can keep it around for more than its typical shelf life.

Or there are ingredients that help improve absorption, like propanediol, which helps deliver the actives and enhances the sensorial experience.