Skincare buzzwords: An expert breaks them down

Is putting hyaluronic acid on your skin going to burn? If a product is cruelty-free does that mean it’s vegan too? Amy Bowie, medical aesthetic therapist and founder of a dermatology and laser clinic, sheds light on a few of the more confusing skincare buzzwords. 

Natural vs organic 

A beauty product might contain 100% natural ingredients, but all of them would have to be organic for it to be labelled as an organic beauty product. For an ingredient to be considered organic, it must be organically farmed, sourced and manufactured in a way that’s sustainable – meaning it doesn’t harm the planet. So while a product might contain “organic carrot oil”, it’s not necessarily an organic product.
 
“Wanting to use only organic or natural products is a personal choice, but you shouldn’t assume this means they’re more effective or even good for you,” cautions Amy. Poison ivy, for example, is 100% natural and organic. 

Inflammageing 

Skincare experts have realised that chronic inflammation, be it due to an inflammatory skin condition like eczema or a response to using irritating topical ingredients, can cause premature ageing. The catchall for this is “inflammageing”. 

According to Amy, you can reduce your risk of inflammageing by eating healthy anti-inflammatory foods, getting enough sleep and reducing stress. “Great topical ingredients to treat inflammation include Centella asiatica (Gotu kola), Aloe Vera, cucumber and niacinamide.”

A nice pick if you’re looking to soothe and beat inflammation is Clicks Skincare Collection Aloe Vera & Omega 3+6 Night Cream. It contains Aloe Vera as well as other anti-inflammatory ingredients like antioxidants C and E.

Hyaluronic acid 

Those with sensitive skin can relax. Despite its name, hyaluronic acid isn’t anything like the kind that exfoliate. “Hyaluronic acid is a natural sugar substance found in all living things. It has the ability to attract and bind up to 1 000 times its weight in water. This means it’s a great hydrator that can plump up fine lines,” says Amy.  

If you’re wanting to moisturise but don’t want to use a thick, heavy cream, look out for lightweight formulas containing hyaluronic acid as they’ll be able to hydrate without the heaviness. A great example is Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying and Plumping Daily Booster.

Non-comedogenic 

A comedone is a fancy word for a blackhead or whitehead. “If something is non-comedogenic that means it doesn’t block your pores,” says Amy. You want anything you put on your face to be non-comedogenic, but don’t worry if it doesn’t say so on the label. Most properly-formulated facial products are non-comedogenic but only a few of them will specifically state it. 

Vegan-friendly

A vegan cosmetic doesn’t contain any animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients, the latter being things like beeswax, lanolin from sheep and any animal hair that might be used to make brushes. “With so many lovely new vegan products becoming available, using only vegan cosmetics is a choice that’s becoming easier to make,” says Amy. 

You’ll find lots of vegan-friendly beauty products at Clicks. These range from Ecotools makeup brushes to NYX Professional Makeup Butter Lipstick.

Sustainable beauty 

The term “sustainable beauty” means different things to different brands but for the most part, it means doing things in a way that doesn’t cause harm. This doesn’t just mean creating cruelty-free products – it relates to everything about the business. For example, The Body Shop sources its ingredients in an environmentally-friendly way and uses their buying power to pay fair prices to community trade partners. 

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