Active Ingredients in Skincare: Which One Should You Choose for Your Skin Concern?

Niacinamide, azelaic acid, retinol, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, PDRN... Does it feel like you need all of them?

Once you start researching skincare, you quickly run into a huge number of different ingredients. One is supposed to help with pores, another with breakouts, a third with dark spots. Before long you have five serums at home and no idea which one to use when.

The good news? Your skin doesn't need every active ingredient.

It makes much more sense to first figure out what you want your routine to achieve. Then you choose an ingredient that suits your skin and the concern you want to address.

Let's look at which ingredients make sense for different skin concerns.

What are active ingredients, anyway?

When we talk about active ingredients in skincare, we usually mean ingredients used with a specific goal in mind.

Some help with clogged pores and breakouts, others with dark spots, uneven texture or signs of aging.

The best known include:

• niacinamide
• azelaic acid
• salicylic acid (BHA)
• retinoids
• vitamin C
• hyaluronic acid

In Korean skincare, you'll also come across ingredients like PDRN and peptides more and more often.

One thing matters most: more active ingredients don't necessarily make a better routine. If you introduce several potentially irritating actives at once, it's harder to tell what actually works for your skin. You may also end up with dryness, flaking, a burning sensation and irritation.

So let's start with your main goal.

If breakouts and clogged pores bother you

If you often get blackheads, clogged pores or breakouts, your options include salicylic acid (BHA) and azelaic acid. Retinoids also play an important role in treating acne.

Salicylic acid (BHA)

Salicylic acid helps remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. That's why you'll often find it in products for skin prone to blackheads, clogged pores and breakouts.

But more isn't always better.

If you're already using a salicylic acid cleanser, a BHA serum and exfoliating pads, it quickly adds up to too much. Using potentially irritating products too often can cause dryness, tightness, flaking or a burning sensation.

So always adjust how often you use it to the product and to your skin.

Azelaic acid

Azelaic acid is especially interesting when breakouts aren't your only concern.

It's used for acne, has anti-inflammatory properties and can also help with the hyperpigmentation that breakouts leave behind.

That makes it a great choice if, on top of blemishes, you're also dealing with redness and dark post-acne marks.

If excess oil and enlarged pores bother you

First, let's clear up a common myth.

No cosmetic product can permanently change the size of your pores. What we can influence is how they look, especially when they appear more visible because of sebum and congestion.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide, or vitamin B3, is one of the most versatile ingredients in skincare.

It supports the skin barrier, helps reduce water loss through the skin and can also help with excess oil.

You'll also often find it in products for blemish-prone skin and uneven skin tone.

With niacinamide, though, we keep seeing products with higher and higher concentrations. A higher concentration doesn't automatically mean better results.

Look at your whole routine, too. If your toner, serum or moisturizer already contains niacinamide, you may not need an extra high-concentration niacinamide serum at all.

If redness bothers you

Redness has many different causes, so not every face needs the same product.

If redness shows up together with breakouts and inflamed blemishes, azelaic acid is one of the more interesting options. If your skin is mainly sensitive, irritated or flushed, look into soothing ingredients such as centella asiatica as well.

Azelaic acid

Azelaic acid has anti-inflammatory properties, is used for acne and also has its place in treating rosacea.

That makes it especially interesting if, besides redness, you're also dealing with breakouts and post-acne marks.

Centella asiatica

Centella asiatica, or cica, is one of the best-known soothing ingredients in Korean skincare.

It contains bioactive compounds including asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. In skincare, centella is used mainly for its soothing properties and its support for the skin barrier.

That makes it a good choice for sensitive, irritated or flushed skin, especially when you're not looking for a strong active but want your routine to focus on calming the skin and supporting its barrier.

If the redness is pronounced, long-lasting or comes with other symptoms, it's worth having a dermatologist check the cause.

If dark spots bother you

Post-acne marks and other forms of hyperpigmentation usually take time and a consistent routine.

Ingredients used to improve the look of hyperpigmentation include azelaic acid, retinoids and vitamin C.

Azelaic acid

It's especially interesting for dark marks left behind by acne, since it can address the blemishes themselves at the same time.

Retinoids

Retinoids influence skin renewal and are used for acne, uneven pigmentation, skin texture and signs of aging.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a popular ingredient for a more even, radiant-looking complexion, and it's also used for hyperpigmentation and signs of photoaging.

With dark spots, though, we can't forget one of the most important steps. SPF.

If you want to improve the look of pigmentation, make daily UV protection part of your routine.

If you want anti-aging care

If your goal is to improve the look of fine lines, texture and uneven skin tone, sooner or later you'll come across retinoids (retinol and retinal - both belong to the retinoid family, also known as vitamin A derivatives).

Retinoids

Retinoids are among the best-researched ingredients in anti-aging skincare.

They encourage the renewal of surface skin cells and collagen production, and can improve the look of fine lines, texture and uneven tone.

But with retinoids, "I'll start today and use it every night" doesn't apply.

If you haven't used a retinoid before, introduce it gradually. Start by using it less often and watch how your skin responds.

If you notice significant dryness or irritation, use it less often. Good hydrating care also plays an important role when you use retinoids.

And when it comes to anti-aging care, the same rule still applies: daily UV protection is the foundation for preventing premature photoaging.

You can read more about this in our blog post The best anti-aging step? SPF, every day.

If your skin is dehydrated

Does your skin feel tight after cleansing? Does it look dull? Does it get oily quickly while still feeling like it's lacking moisture?

Then hyaluronic acid is worth a look.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant. It helps bind water, which is why it's so often found in products designed to hydrate the skin.

But simply adding a hyaluronic serum won't fix every case of dehydrated skin.

Your whole routine matters.

Gentle cleansing, hydrating ingredients and the right cream make more sense together than adding more and more serums while loading your skin with several potentially irritating actives every night.

If you have oily skin and think you don't need hydration, also read our blog post Oily Skin That's Still Dehydrated?

What about PDRN?

If you follow Korean skincare, you've almost certainly noticed PDRN by now.

PDRN, or polydeoxyribonucleotide, is currently one of the most popular ingredients in K-beauty, especially in products for a more hydrated, smooth and fresh-looking complexion.

Why is PDRN so interesting?

PDRN is being studied mainly for its potential regenerative and anti-inflammatory effects and its role in tissue repair. That's why it has also caught attention in skincare and anti-aging cosmetics.

In cosmetic formulas, you'll often find it alongside hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide and other ingredients that support a hydrated, well-nourished look.

So PDRN is a nice addition to your routine if you want to give your skin extra hydration and care and support a smoother, fresher look.

Can you use different active ingredients together?

This is probably one of the most common questions in skincare.

The answer isn't always a simple "yes" or "no".

Many active ingredients can be part of the same routine. What matters is which products you use, at what concentrations, how often you apply them and, above all, how well your skin tolerates them.

So you don't need to think only in terms of "I can't use these two ingredients together".

A much more important question is: is my routine as a whole too intense for my skin?

For example, if you use a retinoid, a BHA and a strong acid peel, you don't need to use all three on the same night.

You can spread your actives across the week, which also makes it easier to see how your skin responds to them.

To sum up...

If you have breakouts and clogged pores → salicylic acid (BHA) or azelaic acid. Retinoids are also among the well-researched options for acne.

If you have breakouts, redness and post-acne marks → azelaic acid is an interesting multi-purpose option.

If your skin is sensitive, irritated or prone to redness → look for products with centella asiatica, which is known mainly for its soothing properties and its support for the skin barrier.

If oiliness and the look of your pores bother you → look at niacinamide and ingredients that help with clogged pores.

If dark spots bother you → look at azelaic acid, retinoids or vitamin C, and don't forget your daily SPF.

If you want anti-aging care → retinoids are among the best-researched options, and PDRN is a nice addition for a more hydrated, smooth and fresh-looking complexion.

If your skin is dehydrated → focus on hydration and supporting your skin barrier first. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most popular ingredients for this.

Sources:

• American Academy of Dermatology. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2024.
• American Academy of Dermatology. Acne: Diagnosis and treatment.
• American Academy of Dermatology. Retinoid or retinol?
• Bravo B. et al. Benefits of topical hyaluronic acid for skin quality and signs of skin aging: From literature review to clinical evidence. Dermatologic Therapy, 2022.
• Correia G, Magina S. Efficacy of topical vitamin C in melasma and photoaging: A systematic review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023.
  
• Gehring W. Nicotinic acid/niacinamide and the skin. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004.
• King S. et al. A systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of azelaic acid in the management of acne, rosacea, melasma and skin aging. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023.
• Ong RR, Goh CF. Niacinamide: a review on dermal delivery strategies and clinical evidence. Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2024.