Five Ingredients Worth Knowing

There is no shortage of buzzwords in beauty. Here are five ingredients that consistently earn their place.

1. Niacinamide — evens tone, calms redness
2. Hyaluronic acid — draws water into the skin
3. Vitamin C — brightens and protects
4. Retinal — the gentler cousin of retinol
5. Ceramides — rebuild your skin barrier

How to layer them

Water-based first, oil-based last. If in doubt, thinnest to thickest. And always finish with SPF in the morning.

Learn what each one does, and suddenly the label on the back of the bottle starts to read like a recipe.