Taking inspiration from one of our favourite bargain beauty brands, The Ordinary, Boots now sells a range of skincare products sold based on their active ingredients rather than on marketing BS.
Such ingredients include Vitamin C, salicylic acid, caffeine, hemp seed oil, hyaluronic acid, bakuchiol and glycolic acid.
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The collection, known simply as Boots Ingredients, is super affordable – prices start at £5 – and you can mix and match the eight different products and their ingredients to create a more personalised regime designed to suit your skin.
Below we’ve listed what these ingredients do, and highlighted which products in Boots’ latest line offer these vital skin ingredients.
Hyaluronic acid is lauded for its many skincare benefits and has become a staple ingredient in leading products due to how well it hydrates the skin.
A gram of this plant-based acid is said to be able to hold up to six litres of water and, in addition to helping to keep your skin hydrated throughout the day, by holding this amount of moisture it helps plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
See our science of moisturiser article or our What is hyaluronic acid guide? for more info.
Hyaluronic acid is such a skincare essential that two of the Boots Ingredients range feature it:
SHOP NOW: Hyaluronic Acid Moisturiser – £5
SHOP NOW: Hyaluronic Acid Serum – £5
Vitamin C is an absolute must for revitalising dull winter skin thanks to its anti-oxidant properties. It’s also great at protecting your skin from pollution.
SHOP NOW: Vitamin C Serum – £6
Salicylic acid is what’s known as a BHA, or beta hydroxy acid, and this acid exfoliates the skin. It gets inside pores to leave your skin clear and reduce the appearance of blemishes while also removing any excess oil to mattify your complexion without causing it to become dry.
SHOP NOW: Salicylic acid serum – £7
Hemp seed helps smooth and soften the skin thanks to its fatty oleic and linoleic acids that leave your face with a warm, healthy glow. It has the added benefit of regulating the amount of oil your skin produces and reduces redness and inflammation. It might seem counterintuitive to put oil on oily skin – and there are oils that won’t help matters – but if you consider that oily skin produces sebum in order to keep it hydrated, it doesn’t have to produce so much if the skin is already moist, thus reducing the amount.
SHOP NOW: Hemp seed oil– £6
Like Hyaluronic acid, Glycolic acid has become a skincare staple and is found in various concentrations from some of our favourite products – see our best toner article for more information. The reason it’s so well-loved is that it promotes a clear and even skin tone, helping the skin look renewed and radiant by reducing the appearance of dark patches and redness.
Like Vitamin C, caffeine is an antioxidant that makes the skin, especially the fragile skin around the eyes, feel refreshed and moisturised. In the same way caffeine gives you brain a boost, it can help perk up your skin.
SHOP NOW: Caffeine eye cream – £5
Bakuchiol is a plant-based alternative to retinol, or Vitamin A, that exfoliates the skin and aids in the production of collagen which helps improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles, reduces pigmentation, elasticity and firmness.
SHOP NOW: Bakuchiol Serum – £5
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
