Five Skin Care Ingredients You've Never Heard of That Are Your New Must-Haves

Skincare products have their star players, the tried and true like retinol, peptides, AHAs, and vitamin C. But alongside those key actives, there are a host of lesser-known players that are deserving of your attention. Some are headliners, others supporting players working in the wings—intensifying, balancing, enhancing—to ensure optimal performance in your products. All have an important role to play in keeping skin healthy and vibrant. Here are five should-be superstar ingredients overdue for the spotlight.

Allantoin

Allantoin is an ultra-hydrating ingredient that goes the extra mile to improve skin structure and texture.

This humectant hero is an extract of the comfrey plant used for centuries to heal wounds and soothe irritated skin. Its superpowers include anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, collagen-boosting, cell-regenerating, and anti-fungal properties.

In addition to drawing moisture into the skin, allantoin has a slight keratolytic effect, which means it softens and lifts, dry, dead skin to improve suppleness and elasticity. It also stimulates collagen-producing cells and boosts the extracellular matrix synthesis, making it a potent renewer.

Find allantoin in our featherlight, ultra-nourishing Allantoin Sedating & Hydrating Lotion.

Grapeseed Oil

Think of grapeseed oil as the Swiss army knife of skincare. Moisturizing might be its main tool, but it's got an extensive stash of skin-saving sidepieces that make it indispensable.

Grapeseed oil is non-comedogenic, lightly astringent, and rich in linoleic acid, something lacking in acne-prone skin, making it beneficial for fighting post acne scarring. Its anti-inflammatory properties soothe irritation, reduce redness, and help calm acne. Rich in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids, grapeseed oil protects against environmental stressors and promotes collagen repair. Proanthocyanidins in grape seed oil are great cell proliferators, increasing cell density and stimulating improved vascular health for a firmer, brighter appearance.

If all that wasn't enough, grape seed oil enhances dermal penetration making it an excellent carrier for delivering active ingredients into the skin.

Find grapeseed oil in Vivant's Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream, Cleansing Milk Gentle Non-Drying Cleanser, and Green Tea Antioxidant Cleanser.

Niacinamide

This vitamin B3 derivative is a multi-functional powerhouse of repair and nourishment on the verge of becoming a headliner. It's no wonder when you consider all the benefits this cell-regenerator offers—antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, barrier boosting, and brightening, to name a few.

Niacinamide increases the biosynthesis of ceramides and raises nourishing fatty acid levels in the skin to hydrate and repair the skin barrier. It's a tyrosinase inhibitor that blocks melanin from reaching the skin's surface to prevent dark spots and fade discoloration. Additionally, niacinamide inhibits the glycation of proteins to guard against collagen degradation.

Niacinamide is an all-around advocate for healthy, even-toned skin and one of our favorite ingredients. It's a staple in many of our formulas.

Find niacinamide in most Vivant corrective serums, our Daily Repair Pads, and Skin Nourishing Toner.

Mandelic Acid

"Magic in a bottle" is how people describe Vivant's mandelic acid formulas. If you don't know about this multi-tasking skincare hero, it's seriously time you discovered it.

This gentle transformer, pioneered for skincare by Vivant formulator Dr. James Fulton, works for all skin types, including hyperpigmentation-prone and rosacea-affected skin, thanks to a larger molecular structure that slows its absorption into the skin. Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, melanin-inhibiting, and micro-exfoliating properties round out mandelic acid's resume. And it's pregnancy-safe.

All skin types and tones can rely on mandelic acid to clear acne, reduce fine lines, fade pigmentation, and bring an undeniable glow.

Explore Vivant's complete line of mandelic acid products.

Oligopeptides

Peptides are the Spanx of skincare, firming, lifting, tightening, and just basically making your skin look smooth, healthy, and toned. You're probably well aware of this skincare staple, but did you know that not all peptides are the same? The difference is size, and it matters. Polypeptides are long chains of amino acids, while oligopeptides are short chains. The molecular size of the peptides is relative to the length of the chain. Large molecules (polypeptides) can't get through the skin barrier. Small chain oligopeptides go deep to the cellular level where they can put all those peptide benefits—collagen synthesis, hyaluronic acid activation, enhanced elasticity, redness reduction—to work.

Find oligopeptides in Vivant's Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream, Derm-A-Renew Serum, and Rejuv Rx Peptide Concentrate.