23 July 2025

The best skincare ingredients, according to experts

Acne Anti-wrinkle injections or treatments

ByRuby Prosser Scully

Knowing what to use for wrinkles, acne or dark spots can be overwhelming, but top dermatologists have narrowed down the list.

Just two dozen ingredients were recommended for seven common skin complaints, in a paper aimed at simplifying an increasingly complicated marketplace.

“Given the proliferation of novel and reformulated cosmetic ingredients, and the relentless advertising and marketing campaigns touting the benefits of the products that contain them, selecting among such products and deciding which ingredients to prioritise can be a bewildering task even for well-informed patients and their doctors,” Dr Murad Alam, vice chair and professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, and colleagues wrote.

Topical retinoids and sunscreens were highlighted as useful products across a range of skin issues, but several common ingredients missed the cut for having insufficient evidence – or, in some cases, because of challenges prescribing them in the US system.

Dr Alam and nearly 80 other US cosmetic dermatologists sifted through more than 300 topical skincare ingredients used to treat fine lines and wrinkles, acne, redness, dark spots, large pores, drug skin and oily skin.

Published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the paper lists ingredients that the dermatologists strongly agreed were effective for each skin concern.

The Delphi consensus included two rounds of scoring and expert discussion, winnowing a list of recommended ingredients down to just 23. The paper includes a literature review, but the authors did not perform a meta-analysis or systematic review.

“This is the first time experts have come together nationally to cut through the overwhelming number of skin care options,” Dr Alam told media.

“We wanted to help both doctors and everyday users understand which ingredients are backed by the most expert support.”

What was recommended

However, some common cosmetic ingredients weren’t recommended by the panel. In some cases, that was because their efficacy for specific skin concerns wasn’t clear.

“For instance, while ingredients containing DNA repair enzymes, growth factors and peptides are ubiquitous in over-the-counter formulations, the studies supporting their utility for common cosmetic indications maybe perceived as insufficient or preliminary,” the authors wrote.

“For the treatment of acne, erythromycin, minocycline, dapsone and clocortolone did not reach consensus. Although many of these products are commonly prescribed, and known to be effective, some panellists noted in their comments that cost and insurance coverage played a role in their utilisation.

“For example, when treating acne, topicals such as mandelic acid and polyhydroxyl acid are more expensive and less likely to be covered by insurance than vitamin A derivatives. Additionally, most of the conditions addressed in this study are considered aesthetic and therefore associated treatments are generally not covered by payers, so the out-of-pocket cost is important to consider.

“Oral antimicrobials may also have been nonpreferred given the risk of drug resistance and adverse events from extended use.”

What wasn’t recommended