What The F**k Is Azelaic Acid?

Azelaic acid is a dicarboxylic acid that comes from grains such as barley, wheat, and rye.

It is an antibacterial and antioxidant-rich ingredient that benefits the skin in a number of ways. According to Dr Derrick Phillips, acclaimed dermatologist, azelaic acid is "a very versatile ingredient. It unblocks and sterilises pores, making it an ideal treatment for patients with acne." Dr Phillips uses the ingredient to treat both acne and rosacea, "I use 15% or 20% azelaic acid to treat patients with mild to moderate pimples, yellow heads, and whitehead and blackheads." he explains.

What The F**k Is Matrixyl?

Matrixyl is the brand name of a synthetically produced anti-ageing peptide developed by Sederma Inc. in France. 

Matrixyl cleverly mimics the behaviour of matrikines, which are the body’s naturally occurring cell-signalers and regulators. As collagen levels naturally degrade - due to ageing, smoking, excessive sugar consumption, and pollution - matrikines send signals to fibroblasts to produce new collagen and elastin. Synthetic peptides like Matrixyl have been created to mimic these effects, helping support and boost the production of new collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, which all naturally aid in refilling fine lines from within the skin. And the results are pretty impressive - a study by Croda International found that Matrixyl 3000 is able to delay photo-induced ageing by five and a half years in just two months!

Ingredients 101: Ferulic Acid

WTF: Ferulic acid is found in the cell walls of plants such as rice, wheat, peanuts, apples and oranges. It is an antixodiant that plays a key role in protecting and preserving plants - it is able to destroy several different types of free radicals, including superoxide, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide.