1. Benzoyl Peroxide
Often found in products designed to tackle acne, this common skincare ingredient can be too harsh on mature skin, Chacon explains. “As we get older, skin inherently becomes drier, due to less active oil-producing glands, and it doesn’t retain moisture and healthy fats,” she says, “Thus, when benzoyl peroxide is used on already weakened skin that is complicated by hormonally driven acne, it adds to the problem and not necessarily fixes it.” She notes that “over-scrubbing and over-stripping the skin of its components” damages an already compromised barrier leading to dull, dry, and irritated skin. Visiting a dermatologist can help you find ingredients to target acne at this age, she says, as many will find using benzoyl peroxide or the similar salicylic acid will worsen your skin’s ability to produce moisture, rather than effectively target acne.
2. Glycolic Gel
This ingredient is mainly found in products that help one exfoliate, but similar to the last type, this can also be too intense for aging skin, Sethi says. “Glycolic gel is capable of accelerating dryness in mature skin,” she says, noting it is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid and a common chemical exfoliant (a mechanical exfoliant is granular, for reference). “Glycolic gel is one of the stronger chemical exfoliants, and while it’s a much better choice for oily, acne-prone or typically younger skin, it can be too harsh and unnecessary for mature skin,” she adds. Mature skin naturally takes longer to renew skin cells and maintain a strong lipid barrier, she continues, and “glycolic gel ends up breaking links between healthy skin cells, compromising an already vulnerable skin barrier,” Sethi concludes.