Introduction
We are living in a time where skincare marketing has never been louder. Every week there is a new ingredient, a new serum, a new promise.
Yet in clinic, I see the same pattern again and again. Patients who have invested time, money, and effort into their skin, but still feel like nothing is really working.
In many cases, the issue is not their skin. It is what they have been sold.
So I decided to rate the most common skincare ingredients out of 10. No brand loyalty. No sponsorship. Just what the evidence and clinical experience actually show.
Quick Answer
- SPF → the most important step for preventing ageing
- Retinol → the gold standard for skin renewal
- Vitamin C → effective if well formulated
- Hyaluronic acid → hydration, not anti-ageing
- Peptides → supportive but not transformative
- Exosomes → promising, but not proven in creams
- Collagen creams → do not work as claimed
SPF — 11/10 (The Most Important Anti-Ageing Step)
- Nothing else on this list comes close to SPF.
- Up to 80 percent of visible skin ageing is driven by UV exposure. This includes lines, pigmentation, and loss of elasticity. Every other product is trying to repair damage that has already happened. SPF prevents that damage in the first place.
- If you are applying expensive skincare without SPF, you are working against yourself.
A broad-spectrum SPF 30 or 50 used every morning is the most evidence-based anti-ageing intervention available without a prescription. - If you skip SPF, nothing else you buy really matters.
Retinol — 10/10 (The Gold Standard for Skin Renewal)
- Retinol has one of the strongest evidence bases in skincare. It increases cell turnover, stimulates collagen production, and improves skin texture, tone, and pigmentation over time.
- It remains the closest thing we have to a proven topical anti-ageing treatment.
- In clinic, this is often the first thing I optimise before considering any advanced treatment.
- Over-the-counter retinol varies significantly in strength and stability. Many products are too weak to deliver meaningful results. Prescription-strength tretinoin is considerably more effective.
- Retinol also requires consistency. Start gradually and build up.
Vitamin C — 7/10 (Worth It, If Done Properly)
- Vitamin C is a well-studied antioxidant. It helps neutralise free radical damage, supports collagen production, and improves brightness and skin tone.
- The challenge is formulation.
Vitamin C is unstable and degrades when exposed to light and air. Many products contain ineffective forms.
Look for L-ascorbic acid at 10 to 20 percent in airtight packaging. - A good Vitamin C is worth it. A bad one is pointless.
Hyaluronic Acid — 6/10 (Hydration, Not Anti-Ageing)
- Hyaluronic acid is an excellent hydrator. It attracts water and gives the skin a plumper, smoother appearance.
- For dry or dehydrated skin, it is genuinely helpful.
However, it does not make your skin younger. It does not stimulate collagen. - Use it for hydration, not transformation.
Peptides — 5/10 (Supportive, Not Transformative)
- Peptides are short chains of amino acids that can support skin repair and collagen signalling
Some studies show modest benefits. - But compared to retinoids, the evidence is limited.
- Think of peptides as a support product, not your main treatment.
Exosomes — 3/10 (Promising Science, Weak Evidence in Creams)
- Exosomes are an exciting area in aesthetic medicine, especially when used with treatments like microneedling.
However, in topical skincare, the evidence is not strong yet. - There are issues with stability and skin penetration.
Collagen Cream — 2/10 (Does Not Work as Claimed)
- Collagen molecules are too large to penetrate the skin barrier.
- They stay on the surface and get washed away.
- Collagen in a cream does not become collagen in your skin.
- Any benefit usually comes from moisturisers, not collagen itself.
Ingredient
SPF
Retinol
Vitamin C
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides
Exosomes
Collagen Cream
Score
11/10
10/10
7/10
6/10
5/10
3/10
2/10
What It Actually Does
Prevents ageing
Rebuilds skin
Supports and brightens
Hydrates
Supports
Not proven topically
Does not penetrate
When Skincare Reaches Its Limit
A well-chosen skincare routine forms the foundation. SPF and retinol alone can make a significant difference over time.
However, skincare works at the surface.
Ageing happens deeper, where collagen is lost and skin structure changes. This is where many people plateau. They have done everything right, but they have reached the limit of what topical products can achieve.
This is where clinic treatments become important.
Treatments such as microneedling, polynucleotides, and Profhilo work by stimulating your skin to rebuild its own collagen.
The future of aesthetics is not about adding more. It is about stimulating your own collagen in a controlled and effective way.
The Honest Takeaway
Most people do not need more products. They need the right ones.
If your routine does not include SPF and a retinoid, that is where to start. Everything else is secondary.
And if you feel like your skin has stopped responding, it may not be your fault. You may simply be at the point where skincare alone is no longer enough.
Work With Me
If you are unsure what your skin actually needs, or what is worth investing in, I offer personalised consultations to help you build a plan that delivers real results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does collagen cream work?
No. Collagen cannot penetrate the skin barrier, so it does not replace or rebuild collagen in the skin.
Is retinol better than Vitamin C?
They serve different roles, but retinol has stronger evidence for long-term skin renewal and collagen stimulation.
What is the most important anti-ageing skincare product?
SPF. Without it, other treatments are significantly less effective.