Treatment actives list: 61 ingredients and the supplement
Vietnamese version: frigate.vn/atlas/hoat-chat
The list of treatment actives (a treatment active is one of the 61 ingredients that entered the voting round of the Delphi consensus) is divided into three parts: numbers 1 to 23 are exactly the 23 ingredients that reached consensus, numbers 24 to 61 are the 38 ingredients that were voted on but did not reach consensus, and the supplement includes five ingredients outside the study, numbered B1 to B5.
What is a treatment active, and why the course chose 61 ingredients
A treatment active can be defined narrowly or broadly. Define it too narrowly and the list shrinks to just a few ingredients, leaving out many that still work on skin concerns. Define it too broadly and almost every ingredient on the ingredient list becomes a treatment active, and the list gets too long to learn.
The course draws the line using a Delphi consensus study. In a Delphi study, a panel of experts is asked for their views over several rounds until their views converge. This study was carried out by cosmetic dermatologists in the United States and published in 2025. It went through three steps, and each step produced a list of a different size.
Step one produced the longest list, with 318 ingredients. The research team reviewed the literature from 1990 to 2020 and drew up a long list of cosmetic ingredients used in the United States for seven skin concerns: wrinkles, acne, redness, brown spots, enlarged pores, dry skin and oily skin. This list is too broad to work as a list for study, and at this step no expert had yet filtered it for which ingredients are actually used.
Step two narrowed the list down to 61 ingredients. A panel of 17 experts was asked which ingredients they routinely prescribe or recommend for each skin concern. Any ingredient named by two or more panelists went on to the voting round:
"Specifically, they were asked to indicate at least 3 ingredients (or associated products containing these ingredients) they routinely prescribed or recommended for each of the 7 cosmetic concerns. Ingredients that were listed by 2 or more panelists were included in the subsequent Delphi process."
— Alvarez et al., Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2025, PMID 40233838
After the first scoring round, the voting panel proposed six more items. The paper counts by ingredient–skin concern pair, so it arrives at 89 items, because an ingredient voted on for several concerns is counted again under each one. Once the repeats are merged, there are 61 distinct ingredients.
Step three kept only the 23 ingredients that reached consensus. A second panel of 62 physicians scored each ingredient on a scale from 1 to 9, over two rounds. An ingredient reached consensus when at least 70% of raters gave it 7 to 9 points and no more than 15% gave it 1 to 3 points. Only 23 ingredients passed this threshold in the second scoring round. This list is too narrow, because many of the ingredients that dropped out did not do so for being less effective, and the paper itself records why:
"For the treatment of acne, erythromycin, minocycline, dapsone, and clascoterone did not reach consensus. Although many of these products are commonly prescribed, and known to be effective, some panelists noted in their comments that cost and insurance coverage played a role in their utilization."
— Alvarez et al., Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2025, PMID 40233838
Based on these three steps, the course draws the line at step two. A treatment active is one of the 61 ingredients that entered the voting round. Each ingredient is in this round because at least one expert actually uses it to treat at least one skin concern. For this reason, every treatment active is always paired with the skin concern it is used for. When you come across a treatment active on an ingredient list, the first question is which skin concern it is used for. Beyond those 61 ingredients, the course also adds a supplementary section of five ingredients found in the Frigate product range and in the peels commonly prescribed alongside it, presented in Part 3 below.
This definition has a consequence that may come as a surprise: treatment actives are not found only in treatment serums. Sunscreens contain physical or chemical sunscreen filters, which are used for wrinkles and redness, so they are on the list. Moisturizers often contain glycerin, petrolatum or ceramides, which are used for dry skin, so they are on the list too.
Three concentration bands
Each ingredient's concentration band is set by the lowest level at which it has been used and produced results for the specific skin concern it was voted for. Human trials take priority, then drug labels or regulations, and last the maximum use level in cosmetics or the supplier's recommendation. A lowest level below 0.1% puts an ingredient in the low band, from 0.1% to below 2% puts it in the around-1% band, and 2% or above puts it in the high band. So an ingredient with a wide usage range, such as chemical sunscreen filters (1–15% per filter), still belongs to the around-1% band. A high-band ingredient listed after phenoxyethanol is present below its own lowest used level.
| Band | Concentration range | Main mode of action | Typical ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low band | below 0.1% | by signalling | peptides, tretinoin, tazarotene, retinaldehyde, potent corticosteroids such as clobetasol |
| Around-1% band | roughly 0.1% to 2% | varied | adapalene, retinol, retinyl esters, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, salicylic acid, kojic acid, alpha-arbutin |
| High band | 2% and above | by quantity | niacinamide, vitamin C as L-ascorbic acid, hydroquinone, tranexamic acid, benzoyl peroxide, urea, azelaic acid |
Part 1 · 23 ingredients that reached consensus
| # | Treatment active — one of the 61 ingredients that entered the voting round of the Delphi consensus | Skin concerns voted on (✔ = reached consensus) | Concentration band | In the Frigate range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hydroquinone | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔ | high band (2–4%) | none |
| 2 | Mineral sunscreen | wrinkles and aging ✔, redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks ✔ | high band (2.4–25%) | Anpo sunscreen (Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide) |
| 3 | Retinoids (whole class) | wrinkles and aging ✔, closed comedones / inflammatory acne ✔, pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔, enlarged pores ✔, oily skin ✔ | Serum Ret1 (Retinol); tretinoin 0.05% prescribed alongside | |
| 4 | Benzoyl peroxide | closed comedones / inflammatory acne ✔, oily skin ✔ | high band (2.5–10%) | none |
| 5 | Salicylic acid | closed comedones / inflammatory acne ✔, oily skin ✔, pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks, enlarged pores | around-1% band (0.5–2%) | Jessner peel (14%) |
| 6 | Kojic acid | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔ | around-1% band (1% ceiling) | Spicule Cream; Serum AKA uses the derivative Kojic Acid Dipalmitate |
| 7 | Glycolic acid | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔, closed comedones / inflammatory acne ✔, wrinkles and aging, oily skin, enlarged pores | high band (4–10%) | none |
| 8 | Clindamycin | closed comedones / inflammatory acne ✔ | around-1% band (1%) | none |
| 9 | Vitamin C (whole class) | wrinkles and aging ✔, pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔ | none | |
| 10 | Azelaic acid | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔, closed comedones / inflammatory acne ✔, redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks, enlarged pores | high band (15–20%) | azelaic acid 20% prescribed alongside |
| 11 | Tranexamic acid | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔ | high band (5%) | Blue Cream, Serum AKA |
| 12 | Petrolatum | dry skin ✔ | high band (30% and above) | none |
| 13 | Chemical sunscreen | wrinkles and aging ✔, redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | around-1% band (1–15% per filter) | Anpo sunscreen (SunCat MTA filter) |
| 14 | Sulfacetamide-sulfur | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks ✔ | high band (10% and 5%) | none |
| 15 | Ceramides | dry skin ✔, wrinkles and aging | around-1% band (1%) | none |
| 16 | Hyaluronic acid | dry skin ✔, wrinkles and aging, redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | around-1% band (0.1%) | Serum Ret1, Serum HAIM, Serum Wet5; Spicule Cream (Sodium Hyaluronate) |
| 17 | Metronidazole | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks ✔ | around-1% band (0.75–1%) | none |
| 18 | Ammonium lactate | dry skin ✔ | high band (12%) | none |
| 19 | Urea | dry skin ✔ | high band (5–10%) | none |
| 20 | Niacinamide (vitamin B3) | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks ✔, redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks ✔, wrinkles and aging, oily skin | high band (2–4%) | Serum Ret1, Spicule Cream |
| 21 | Green-tinted products | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks ✔ | not yet assigned a band | none |
| 22 | Brimonidine and oxymetazoline | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks ✔ | around-1% band (0.33% and 1%) | none |
| 23 | Ivermectin | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks ✔ | around-1% band (1%) | none |
Part 2 · 38 ingredients voted on, consensus not reached
This part is not a list of ingredients that work less well than those in Part 1. The percentage of experts measures how common an ingredient is in practice, not how strong the evidence is. As the excerpt at the top of the page shows, some ingredients dropped out because of price and insurance.
| # | Treatment active — one of the 61 ingredients that entered the voting round of the Delphi consensus | Skin concern voted on (✔ = consensus reached) | Concentration band | In the Frigate range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Dapsone | closed closed comedones / inflammatory acne | high band (5–7.5%) | none |
| 25 | Corticosteroids in combination | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks | low band (e.g. clobetasol 0.05%) | none |
| 26 | Dimethicone | dry skin | around-1% band (1%; products may contain up to 85%) | none |
| 27 | Topical minocycline | closed closed comedones / inflammatory acne | high band (4%) | none |
| 28 | Clascoterone | closed closed comedones / inflammatory acne | around-1% band (1%) | none |
| 29 | Peptides | wrinkles and ageing | Blue Cream, Toner Gen2, Serum Wet5 (Copper Tripeptide-1) | |
| 30 | Lactic acid | closed closed comedones / inflammatory acne, enlarged pores, wrinkles and ageing, oily skin | high band (8–12%) | Jessner peel (14%) |
| 31 | Cysteamine | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks | high band (5%) | none |
| 32 | Growth factors | wrinkles and ageing | low band (75 ppm) | none |
| 33 | Glycerin | dry skin | high band (20% and above) | Finedust cleanser, Serum AKA, Serum Wet5 |
| 34 | Silicone-based primer | enlarged pores | high band (up to 25%) | none |
| 35 | Humectants, including panthenol and glycerin | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | high band (panthenol 5%) | panthenol in Blue Cream, Spicule Cream, Serum Wet5, Toner Gen2 and Finedust cleanser; glycerin as in no. 33 |
| 36 | Erythromycin | closed closed comedones / inflammatory acne | high band (2%) | none |
| 37 | Mandelic acid | oily skin, closed closed comedones / inflammatory acne | high band (5–10%) | none |
| 38 | Mineral oil | dry skin | high band (50% and above) | Blue Cream |
| 39 | Alpha-arbutin | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks | around-1% band (0.5–2%) | Blue Cream, Serum AKA, Spicule Cream |
| 40 | PHA (polyhydroxy acid) | closed closed comedones / inflammatory acne | high band (8–14%) | none |
| 41 | Sodium lactate | dry skin | high band (up to 8%) | none |
| 42 | Corticosteroids alone | pigmentation / melasma / freckles / post-acne dark marks | low band (e.g. clobetasol 0.05%) | none |
| 43 | Squalene | dry skin | high band (squalane up to 31%, squalene up to 10%) | none |
| 44 | Green tea (INCI Camellia sinensis) | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | high band (2%) | none |
| 45 | Cyclomethicone | dry skin | high band (up to 93%) | none |
| 46 | DNA repair enzymes | wrinkles and ageing | low band (about 1 ppm enzyme) | none |
| 47 | Colloidal oatmeal (INCI Avena sativa) | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | around-1% band (1% cream) | none |
| 48 | Witch hazel (INCI Hamamelis virginiana) | oily skin | high band (up to 86%) | none |
| 49 | Citric acid | enlarged pores | high band (20–25% when used as an AHA) | Serum HAIM, Serum Wet5 |
| 50 | Malic acid | enlarged pores | around-1% band (up to 1%) | none |
| 51 | Fruit acid | enlarged pores | high band (8%) | none |
| 52 | Paraffin | dry skin | high band (up to 99%) | none |
| 53 | Sunflower seed oil glycerides | dry skin | high band (sunflower oil up to 96%) | none |
| 54 | Propylene glycol | dry skin | high band (up to 50%) | Serum AKA, Serum Wet5 |
| 55 | Glycol stearate | dry skin | high band (up to 5%) | none |
| 56 | Hydrocortisone | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | around-1% band (0.25–2.5%) | none |
| 57 | Papaya (papain enzyme) | oily skin | around-1% band (papain 0.2%; papaya extract up to 0.02%) | none |
| 58 | Oil-absorbing polymer beads | oily skin | high band (up to 30–55%) | none |
| 59 | Cucumber extract (INCI Cucumis sativus) | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | around-1% band (up to 1%) | Blue Cream, Serum HAIM, Serum Wet5, Toner Gen2 |
| 60 | Ethoxybenzaldehyde | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | around-1% band (0.1–1%) | none |
| 61 | Aloe vera (INCI Aloe barbadensis) | redness / dilated blood vessels / post-acne red marks | around-1% band (freeze-dried extract 0.1–0.5%) | none |
Part 3 · Supplement: 5 ingredients in the Frigate set and the peels prescribed alongside it
The five ingredients below were not part of the voting round of the Delphi study, so they come with no expert percentages or voted skin concerns. The course still includes them in the catalogue because they appear in the Frigate product set and in the peels commonly prescribed alongside it. The uses column follows the manufacturer's product documentation.
| # | Treatment active | Skin concerns voted for (✔ = consensus reached) | Concentration band | In the Frigate set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | Allantoin | soothing, anti-irritation, reduces roughness and itching | Blue Cream, Serum AKA, Spicule Cream, Serum Wet5, Toner Gen2 | |
| B2 | Spicule powder (sponge spicule) | uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, dark marks and melasma; closed comedones and inflammatory acne | Spicule Cream; Skinovation's Spicule 99% powder | |
| B3 | Colloidal silver, nano silver | inflammatory acne, Demodex dermatitis, sensitive skin, skin after laser, microneedling or peels, skin after using mixed creams or corticosteroids | Colloidal silver 500 ppm; Finedust cleanser | |
| B4 | Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) | at 25%: rejuvenation, support for acne and pigmentation, improved skin texture; at 50%: spot application for deep melasma, dark freckles, ice-pick scars and post-inflammatory pigmentation | Skinovation's TCA 25% and 50% peels | |
| B5 | Resorcinol | per the Jessner peel that contains it: a peel for acne-prone skin, softens keratin before comedone extraction | Jessner peel (14%) |