If you’re having trouble keeping up with trending skincare products and deducing whether they’re actually worth incorporating into your routine, I don’t blame you.

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But one ingredient that’s gone viral on TikTok is worth paying attention to: hypochlorous acid. It’s a soothing, potent antimicrobial — a “natural disinfectant” that’s found in our body’s white blood cells, according to Dr. Samer Jaber, a board-certified dermatologist at Washington Square Dermatology in New York City.

Similarly, Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist and a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Cornell, told us in an email that hypochlorous acid calms inflammation and repairs the skin’s barrier.

Hypochlorous acid stands apart because of its wide breadth of applications, while being gentle and non-irritating enough for routine use. It can help treat eczema and dermatitis, reduce redness, calm breakouts and strengthen the skin barrier, particularly during cold, dry weather, according to both dermatologists. But hypochlorous acid “is so well tolerated that it is even used to treat blepharitis, which is inflammation of the eyelids,” Jaber said. 

As an avid user of hypochlorous acid myself — I consider it more essential to my skincare routine than my moisturizer — you can’t go wrong incorporating this gentle yet hardworking ingredient into your lineup. I use it twice daily to calm my sensitive, cystic acne-prone skin and to cleanse my easily irritated eyelids. I also deal with periorial dermatitis, a facial rash that’s similar to rosacea, and hypochlorous acid is the only ingredient that I’ve found has made a noticeable difference for me besides oral medication. It’s so helpful for me that I make sure I never run out.