Ingredients in Skincare

Tomato Stem Cells

Tomato Stem Cells

Stem cells occur naturally within plants to help regenerate cells after stress or injury, and studies show this can encourage similar regenerating mechanisms in human skin. Tomato stem cells provide antioxidant protection to protect against free radicals, as well as acting as a chelating agent to sequester heavy metals which could result in damage, so overall this ingredient has great protective properties.

Caprooyl Phytosphingosine

Caprooyl Phytosphingosine

Caprooyl Phytosphingosine is a mixture of fatty acids Caproic acid and Phytosphingosine. It acts as a precursor for ceramide synthesis, meaning it encourages the skin to produce ceramides naturally. The function of ceramides is to hold the skin cells together by creating a barrier against water-loss from the inside-out, and external aggressors from the outside-in. They make up almost 50% of our skins composition, but they can be depleted by UV, free radicals & pollution, and their production also naturally slows with age. This leads to an impaired skin barrier, which results in dry, rough skin with more visible wrinkling and redness. Encouraging the skin’s natural production of ceramides leads to an improved skin barrier, resulting in smoother, more hydrated, younger-looking skin. Caprooyl phytosphingosine is in the class of essential lipids, it can be found on ingredient lists as caprooyl sphingosine, cholesterol, glycolipids, glycoproteins, glycosphingolipids, lecithin, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phospholipids and phytosphingosine.

Avocado Ferment

Avocado ferment is used for its nourishing, moisturizing, and skin-conditioning properties, offering benefits for the skin.

Caffeine

Caffeine, derived from the coffee plant, is used in skincare as an antioxidant and a vasoconstricting agent. Its antioxidant properties help to protect against free radicals, neutralising them before they can cause damage to the skin cells. Its vasoconstricting abilities make it good for draining water retention from around the eye area, to reduce puff, and for reducing skin redness by constricting the capillaries whose dilation visually increases skin redness by passing blood closer to the skin’s surface.

Zinc Sulfate

Zinc Sulfate

The jury is still out on the efficacy of this zinc derivative, but it is used in skincare for its antibacterial and astringent properties. This means it is able to fight blemish-causing C. Acnes bacteria, as well as minimise sebum production via its astringent effect. Zinc sulfate is part of a family of ingredients that can also be found on ingredients lists as zinc gluconate, zinc pca and zinc sulphate.

Bilberry Extract

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Bilberry extract is derived from the fruit of the bilberry plant, a close relative of the blueberry. It is used in skincare for its antioxidant properties and potential benefits for improving the appearance of the skin. It is rich in beneficial compounds, including antioxidants, vitamins, and polyphenols.

Arginine HCL

Arginine HCL

Arginine is an amino acid that can be found in food sources such as almonds and chocolate. Arginine is an essential amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own. It is often referred to as the ‘master amino acid’ and has a number of benefits to skin health. Amino acids are a class of ingredients. They can also be found on ingredients lists as acetyl glucosamine, acetyl tyrosinamide, alanine, arginine hcl, arginine pca, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, taurine, threonine and valine and yeast amino acids.

Essential Lipids

The outer layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, has a multilamellar structure (essentially a fine membrane), made up of lipids (fats), to form a non-permeable barrier. This keeps water inside the skin, and acts as the first defense against external aggressors. Using lipids in skincare helps to support the natural skin barrier, preventing water-loss to keep skin hydrated and balanced. Essential lipids are a class of ingredients also known as caprooyl phytosphingosine, caprooyl sphingosine, cholesterol, glycolipids, glycoproteins, glycosphingolipids, lecithin, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phospholipids and phytosphingosine.

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Part of the Vitamin C family of ingredients, Ascorbyl palmitate is an oil-soluble Vitamin C ester, produced by the reaction of ascorbic acid and palmitic acid. This oil-soluble form works to improve stability against oxidation (something L-ascorbic acid is notorious for), as well as improve skin affinity to allow the ingredient to penetrate further. Vitamin C can also be found on ingredients lists as ascorbic acid, ascorbyl glucoside, ethyl ascorbic acid, l-ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.

Moringa Seed Extract

Moringa seed extract is derived from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree, also known as the "Miracle Tree" or "Tree of Life." In skincare, it is used for its potential nourishing, antioxidant, and skin-protecting properties.

Ascorbic Acid

Ascorbic Acid

Part of the Vitamin C family of ingredients, L-ascorbic acid is Vitamin C in its purest form, and the active form required by the body to result in the many skin skin benefits of Vitamin C. The issue with L-ascorbic acid is in the delivery, as it is very unstable in water, and needs a pH 4 or below for it to penetrate the skin. That being said, when it can be stabilised in a formula and is able to penetrate the skin, it provides the highest potency of any form of Vitamin C currently available. Vitamin C can also be found on ingredients lists as ascorbyl glucoside, ascorbyl palmitate, ethyl ascorbic acid, l-ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Part of the Vitamin C family of ingredients, Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate is a water-soluble, medium-strength, derivative of Vitamin C. It is designed to have improved stability vs. pure Vitamin C, with a strong conversion to ascorbic acid (the active form of Vitamin C) within the body. It has extremely low sensitisation profile vs other forms which can cause stinging and dryness/irritation. Vitamin C can also be found on ingredients lists as ascorbic acid, ascorbyl glucoside, ascorbyl palmitate, ethyl ascorbic acid, l-ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbyl phosphate and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.

Citric Acid

Citric Acid

Citric acid (in dilution) is often used in tiny quantities to adjust the pH of a formula to be more acidic. In higher doses, it acts as an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), encouraging the skin’s natural exfoliation process to brighten, smooth and refine overall skin texture.

Superoxide Dismutase

Superoxide Dismutase

Superoxide dismutase is an enzyme produced naturally in the body, specifically to break down the free radical superoxide (an oxygen with an excess electron and thus a negative charge). It is considered to be the body’s most important antioxidant and works by catalysing the conversion of superoxide, into elemental oxygen (O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a process known as dismutation. This action is part of the body’s natural anti-ageing mechanism, so including this ingredient in skincare supports this natural protection process.

Bakuchiol

Psoralea Corylifolia Seed Oil

Bakuchiol has been dubbed as ‘nature’s retinol’ due to its ability to achieve some of the same skin benefits (without the side effects). Studies have shown this plant active, when used twice daily, to result in visible improvements in wrinkle depth, skin smoothness, elasticity & uneven skin tone.