Follow us on our new Insta page »
SU:M37 Losec Summa Elixir Night Ampoule

Losec Summa Elixir Night Ampoule

Rich nourishment is swiftly delivered to skin, creating a smooth barrier for glowing radiance all day long. Added gold ingredients for a clear, shimmering gel formula.
Uploaded by: joschristensen on

Ingredients overview

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/​Soybean Ferment Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Panthenol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Saccharomyces/​Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/​Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lauryl Dimethicone/​Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Acrylate/​Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Wine Extract, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Polyquaternium-51, Gold, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Vinegar, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Sodium Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus/​Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Lactobacillus/​Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/​Grape Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Water Hyacinth Ferment, Lactobacillus/​Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Rye Flour Ferment, Saccharomyces/​Xylinum/​Black Tea Ferment, Monascus/​Rice Ferment, Trisodium EDTA, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Melissa Officinalis Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Geranium Robertianum Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Fraxinus Excelsior Leaf Extract, Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract, Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorum Root Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract, Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract, Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract, Glechoma Hederacea Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Flower/​Leaf/​Stem Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit/​Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Cymbopogon Citratus Extract, Plantago Major Seed Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/​Leaf/​Stem Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Leaf Extract, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Akebia Quinata Extract, Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract, Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract, Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract, Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Valeriana Officinalis Rhizome/​Root Extract, Honey Extract, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract

Highlights

Key Ingredients

Antioxidant: Wine Extract, Lactobacillus/​Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Monascus/​Rice Ferment, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorum Root Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract

Skim through

Ingredient name what-it-does irr., com. ID-Rating
Water solvent
Glycerin skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 superstar
Propanediol solvent, moisturizer/​humectant
Alcohol Denat antimicrobial/​antibacterial, solvent, viscosity controlling icky
1,2-Hexanediol solvent
Butylene Glycol moisturizer/​humectant, solvent 0, 1
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Chondrus Crispus Extract moisturizer/​humectant, viscosity controlling goodie
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane emollient, moisturizer/​humectant, surfactant/​cleansing
Panthenol soothing, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 goodie
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing
Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Lauryl Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer surfactant/​cleansing, viscosity controlling
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Tromethamine buffering
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer moisturizer/​humectant, viscosity controlling
Wine Extract antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer viscosity controlling
Carbomer viscosity controlling 0, 1
Polyquaternium-51 moisturizer/​humectant
Gold colorant
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Vinegar
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil perfuming icky
Sodium Polyacrylate viscosity controlling
Adenosine cell-communicating ingredient goodie
Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract soothing
Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil perfuming icky
Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract
Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment
Lactobacillus/Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate
Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Monascus/Rice Ferment antioxidant
Trisodium EDTA chelating
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil antioxidant, perfuming, antimicrobial/​antibacterial icky
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Artemisia Annua Extract
Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract
Beta-Glucan soothing, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil perfuming
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil perfuming icky
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil antimicrobial/​antibacterial, perfuming icky
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient
Pogostemon Cablin Oil perfuming
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract surfactant/​cleansing
Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract
Yeast Ferment Extract
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract exfoliant goodie
Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract soothing, emollient goodie
Melissa Officinalis Extract
Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract
Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract
Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract
Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
Geranium Robertianum Extract
Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract
Acorus Calamus Root Extract perfuming
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract
Fraxinus Excelsior Leaf Extract
Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract
Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract antimicrobial/​antibacterial
Portulaca Oleracea Extract soothing, antioxidant goodie
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract soothing, skin brightening superstar
Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract
Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract surfactant/​cleansing
Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract soothing
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract skin brightening, antioxidant
Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract emollient
Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract emollient, soothing
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract antioxidant, emollient goodie
Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract
Platycodon Grandiflorum Root Extract antioxidant
Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract antioxidant goodie
Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract
Houttuynia Cordata Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract
Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract
Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract antioxidant
Glechoma Hederacea Extract
Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract soothing, antioxidant 0, 0 goodie
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract
Equisetum Arvense Extract soothing, emollient
Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract
Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract soothing, antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract
Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract antioxidant
Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract
Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract perfuming
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract
Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant
Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract
Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing, skin brightening, perfuming goodie
Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit/Leaf Extract
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
Nigella Sativa Seed Extract perfuming
Lentinus Edodes Extract
Cymbopogon Citratus Extract
Plantago Major Seed Extract
Marrubium Vulgare Extract soothing
Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract
Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract abrasive/​scrub, moisturizer/​humectant
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract perfuming
Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Leaf Extract
Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract perfuming
Akebia Quinata Extract
Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract
Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract
Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract antioxidant
Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Flower Extract perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil
Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract antimicrobial/​antibacterial, antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant, perfuming
Valeriana Officinalis Rhizome/Root Extract soothing
Honey Extract moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract

SU:M37 Losec Summa Elixir Night Ampoule
Ingredients explained

Also-called: Aqua | What-it-does: solvent

Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product. 

It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water. 

Glycerin - superstar
Also-called: Glycerol | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
  • A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  • A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  • Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  • Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  • High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>

Also-called: Zemea | What-it-does: solvent, moisturizer/humectant

Propanediol is a natural alternative for the often used and often bad-mouthed propylene glycol. It's produced sustainably from corn sugar and it's Ecocert approved. 

It's quite a multi-tasker: can be used to improve skin moisturization, as a solvent, to boost preservative efficacy or to influence the sensory properties of the end formula. 

  • It's a super common and super debated skincare ingredient
  • It has several benefits: great solvent, penetration enhancer, creates cosmetically elegant, light formulas, great astringent and antimicrobial
  • It can be very drying if it's in the first few ingredients on an ingredient list
  • Some experts even think that regular exposure to alcohol damages skin barrier and causes inflammation though it's a debated opinion (read more in geeky details tab)
Read all the geeky details about Alcohol Denat. here >>

What-it-does: solvent

A really multi-functional helper ingredient that can do several things in a skincare product: it can bring a soft and pleasant feel to the formula, it can act as a humectant and emollient, it can be a solvent for some other ingredients (for example it can help to stabilize perfumes in watery products) and it can also help to disperse pigments more evenly in makeup products. And that is still not all: it can also boost the antimicrobial activity of preservatives

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, solvent | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

Butylene glycol, or let’s just call it BG, is a multi-tasking colorless, syrupy liquid. It’s a great pick for creating a nice feeling product.  

BG’s main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin (penetration enhancer), making the product spread nicely over the skin (slip agent), and attracting water (humectant) into the skin.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Carrageenan Extract, Seaweed Extract | What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, viscosity controlling

The extract of red seaweed that has nice film-forming, skin smoothing and moisturizing properties.​

The manufacturer claims that thanks to biomimetic properties between skin proteins and carrageenans it has a very long-lasting action and can form a "second skin". It also gives a "slow-release" effect to oil-loving active ingredients and measurably reduces trans-epidermal water loss (that's pretty much a synonym of saying that it moisturizes the skin). 

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane is a silicone that is water dispersible (as opposed to most other silicones that are usually oil dispersible). It makes the skin smooth and nice (emollient), moisturizes, helps to reduce tackiness, and also has some foam boosting properties. It is often used in light, watery formulas to give them an extra silky feel

Panthenol - goodie
Also-called: Pro-Vitamin B5 | What-it-does: soothing, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient that’s also called pro-vitamin B5. As you might guess from the “pro” part, it’s a precursor to vitamin B5 (whose fancy name is pantothenic acid). 

Its main job in skincare products is to moisturise the skin. It’s a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. There is also research showing that panthenol can help our skin to produce more lovely lipids that are important for a strong and healthy skin barrier. 

A mildly viscous, amber-colored liquid with fatty odor, made from Castor Oil and polyethylene glycol (PEG).

If it were a person, we’d say, it’s agile, diligent & multifunctional. It’s mostly used as an emulsifier and surfactant but most often it is used to solubilize fragrances into water-based formulas.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

spherical texturizing powder that's used as a texture enhancer and soft focus agent. It's claimed to give silicone type softness to the formula and also works as a (temporary) wrinkle filler. 

What-it-does: buffering

It's a little helper ingredient that helps to set the pH of the products to be right. It has an alkaline pH and can neutralize acidic ingredients.

Glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer is the fancy word for a common polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits), namely polyacrylic acid (aka carbomer when it comes to cosmetics) with glycerin attached to it in some places.

The main thing of this polymer is that it forms a hydrogel (trade named Lubrajel) that can sit on top of the skin and provide moisturizing, water-soluble ingredients such as glycerin to the skin. Think of it as a very thin, wet sponge that a cosmetic manufacturer can fill with good ingredients for your skin. It also works as a thickening agent (remember, it is a carbomer type of molecule), and can provide the skin with a nice slippery feel. It can also draw water to the skin (thank you, pendant glycerol groups!), providing skin hydration.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Though its long name does not reveal it, this polymer molecule (big molecule from repeated subunits or monomers) is a relative to the super common, water-loving thickener, Carbomer. Both of them are big molecules that contain acrylic acid units, but Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer also contains some other monomers that are hydrophobic, i.e. water-hating. 

This means that our molecule is part water- and part oil-loving, so it not only works as a thickener but also as an emulsion stabilizer. It is very common in gel-type formulas that also contain an oil-phase as well as in cleansers as it also works with most cleansing agents (unlike a lot of other thickeners). 

What-it-does: viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilising | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

A big molecule created from repeated subunits (a polymer of acrylic acid) that magically converts a liquid into a nice gel formula.  It usually has to be neutralized with a base (such as sodium hydroxide) for the thickening to occur and it creates viscous, clear gels that also feel nice and non-tacky on the skin. No wonder, it is a very popular and common ingredient. Typically used at 1% or less in most formulations.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

A biocompatible copolymer (a big molecule that consists of more than one type of building blocks) that has the same structure as important cell membrane ingredient, phospholipid. It's a good skin moisturizer, leaves a silky, smooth feel on the skin and can help to reduce irritation caused by some not-so-nice ingredients (like surfactants).

Also-called: Ci 77480 | What-it-does: colorant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Acai Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Acetum

The thing that you put on your salad with some olive oil. But in a more scientific sense vinegar is usually a 5% solution of acetic acid. It's used in cosmetic products to adjust pH. Larg amounts of vinegar on the skin could be irritating and drying.

Also-called: Bergamot Fruit Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%). 

A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic compounds called furanocoumarins, but more and more commonly furanocoumarin-free versions are used in cosmetic products. Still, if you have sensitive skin and prefer fragrance-free products, bergamot oil is not for you.

A superabsorbent polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) that has crazy water binding abilities. Sometimes its referred to as "waterlock" and can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. 

As for its use in cosmetic products, it is a handy multi-tasker that thickens up water-based formulas and also has some emulsifying and emulsion stabilizing properties. 

Adenosine - goodie

Adenosine is an important little compound in our body that has a vital cell-signalling role. Research on smearing it on our face is also promising and shows so far a couple of things:

  • It can help with wound healing
  • It’s a good anti-inflammatory agent
  • It might even help with skin’s own collagen production and improve skin firmness and elasticity
  • It helps with barrier repair and protection
  • It might be even useful for the hair helping with hair thickness and hair growth
Also-called: Blueberry Extract | What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Grapefruit Peel Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The essential oil coming from the rind of the grapefruit. In general, the main component of citrus peel oils is limonene (86-95% for grapefruit peel), a super common fragrant ingredient that makes everything smell nice (but counts as a frequent skin sensitizer).

Other than that, citrus peel also contains the problematic compound called furanocoumarin that makes them mildly phototoxic. In general, the more sour-bitter the fruit, the more problematic it is regarding phototoxicity: orange and clementine peel contain less of it while lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot contain some more. Be careful with it if it is in a product for daytime use.  

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: NG Kombuchka

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: chelating

A common helper ingredient that works as a so-called chelating agent.  It helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Damask Rose Flower Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, perfuming, antimicrobial/antibacterial

We are big fans of all kinds of roses as ornamental plants but when it comes to skincare, it is a mixed bag. Before we list out the good and the not so good, here is an interesting thing. 

The oil content in rose is very, very low so distilling rose essential oil requires huge amounts of rose flowers. It has such a wonderful scent that there are no comparable synthetic alternatives. You can probably guess that this means rose essential oil is expensive.... very very expensive

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Neem Leaf Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Beta-Glucan - goodie

Beta-Glucan is a nice big molecule composed of many smaller sugar molecules (called polysaccharide). It’s in the cell walls of yeast, some mushrooms, seaweeds, and cereals.

It’s a real goodie no matter if you eat it or put it on your face. Eating it is anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and even lowers blood cholesterol. 

Also-called: Green Tea | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing
  • Green tea is one of the most researched natural ingredients
  • The active parts are called polyphenols, or more precisely catechins (EGCG being the most abundant and most active catechin)
  • There can be huge quality differences between green tea extracts. The good ones contain 50-90% catechins (and often make the product brown and give it a distinctive smell)
  • Green tea is proven to be a great antioxidant, UV protectant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial
  • Because of these awesome properties green tea is a great choice for anti-aging and also for skin diseases including rosacea, acne and atopic dermatitis
Read all the geeky details about Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract here >>

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Ylang Ylang Essential Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

Sweet, exotic and floral, it’ no surprise that Ylang Ylang is a popular essential oil. It is coming from the yellow, fragrant flowers of the Cananga tree native to tropical Asia and, similar to other essential oils, it is a chemically complex mixture with several pros and cons. 

Unfortunately, these are a bit tricky to pin down as the composition varies largely depending on where it is sourced, how the oil is extracted and the grade of it that is used in the product, but we’ll do our best!

Also-called: Lavender Essential Oil | What-it-does: antimicrobial/antibacterial, perfuming

We have to start by writing how fascinated we are by the amazing lavender fields of Provance and we do love pretty much everything about lavender: its look, its color, its scent.... but, when it comes to skincare, lavender is a questionable ingredient that you probably do not want in your skincare products.

First, let us start with the pros: it has a lovely scent, so no wonder that it is popular as a fragrance ingredient in natural products wanting to be free from synthetic fragrances but still wanting to smell nice. The scent of lavender is famous for having calming and relaxing properties and some smallish scientific studies do support that. Inhaled volatile compounds seem to have a soothing effect on the central nervous system and studies have shown that lavender aromatherapy can improve patient's anxiety and experience in hospitals.   

What-it-does: emollient

A super common emollient that makes your skin feel nice and smooth. It comes from coconut oil and glycerin, it’s light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. It’s a nice ingredient that just feels good on the skin, is super well tolerated by every skin type and easy to formulate with. No wonder it’s popular. 

Also-called: Patchouli Essential Oil;Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

If you are into perfumes, you must know patchouli as an important essential oil in the perfume industry. It boasts a pleasant woody, earthy and camphoraceous scent and has fixative properties (makes the fragrance long-lasting).

Its composition is pretty unique: it does not contain any of the EU's 26 most common fragrance allergens, but its most important components are patchoulol (30%) and alpha-patchoulene (6%) which are responsible for its aroma and antifungal properties.

Also-called: Sage Leaf Extract | What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Ginger Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing

The extract coming from ginger, the lovely spice that we all know from the kitchen. It is also a medicinal plant used both in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for pretty much everything you can imagine (muscular pain, sore throat, nausea, fever or cramps,  just to give a few examples).

As for ginger and skincare, the root extract contains the biologically active component called gingerol that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Combined with Bisabololthe duo works synergistically to sooth the skin and take down redness. 

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Pomegranate Enzyme | What-it-does: exfoliant

It's the fancy name for pomegranate enzyme that's obtained by fermenting the pomegranate fruit with Lactobacil­lus lactis. The fermentation process makes the desired phytochemicals readily available and selective filtration techniques are used to isolate the  proteolytic frac­tions.

The end result is the enzyme that increases cell renewal and can be an alternative to acid exfoliation (though it is not as effective as glycolic acid even according to the manufacturer's measurements not to speak about the other benefits of glycolic acid). 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Cucumber Fruit Extract | What-it-does: soothing, emollient

Cucumber is a nice, non-irritating plant extract that’s known for it’s soothing and emollient properties. It’s not something new to put it on our face: even Cleopatra used it to “preserve her skin”.

It’s commonly believed that cucumber is the answer to puffy eyes, but there is no research confirming this. What research does confirm is that it contains amino acids and organic acids that’s helpful for the skin’s acid mantle. There is also an enzyme (called shikimate dehydrigenase) in the pulp that’s shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Apple Fruit Extract | What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

Apple needs no introduction as one of the most common fruits on planet Earth. It's not only a healthy fruit snack, it's also a goodie if you put in all over your face. 

It's loaded with proteins, starch, sugars, acids, vitamins and salts. The sugars (mainly fructose, glucose, sucrose) give apple fruit extract nice moisturizing and smoothing properties, while the acids (mainly malic  and gallic acid) give it mild exfoliant, skin brightening and antibacterial properties. 

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Rosemary Leaf Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/antibacterial

The extract coming from the lovely herb, rosemary. It contains lots of chemicals, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and diterpenes. Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. 

The leaves contain a small amount of essential oil (1-2%) with fragrant components, so if you are allergic to fragrance, it might be better to avoid it. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Onion Bulb Extract | What-it-does: antimicrobial/antibacterial

You probably meet this guy more often in your kitchen than in the bathroom, but yes, onion extract is also used as a skincare ingredient. Its major skin benefit seems to be that it can improve the cosmetic appearance of postsurgical scars (there is also a scar-fading gel called Mederma, that has hardly anything else in it but onion extract). 

We also saw some manufacturer claims that onion is not only a scar healer, but it has also antibacterial and antifungal activity, it can help to reduce acne and stimulate hair growth

Also-called: Purslane Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant

Portulaca Oleracea is a nice succulent with bright yellow flowers and edible nutritious vegetables. It's a famous plant in Korean traditional medicine to treat infection and irritated skin.

Modern research confirms that it's loaded with skin-goodies: it's the richest green plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid), contains NMFs (polysaccharides and amino acids),  vitamins (β-carotene), minerals, and antioxidants (yellow betaxanthins and reddish betacyanins). Thanks to all its beneficial components, Purslane Extract has several magic properties: it's a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent and also has wound healing abilities

Also-called: Licorice Root;Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract | What-it-does: soothing, skin brightening

You might know licorice as a sweet treat from your childhood, but it's actually a legume that grows around the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, central and southern Russia. It's sweet and yellow and not only used for licorice all sorts but it's also a skincare superstar thanks to two magic properties:

Nr. 1 magic property is that it has skin-lightening or to say it another way depigmenting properties. The most active part is called glabridin. The topical application (meaning when you put it on your face) of 0.5% glabridin was shown to inhibit UVB caused pigmentation of guinea pigs. Another study even suggested that licorice is more effective than the gold standard skin-lightening agent hydroquinone. All in all, licorice is considered to be one of the safest skin lightening agents with the fewest side effects.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Satsuma Mandarin, Satsuma Orange | What-it-does: skin brightening, antioxidant

Out of the more than 900 Citrus species known today, Citrus Unshiu is a seedless, easy to peel tangerine coming from the Japanese town Satsuma. The peel extract used in cosmetics is mainly created from the "press-cake", the by-product of the juice industry and as it turns out, what's waste to one industry is a useful ingredient to another. 

In cosmetics, the main thing of the Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract is being a skin-brightening or whitening agent. In-vitro (made in test tubes) and animal studies both show promising results for inhibiting tyrosinase, the famous enzyme regulating melanin production. It also contains antioxidant components such as carotenoids, coumarins,  limonoids, and flavonoids that might be useful for the skin to protect itself from UV caused damages. 

What-it-does: emollient

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: emollient, soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Carrot Root Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. (Not to be confused with carrot seed oil, that can be fixed or essential and comes from the seeds.)

The root extract is known for containing the orange pigment beta-carotene, aka provitamin A. It is a famous molecule for being a potent antioxidant, suntan accelerator and having skin-regenerative abilities. Carrot oil also contains vitamin E and some fatty acids that give the oil further antioxidant and barrier repairing properties. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Watermelon Fruit Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant

We love a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summer day and we love watermelon as a skincare ingredient. It's really full of good-for-the-skin stuff: it contains a bunch of vitamins (A, B, C and E), mineral salts (K, Mg, Ca and Fe), amino acids citrulline and arginine and antioxidant carotenoids and phenolics

It's especially rich in potent antioxidant, lycopene (a type of carotenoid), the cool pigment that's responsible for the red color of the watermelon. According to manufacturer info, in-vitro (made in the lab not on real people) studies show that watermelon extract gives significant DNA protection against UV damage. The in-vivo (made on real people) study also confirmed this and the watermelon formula showed 25% increase in skin protection compared to placebo.

Also-called: Japanese Honeysuckle Flower Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antimicrobial/antibacterial

Lonicera Japonica, or Japanese Honeysuckle as normal people call it, is a white-flowered honeysuckle known for being a traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research confirms that the plant has a super complex chemical composition with more than 140 compounds identified with possible anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities.

As for Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract in skin care, it can have two main roles. The first one is being an anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredient, probably due to chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol thought to be the main bioactive component of the flower.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing

Houttuynia cordata is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. It is eaten as a leaf vegetable, and also has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, including as an attempted treatment for SARS (it didn’t really work). Regarding cosmetics, however, houttuynia cordata extract has a good bit of potential! 

The main active components in the plant are these fancy chemicals called flavonoids. Houttuynia cordata specifically has a good amount of polyphenolic flavonoids, four common ones being quercetin, quercitrin, hyperoside, and rutin. All of these exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Quercitrin has also been shown to decrease damage from UVB rays, which is an added bonus. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the flavonoid content of this extract can depend on if the extract is taken from the roots or the leaves, as well as if it’s a water extraction or an alcohol extraction.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: German Chamomile Flower Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

Chamomile probably needs no introduction as it's one of the most widely used medicinal herbs. You probably drink it regularly as a nice, calming cup of tea and it's also a regular on skincare ingredient lists.

Cosmetic companies use it mainly for its anti-inflammatory properties. It contains the terpenoids chamazulene and bisabolol both of which show great anti-inflammatory action in animal studies. On top of that chamomile also has some antioxidant activity (thanks to some other active ingredients called matricine, apigenin and luteolin).  

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Horsetail Extract | What-it-does: soothing, emollient, astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Gotu Kola, Tiger Grass | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant, moisturizer/humectant

Centella Asiatica - or sometimes also called Gotu Kola or Cica - has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It’s traditionally used to improve small wounds, burns and scratches and it’s also a well known anti-inflammatory agent for eczema.

Recently science has taken an interest in Gotu Kola as well and it turns out it really has many active compounds with several benefits. Just for hard-core geeks, the main biologically active compounds are pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins called asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic and madecassic acid (also called centellosides).

Also-called: Dandelion Leaf Extract

The extract coming from the leaves of dandelion. It's a folkloric medicine for the treatment of liver and kidney disorders and we could find several studies confirming its liver-protecting, "detoxifying" effect.

What we could not find is information on what dandelion is doing in cosmetic products. Our best info is that it "enhances the clarity of skin" by helping the detoxification of the liver (though we have to admit we are a bit sceptical about this).  

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Garlic Bulb Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Beet Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, moisturizer/humectant

Beetroot is a beautifully colored vegetable that you probably know from the kitchen. As for skincare - according to manufacturer info - it works as a natural moisturizer that might be able to increase the concentration of NMFs (natural moisturizing factors) in the upper layer of the skin giving skin both immediate and longer term hydration. 

According to Paula's Choice, it's also a colorant and a source of antioxidants

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Raspberry Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, astringent

Raspberry is one of the colorful berries that’s not only delicious but contains many biologically active, healthy compounds. It has polyphenols including anthocyanins and ellagitannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

According to skin care expert Paula Begoun, it’s antibacterial as well but due to its tannin content it can cause also irritation to the very sensitive skinned. 

Also-called: Papaya Fruit Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Turmeric Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, skin brightening, perfuming

Turmeric is the yellow spice you probably know from curry and Indian food. It's also a traditional herbal medicine used in Ayurveda for its bunch of anti-something magic abilities including being anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic. 

As for turmeric and skincare, we have good news: studies show that the root extract and its main biologically active component, curcumin can do multiple good things for the skin. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, it shows some promise for acne-prone skin and a small study from 2013 showed that it might be able to regulate sebum production

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Shiitake Mushroom Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent, perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Japanese Plum Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Honey Extract - goodie
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

Usually, a glycerin or glycol based extract of honey that has similar properties to pure honey, i.e. moisturizing, soothing and antibacterial magic properties.

If you wanna know more about honey in cosmetics, we have a shiny explanation here >>

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

You may also want to take a look at...

what‑it‑does solvent
Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water. Usually the main solvent in cosmetic products. [more]
what‑it‑does skin-identical ingredient | moisturizer/humectant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
A real oldie but a goodie. Great natural moisturizer and skin-identical ingredient that plays an important role in skin hydration and general skin health. [more]
what‑it‑does solvent | moisturizer/humectant
A natural corn sugar derived glycol. It can be used to improve skin moisturization, as a solvent, to boost preservative efficacy or to influence the sensory properties of the end formula. [more]
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial | solvent | viscosity controlling
Alcohol with some additives to make it unconsumable. It is great solvent, penetration enhancer, creates cosmetically elegant, light formulas, great astringent, and antimicrobial. In large amounts, it can be very drying to the skin. [more]
what‑it‑does solvent
A multi-functional helper ingredient that acts as a humectant and emollient. It's also a solvent and can boost the effectiveness of preservatives. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | solvent
irritancy, com. 0, 1
An often used glycol that works as a solvent, humectant, penetration enhancer and also gives a good slip to the products. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | viscosity controlling
The extract of red seaweed that has nice film-forming, skin smoothing and moisturizing properties.​ [more]
what‑it‑does emollient | moisturizer/humectant | surfactant/cleansing
A type of silicone that makes the skin smooth and nice (emollient), moisturizes and helps to reduce the tackiness of the products. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | moisturizer/humectant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
Pro-Vitamin B5 is a goodie that moisturises the skin, has anti-inflammatory, skin protecting and wound healing properties. [more]
what‑it‑does emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing
A mildly viscous, amber-colored liquid that works as an emulsifier and surfactant. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing | viscosity controlling
A spherical texturizing powder that's used as a texture enhancer and soft focus agent. [more]
what‑it‑does buffering
It's a little helper ingredient that helps to set the pH of the products to be right. It has an alkaline pH and can neutralize acidic ingredients.
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | viscosity controlling
Glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer is the fancy word for a common polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits), namely polyacrylic acid (aka carbomer when it comes to cosmetics) with glycerin attached to it in some places. The main thing of this polymer is that it forms a hydrogel (trade named Lubrajel) that can sit on top of the skin and provide moisturizing, water-soluble [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A common helper ingredient that stabilizes emulsions and helps to thicken up products. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
irritancy, com. 0, 1
A handy white powder that magically converts a liquid into a nice gel formula. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
A biocompatible copolymer with a similar structure to cell membrane ingredient, phospholipid. It's a good skin moisturizer and can also help to reduce irritation. [more]
what‑it‑does colorant
It's used in cosmetic products to adjust pH. Larg amounts on the skin could be irritating and drying. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%).  A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic  [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A big polymer (a molecule from repeated subunits) with crazy water binding abilities. Used as a thickening and emulsion stabilizing agent. [more]
what‑it‑does cell-communicating ingredient
An important compound in our body that has a vital cell-signalling role. It is wound healing, anti-inflammatory and can help with barrier repair. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does perfuming
The essential oil coming from the rind of the grapefruit. Its main component (86-95%) is limonene, the super common fragrant ingredient. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does chelating
A common helper ingredient that works as a so-called chelating agent.  It helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | perfuming | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Rose essential oil - a super expensive oil with a lovely scent. Has also antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Contains fragrant components that might irritate sensitive skin. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does soothing | moisturizer/humectant
A great skin soother and moisturizer, and it even shows promising anti-aging benefits. It‘s also shown to have wound healing properties and is a mild antioxidant. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Green Tea - one of the most researched natural ingredients that contains the superstar actives called catechins. It has proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does perfuming
Sweet, exotic and floral, it’ no surprise that Ylang Ylang is a popular essential oil. It is coming from the yellow, fragrant flowers of the Cananga tree native to tropical Asia and, similar to other essential oils, it is a chemically complex mixture with several pros and cons. Unfortunately, these are a bit tricky to pin down as the composition varies largely depending on where it is so [more]
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial | perfuming
Lavender - essential oil with a calming scent and antimicrobial properties. Contains fragrant components (linalyl acetate - 50% and linalool - 35%) and might be cytotoxic from 0.25%. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
A very common emollient that makes your skin feel nice and smooth. Comes from coconut oil and glycerin, it’s light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
Patchouli essential oil that has a woody, earthy and camphoraceous scent and also has fixative properties. Also has fixative and antifungal properties. [more]
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Ginger extract that has antioxidant and soothing properties. It is also known to increase blood circulation and thus have a toning effect. [more]
what‑it‑does exfoliant
Pomegranate Enzyme that is obtained by fermenting the pomegranate fruit. It can increase cell renewal and can be a (less effective) alternative to acid exfoliation. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | emollient
Cucumber is a nice, non-irritating plant extract that’s known for it’s soothing and emollient properties. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
Apple fruit extract that's loaded with proteins, starch, sugars, acids, vitamins and salts. The sugars give apple nice moisturizing properties, while the acids give mild exfoliant, skin brightening and antibacterial properties.  [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Rosemary leaf extract - Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial
You probably meet this guy more often in your kitchen than in the bathroom, but yes, onion extract is also used as a skincare ingredient. Its major skin benefit seems to be that it can improve the cosmetic appearance of postsurgical scars (there is also a scar-fading gel called Mederma, that has hardly anything else in it but onion extract). [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant
Purslane Extract - a traditional Korean medicinal plant with skin-soothing, antioxidant and wound healing abilities. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | skin brightening
You might know licorice as a sweet treat from your childhood, but it's actually a legume that grows around the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, central and southern Russia. [more]
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does skin brightening | antioxidant
Out of the more than 900 Citrus species known today, Citrus Unshiu is a seedless, easy to peel tangerine coming from the Japanese town Satsuma. The peel extract used in cosmetics is mainly created from the "press-cake", the by-product of the juice industry and as it turns out, what's waste to one industry is a useful ingredient to another. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
what‑it‑does emollient | soothing
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient
The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
Watermelon extract that's full of good-for-the-skin stuff, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. A useful antioxidant-rich ingredient to protect skin from UV-induced damage. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Lonicera Japonica, or Japanese Honeysuckle as normal people call it, is a white-flowered honeysuckle known for being a traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research confirms that the plant has a super complex chemical composition with more than 140 compounds identified with possible anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
A flavonoid-rich plant extract known mainly for its soothing and antioxidant properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
Chamomile extract - has great anti-inflammatory and some antioxidant properties. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | emollient
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant | moisturizer/humectant
Centella Asiatica - or sometimes also called Gotu Kola or Cica - has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It’s traditionally used to improve small wounds, burns and scratches and it’s also a well known anti-inflammatory agent for eczema. Recently science has taken an interest in Gotu Kola as well and it turns out it really has many active compounds with several benefits. [more]
Dandelion Extract - a folkloric medicine for the treatment of liver and kidney disorders. It's unclear what it does in a cosmetic product. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antioxidant | moisturizer/humectant
Beetroot is a natural moisturizer, colorant, and antioxidant. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Raspberry is one of the colorful berries that’s not only delicious but contains many biologically active, healthy compounds. It has polyphenols including anthocyanins and ellagitannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to skin care expert Paula Begoun, it’s antibacterial as well but due to its tannin content it can cause also irritation to the very s [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient | moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing | skin brightening | perfuming
Turmeric Root Extract that has nice anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin-brightening properties. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does abrasive/scrub | moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient | moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial | antioxidant | emollient | moisturizer/humectant | perfuming
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
Usually, a glycerin or glycol based extract of honey that has similar properties to pure honey, i.e. moisturizing, soothing and antibacterial magic properties. If you wanna know more about honey in cosmetics, we have a shiny explanation here >> [more]