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SU:M37 Secret Essence Fundamental Treatment

Secret Essence Fundamental Treatment

Ferment first treatment essence.
Uploaded by: cbonadeo on

Ingredients overview

Purified Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Ferulic Acid, Lactobacillus/​Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/​Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Water Hyacinth Ferment, Lactobacillus/​Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Rye Flour Ferment, Monascus/​Rice Ferment, Saccharomyces/​Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/​Xylinum/​Black Tea Ferment, Saccharomyces/​Grape Ferment Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract, Cassia Tora Seed Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract, Glechoma Hederacea Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorus Root Extract, Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Melissa Officinalis Extract, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract, Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract, Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Plantago Major Seed Extract, Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Akebia Quinata Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract, Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract, Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Geranium Robertianum Extract, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/​Leaf/​Stem Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract, Poloxamer 234, Betaine, Glycosphingolipids, Phospholipids, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Polyquaternium-51, Lauryl Dimethicone/​Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Cholesterol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG/​PPG-17/​6 Copolymer, Tromethamine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol
Warning: This ingredient list seems to miss preservatives necessary for creating safe products. Read here for more detail.

Highlights

#alcohol-free
Alcohol Free

Key Ingredients

Skim through

Ingredient name what-it-does irr., com. ID-Rating
Purified Water solvent
Dipropylene Glycol solvent
Glycereth-26 moisturizer/​humectant, emollient, viscosity controlling 0, 0
Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract
1,2-Hexanediol solvent
Butylene Glycol moisturizer/​humectant, solvent 0, 1
Glycerin skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 superstar
Methyl Gluceth-20 moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Ferulic Acid antioxidant, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment
Lactobacillus/Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Monascus/Rice Ferment antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract soothing, skin brightening superstar
Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing, skin brightening, perfuming goodie
Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract
Cassia Tora Seed Extract
Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract
Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract antioxidant
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract skin brightening, antioxidant
Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract
Glechoma Hederacea Extract
Platycodon Grandiflorus Root Extract antioxidant
Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract antioxidant
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract antioxidant, emollient goodie
Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract
Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Melissa Officinalis Extract
Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract perfuming
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract
Portulaca Oleracea Extract soothing, antioxidant goodie
Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant
Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract
Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract
Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Leaf Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract soothing, antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract
Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract
Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract surfactant/​cleansing
Equisetum Arvense Extract soothing, emollient
Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract antioxidant goodie
Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract
Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract
Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract antimicrobial/​antibacterial
Houttuynia Cordata Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract
Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract soothing, emollient goodie
Plantago Major Seed Extract
Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Akebia Quinata Extract
Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract
Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract
Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract emollient
Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract antioxidant
Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
Geranium Robertianum Extract
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract
Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract soothing
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Acorus Calamus Root Extract perfuming
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract soothing, perfuming goodie
Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract perfuming
Lentinus Edodes Extract
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract
Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract
Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Poloxamer 234 emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing
Betaine moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Glycosphingolipids emollient
Phospholipids skin-identical ingredient, emollient goodie
Niacinamide cell-communicating ingredient, skin brightening, anti-acne, moisturizer/​humectant superstar
Sodium Hyaluronate skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 goodie
Ceramide NP skin-identical ingredient goodie
Polyquaternium-51 moisturizer/​humectant
Lauryl Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer surfactant/​cleansing, viscosity controlling
Cholesterol skin-identical ingredient, emollient 0, 0 goodie
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Hydroxyethylcellulose viscosity controlling
Cetearyl Alcohol emollient, viscosity controlling, emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing 1, 2
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer viscosity controlling
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer emollient, solvent
Tromethamine buffering
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil antimicrobial/​antibacterial, perfuming icky
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil perfuming icky
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil soothing, perfuming goodie
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil perfuming icky
Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil surfactant/​cleansing, perfuming icky
Limonene perfuming, solvent icky
Linalool perfuming icky
Citronellol perfuming icky

SU:M37 Secret Essence Fundamental Treatment
Ingredients explained

Also-called: Aqua;Water | 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. 

What-it-does: solvent

A clear, colorless liquid that works as a solvent and viscosity decreasing ingredient. It also has great skin-moisturizing abilities. 

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, emollient, viscosity controlling | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

It's a nice glycerin-based humectant and emollient that gives skin a smooth and luxurious feel.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

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.

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 >>

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

A corn sugar derived, water-soluble, pale yellow syrup, that nicely moisturizes the skin. It has a light and smooth skin feel, it is non-tacky, and it can improve the after-feel of the formula. It is also mild and gentle, popular in sensitive skin formulas.

Ferulic Acid - goodie

Ferulic Acid (FA) is a goodie that can be found naturally in plant cell walls. There is a lot of it especially in the bran of grasses such as rice, wheat and oats. 

FA - whose main job is to be an antioxidant - owes its fame to a 2005 research that discovered that adding in 0.5% FA to a 15% Vitamin C + 1% Vitamin E solution not only stabilizes the highly unstable, divaish Vit C, but it also doubles the photoprotection abilities of the formula. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

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.

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.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: NG Kombuchka

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

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.

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.

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: 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. 

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.

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: antioxidant

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.

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. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent, perfuming

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. 

Also-called: Garlic Bulb Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

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

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: moisturizer/humectant

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: astringent

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).

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

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: 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. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

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. 

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.

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

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.

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.

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: 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

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.

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.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: emollient

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.

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.

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.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Roman Chamomile Flower Extract | What-it-does: soothing, perfuming

There are two primary types of Chamomile, the German and the Roman. Both has soothing properties, but the German one contains more anti-inflammatory actives (like chamazulene). The anti-inflammatory action of the Roman Chamomile is due to phenolic compounds and -  according to manufacturer info- it also has some nice skin toning properties.

Also-called: Papaya Fruit Extract

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.

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.

Betaine - goodie
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

A sugar beet-derived amino acid derivative with nice skin protection and moisturization properties. Betaine's special thing is being an osmolyte, a molecule that helps to control cell-water balance.  It is also a natural osmoprotectant, meaning that it attracts water away from the protein surface and thus protects them from denaturation and increases their thermodynamic stability. 

It also gives sensorial benefits to the formula and when used in cleansers, it helps to make them milder and gentler. 

What-it-does: emollient

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Phospholipids - goodie

A type of lipid that's the major (about 75%) component of all cell membranes. As for skincare, it works as an emollient and skin-identical ingredient.

It has a water-loving head with two water-hating tails and this structure gives the molecule emulsifying properties. It is also often used to create liposomes, small spheres surrounded by phospholipid bi-layer designed to carry some active ingredient and help its absorption.

Niacinamide - superstar
Also-called: vitamin B3, nicotinamide | What-it-does: cell-communicating ingredient, skin brightening, anti-acne, moisturizer/humectant
  • A multi-functional skincare superstar with several proven benefits for the skin
  • Great anti-aging, wrinkle smoothing ingredient used at 4-5% concentration
  • Fades brown spots alone or in combination with amino sugar, acetyl glucosamine
  • Increases ceramide synthesis that results in a stronger, healthier skin barrier and better skin hydration
  • Can help to improve several skin conditions including acne, rosacea, and atopic dermatitis
Read all the geeky details about Niacinamide here >>

What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

It’s the - sodium form - cousin of the famous NMFhyaluronic acid (HA). If HA does not tell you anything we have a super detailed, geeky explanation about it here.  The TL; DR version of HA is that it's a huge polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) found in the skin that acts as a sponge helping the skin to hold onto water, being plump and elastic. HA is famous for its crazy water holding capacity as it can bind up to 1000 times its own weight in water.

As far as skincare goes, sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are pretty much the same and the two names are used interchangeably. As cosmetic chemist kindofstephen writes on reddit  "sodium hyaluronate disassociates into hyaluronic acid molecule and a sodium atom in solution". 

Ceramide NP - goodie
Also-called: Ceramide 3 | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient

One of the many types of ceramides that can be found naturally in the upper layer of the skin. Ceramides make up about 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. It works even better when combined with its pal, Ceramide 1.

We wrote way more about ceramides at ceramide 1, so click here to know more.

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. Polyquaternium-51 is 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).

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Cholesterol - goodie
What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

It's one of the important lipids that can be found naturally in the outer layer of the skin. About 25% of the goopy stuff between our skin cells consists of cholesterol. Together with ceramides and fatty acids, they play a vital role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. 

Apart from being an important skin-identical ingredient, it's also an emollient and stabilizer

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. 

Also-called: HEC | What-it-does: viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilising

A nice little helper ingredient that can thicken up cosmetic products and create beautiful gel formulas. It's derived from cellulose, the major component of the cell wall of green plants. It is compatible with most co-ingredients and gives a very good slip to the formulas. 

What-it-does: emollient, viscosity controlling, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, surfactant/cleansing | Irritancy: 1 | Comedogenicity: 2

An extremely common multitasker ingredient that gives your skin a nice soft feel (emollient) and gives body to creams and lotions. It also helps to stabilize oil-water mixes (emulsions), though it does not function as an emulsifier in itself. Its typical use level in most cream type formulas is 2-3%.  

It’s a so-called fatty alcohol, a mix of cetyl and stearyl alcohol, other two emollient fatty alcohols.  Though chemically speaking, it is alcohol (as in, it has an -OH group in its molecule), its properties are totally different from the properties of low molecular weight or drying alcohols such as denat. alcohol. Fatty alcohols have a long oil-soluble (and thus emollient) tail part that makes them absolutely non-drying and non-irritating and are totally ok for the skin.

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: emollient, solvent

A water-loving emollient and humectant that gives a nice skin feel and slip to the product. It works well with facial toners.

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.

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.   

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.

Also-called: Roman Chamomile Flower Oil | What-it-does: soothing, perfuming

The essential oil coming from the second most common type of chamomile, the Roman Chamomile. It also contains the biologically active anti-inflammatory componentsbisabolol, and chamazulene, but less than the more commonly used German Chamomile.  It's not clear what Roman Chamomile knows that the German one does not. 

Also-called: Rose Geranium Flower Essential Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The fragrant essential oil coming from the flowers of Rose Geranium. Like most essential oils, it contains antioxidant and antimicrobial components, but the main ones are fragrant constituents (like citronellol and geraniol). Be careful with it, if your skin is sensitive. 

Also-called: Lime Oil | What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing, perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Limonene - icky
What-it-does: perfuming, solvent, deodorant

A super common and cheap fragrance ingredient. It's in many plants, e.g. rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and it's the main component (about 50-90%) of the peel oil of citrus fruits.

It does smell nice but the problem is that it oxidizes on air exposure and the resulting stuff is not good for the skin. Oxidized limonene can cause allergic contact dermatitis and counts as a frequent skin sensitizer

Linalool - icky
What-it-does: perfuming, deodorant

Linalool is a super common fragrance ingredient. It’s kind of everywhere - both in plants and in cosmetic products. It’s part of 200 natural oils including lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, jasmine, geranium and it can be found in 90-95% of prestige perfumes on the market. 

The problem with linalool is, that just like limonene it oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. That’s why a product containing linalool that has been opened for several months is more likely to be allergenic than a fresh one.

What-it-does: perfuming

Citronellol is a very common fragrance ingredient with a nice rose-like odor. In the UK, it’s actually the third most often listed perfume on the ingredient lists. 

It can be naturally found in geranium oil (about 30%) or rose oil (about 25%). 

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A great antioxidant that is most famous for stabilizing the highly unstable Vitamin C. It also doubles the photoprotection abilities of Vit C+E formulas. [more]
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Turmeric Root Extract that has nice anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin-brightening properties. [more]
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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]
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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]
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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]
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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]
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It's the salt form of famous humectant and natural moisturizing factor, hyaluronic acid. It can bind huge amounts of water and it's pretty much the current IT-moisturizer. [more]
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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]
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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]
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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]
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A super common fragrance ingredient found naturally in many plants including citrus peel oils, rosemary or lavender. It autoxidizes on air exposure and counts as a common skin sensitizer. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
A super common fragrance ingredient that can be found among others in lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot or jasmine. The downside of it is that it oxidises on air exposure and might become allergenic. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
A common fragrance ingredient with a nice rose-like smell. [more]