Formulas and ingredients

• Lespedeza capitata in bloom · Photo: Jomegat, CC BY-SA 3.0

  01

  B-Circadin®

  Lespedeza capitata extract

  A plant extract from Lespedeza capitata.

  On the label

  Lespedeza Capitata Extract

  What is known about this
• Ceramides: fat-like substances arranged in layers · Own illustration

  02

  Ceramides

  Help support the skin barrier and limit moisture loss.

  Why it is in there

  Together with cholesterol and fatty acids, ceramides form the layer between the cells of your outermost skin layer, the barrier that keeps water in. The night cream contains five of them: NP, AP, AS, NG and EOP.

  On the label

  Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide AS, Ceramide NG, Ceramide EOP

  What is known about this
• Coconut · Photo: Robert Wetzlmayr, public domain

  03

  Mild glucosides

  Mild cleansers from sugar and coconut oil: they remove sebum and dirt, without sulfates.

  Why it is in there

  These are the cleansing agents: they carry off oil, sweat and dirt when you rinse. They are made from sugar and coconut oil, and the face wash contains no SLS, SLES or ALS.

  On the label

  Coco-Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside

  What is known about this
• Ponds turning red from Dunaliella salina · Photo: CSIRO, CC BY 3.0

  04

  IBR-SolAge®

  Dunaliella salina extract

  Supports smoother, more even skin.

  Why it is in there

  Dunaliella salina survives fierce sunlight and extremely salty water by filling itself with beta-carotene, the orange-red pigment that colours the salt lakes. That extract is in the day cream, alongside the UV filters that provide the SPF.

  What the maker measured

  The manufacturer studied a cream with 1% of this extract in 25 women aged 35 to 60: double-blind, one half of the face against placebo on the other, 56 days. On the side with the extract the researchers counted about a third fewer wrinkles than on the placebo side (number −32%, volume −35%), and 26% fewer red spots. The research was published in the journal Marine Drugs.

  Research into the active, not into this product.

  On the label

  Dunaliella Salina Extract

  What is known about this
• Glacier ice at the Furka Pass, Switzerland · Photo: Bohdan Urbanowicz, CC BY-SA 3.0

  05

  IceAwake™

  Succinic acid and maltodextrin

  Helps the skin look fresher and less tired.

  Why it is in there

  Chosen for the morning. The active ingredient comes from a bacterium living in the cold of a Swiss glacier, and was studied by its manufacturer for a fresher, less tired appearance.

  What the maker measured

  The manufacturer had 21 men and women aged 44 to 66 use the ingredient for fourteen days: afterwards 71% of them looked less tired than at the start. That is compared against their own baseline, without a placebo group. In a second study, in 23 women aged 41 to 57 with 2% on one half of the face against placebo on the other, wrinkle depth decreased by 11.4% in fourteen days.

  Research into the active, not into this product.

  On the label

  Succinic Acid (and) Maltodextrin (and) Aqua

  What is known about this
• Acetyl hexapeptide-8: chains of six amino acids · Own illustration

  06

  iPEPTIDE®

  Acetyl hexapeptide-8

  Helps make dark circles less visible.

  Why it is in there

  A peptide of six amino acids (Ac-EEMQRR-NH₂), rebuilt in the lab after a fragment of the protein SNAP-25, which takes part in muscle contraction. It was designed for the skin around the eyes and the forehead.

  What the maker measured

  The manufacturer measured with a cream containing 3% of this peptide, in people sleeping five to six hours a night: 12% fewer dark circles under the eyes after seven days and 19% fewer after 28 days. How many people took part, and their age, is not stated in the documentation we were able to consult.

  Research into the active, not into this product.

  On the label

  Water (and) Glycerin (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

  What is known about this
• Niacinamide: a white crystalline powder · Own illustration

  07

  Niacinamide

  Supports a more even complexion and helps make pigment spots less visible.

  Why it is in there

  Vitamin B3, one of the best-researched ingredients in skincare. Independent research in humans looked at the skin barrier and an even complexion, among other things.

  What the maker measured

  Niacinamide has also been studied outside the manufacturers. In a study of 50 women, they used 5% niacinamide on one half of the face and the same cream without the ingredient on the other for twelve weeks, double-blind. On the niacinamide side the researchers saw fewer fine lines, fewer pigment spots and less redness. The authors worked at a manufacturer of personal care products; an independent review article from 2021 summarises the human research.

  Research into the active, not into this product.

  On the label

  Niacinamide

  What is known about this
• Sugar crystals · Photo: Zoran Ugrenovic, CC0

  08

  Pentavitin®

  Saccharide isomerate

  Binds moisture and helps prevent the tight feeling after washing.

  Why it is in there

  Washing takes moisture out of your skin as well. This sugar compound is a humectant: in the EU database CosIng it is listed as a humectant, a substance that holds water in the upper layer of the skin.

  What the maker measured

  The manufacturer studied the ingredient in a rinse-off product at 0.2 to 0.5%: 50 women aged 25 to 45 with dry skin, seven days, randomised and placebo-controlled, measured on the forearm. The moisture content of the skin remained higher 24 hours after washing, and 71% of the participants found that their skin felt better hydrated.

  Research into the active, not into this product.

  On the label

  Saccharide Isomerate

  What is known about this
• Sodium PCA: a salt that holds on to moisture · Own illustration

  09

  Sodium PCA

  Moisture-binding substances that also occur naturally in the skin.

  Why it is in there

  Sodium PCA belongs to the natural moisturising factor: substances your skin makes itself to hold water in the outermost layer. In the face wash it sits alongside other humectants, including urea and niacinamide.

  On the label

  Sodium PCA

  What is known about this
• Buddleja officinalis in bloom · Photo: Salix, CC BY-SA 4.0

  10

  Soliberine®

  Buddleja officinalis flower extract

  A flower extract with flavonoids that act as antioxidants in laboratory research.

  Why it is in there

  The flower of Buddleja officinalis is rich in flavonoids, including luteolin and linarin: plant compounds that act as antioxidants in research. In the day cream the sun protection comes from the UV filters, not from the flower.

  On the label

  Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract

  What is known about this
• Rosemary leaf · Photo: Mokkie, CC BY-SA 3.0

  11

  Synchrolife™

  Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 with rosemary

  Supports firmer, smoother skin.

  Why it is in there

  A complex of a peptide, rosemary leaf extract and chrysin, developed around the day-and-night rhythm in the skin. That is why it is in the night cream and not in the day cream.

  What the maker measured

  In a two-month study by the manufacturer, against placebo, the surface area of deep wrinkles decreased by 27.7% on average and the skin was rated 12.1% less tired than with placebo. How many people took part and at what dosage sits behind a manufacturer login; we have not been able to consult it.

  Research into the active, not into this product.

  On the label

  Glycerin (and) Pentylene Glycol (and) Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract (and) Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (and) Chrysin

  What is known about this

Wat een werkstof doet, komt uit gepubliceerde bronnen en de EU-ingrediëntendatabase. De cijfers komen uit onderzoek naar de werkstof zelf, meestal van de maker ervan: wie het mat, bij hoeveel mensen en hoe lang staat er telkens bij. Het is geen test van onze crème. Per werkstof staat de bron op zijn eigen pagina.