Renewing Serum

Solvent. Water. The main vehicle for our Renewing Serum.

Emollient. Argan oil. A staple for us. It is obtained from kernels of Moroccan Argania Spinosa, i.e. argan nuts. We love it in almost everything, and especially like its repairing qualities. It is slightly higher in oleic acid, but is usually suitable for clog prone skin. Argan oil contains a fair amount of lupeol, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Humectant and skin protecting. Technically a sugar alcohol, glycerin is one of the oldest, most common and most versatile humectants used in cosmetics. Glycerin moisturises and protects the skin, accelerates skin barrier recovery and has anti-microbial properties, among other things. This particular variety is made from European rapeseed.

Emulsifier and skin conditioning. An emulsifier, put simply, enables the mixing of water and oil into an emulsion. This particular one is extremely mild, non-allergenic, and non-irritating, suitable for delicate and sensitive skin. It's a natural, plant-based and highly stable lysophospholipid extracted from a non-GMO soybean source, which is also able to reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL), maintaining moisture in the skin and strengthening the integrity of the skin barrier. Bonus: it also enhances collagen and elastin production.

Antimicrobial, antioxidant and skinconditioning. Bakuchiol, derived from the psoralea corylifolia seed, is a true sensitive and problem skin multitasker. It works wonders on pigmentation but is also takes care of fine lines, congested skin and breakouts. Bakuchiol is often compared to retinol in terms of efficacy, and research shows it to be as efficient as retinol in treating e.g. acne, but without irritation. There has been abundant discussion on whether bakuchiol is sustainably harvested, and to make sure, we took one year off for the Renewing Serum to ensure this: we commissioned a bachelor's thesis on the subject. Conclusion: yes, bakuchiol is sustainably harvested.

Soothing, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agent. Bisabolol. A colorless viscous oil that is the main constituent of German chamomile essential oil. The bisabolol we use is organic, and produced not from chamomille but from the South American Candeia tree, and contains no farnesol, a potential fragrance allergen.

Sunflower seed oil. Emollient. Sunflower oil is widely used in skincare and in this particular case it forms the base for the tocopherol (vitamin E) we use in the product. Sunflower seed oil on its own has a high concentration of natural vitamin E, and is especially well suited for dry and dehydrated skin, due to a high linoleic acid content (at around 60%), which aids in strengthening the skin barrier.

Antioxidant. Vitamin E. A common antioxidant for fats and oils used in skincare. We use the vegetable kind, derived from soybean and rapeseed. This one comes in a sunflower seed oil base.

Thickening, gel forming and emulsion stabilising. A natural and commonly used mainly thickener and gelling agent in cosmetics, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced through Bacterial fermentation of pure culture Xanthomonas Campestris with protein and carbohydrate sources, in this case from soy or corn.

Film forming. Also known as gum arabic, acacia gum is a natural gum consisting of the hardened sap of two species of the acacia tree. In cosmetics, acacia gum is used for it's ability to create less stringy, or slimy and sticky, gels. The acacia gum we use is ethically and sustainably handpicked in Africa, and is a 100% renewable raw material.

Skin conditioning and preservative. Sodium levulinate is the sodium salt of levulinic acid, which is an organic acid derived from in this case sugarcane. Together with potassium sorbate it makes up the preservative system in our serum.

Preservative. Potassium sorbate is widely used in a variety of foods and personal care products. It works by inhibiting the growth of molds, yeasts and bacteria to preserve the freshness and quality of foods, beverages, or cosmetic products. Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, which is naturally occurring in some berries, although virtually all of the world's production of sorbic acid, as well as potassium sorbate, is manufactured synthetically. Together with sodium levulinate it makes up the preservative system in our serum.

Buffering agent. Citric acid is a commonly used buffering, i.e. pH adjusting, agent in cosmetics. It is made through bacterial fermentation and shifts the pH of the product into the acidic range. This is closer to the natural pH of the skin, which may range from 4 to 7, but is usually thought to be between 5 and 6, with recent studies, however, indicating it to be below 5.

Chelating. A chelating agent improves product stability. This one is a natural alternative to the widely used EDTA.