A clear, colorless, almost odorless oil that spreads nicely and easily and givesa velvet dry skin feel. Probably that’s why citric acid is usually not used as an exfoliant but more as a helper ingredient in small amounts to adjust the pH of a formulation. According to The National Sunflower Association, there is evidencethat both the plant and its oil were used by American Indians in the area of Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 BC. Many testers also saw an improvement to the condition and appearance of their skin at the end of the trial. HA is famous for its crazy water holding capacity as it can bind up to 1000 times its own weight in water.

The simple, fuss-free jar packaging most of our testers found easy to use and its creamy texture spread effortlessly onto the skin, with many saying a little product went a long way.What seems to be a true difference, though, is that the salt form is more stable, easier to formulate andcheaper so it pops up more often on the ingredient lists. It does smellnice but the problemis that it oxidizes on air exposure and the resulting stuff is not good for the skin. In fact, it's so important for energy production that if taken as an oral supplement it has a caffeine-like effectand if taken at night you will probably not sleep very well(so you should take it in the morning). As you might guess from the “pro” part, it’s a precursor to vitamin B5 (whose fancy name is pantothenic acid).

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. It’s safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it’s not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben. Simply pop a few drops of the serum onto your skin both morning and evening, and massage into your face and neck for the best results. In our lab test it six out of 10, showing it effectively hydrated straight away and after six hours.

A super common fragrance ingredient that can be found among others in lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot or jasmine. The basis for this claim is that it targets the same wrinkle forming mechanism ( wrinkles caused by facial muscle movement) as Botox, but the way it works is very different. So citric acid is an exfoliant, that can - just like other AHAs - gently lift off the dead skin cells of your skin and make it more smooth and fresh. And last but not least, when salt is right at the first spot of the ingredient list (and is not dissolved), the product is usually a body scrub where salt is the physical exfoliating agent. It not only has preventative effects but might also be able to reduce the depth of wrinkles, though 0.

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A light-feeling, volatile (meaning it does not absorb into the skin but evaporates from it) silicone that gives skin a unique, silky and non-greasy feel. Anti-wrinkle: liftan Intensive with Q10 and hyaluronic acid complex promotes the own defences of skin cells, reduces the depth of wrinkles, and if used regularly, prevents the formation of new wrinkles. As we may already know, peptides are best known for their ability to induce collagen and elastin production. Just like other similar fragrance ingredients (like linalool and limonene) geraniol also oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic.