Ingredients

We print the full INCI list on every product page and on every pack, legibly. This page explains what the main ones do.

Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration on any INCI list, so the first five tell you most of what you need to know.

Barrier lipids

Ceramides make up roughly half the lipids in your skin’s outer layer — the mortar between the cells. When they are depleted, water leaves faster and irritants get in more easily. Replacing them topically helps support that structure.

Glycolipids and glycosphingolipids do a related job, helping limit how quickly moisture escapes. We use them in the eye cream, where the skin is roughly a third the thickness of the skin on your cheek.

Jojoba oil is structurally close to skin’s own sebum, which is why it sits comfortably on faces that find heavier oils greasy.

Shea and cocoa butter are occlusives. They do not hydrate; they slow down the rate at which hydration leaves.

Humectants

Hyaluronic acid holds water in the upper layers of skin. It is the reason a product can feel plumping within minutes without doing anything structural.

Sodium PCA is one of skin’s own natural moisturising factors, so it is well tolerated.

Glycerin is unglamorous, cheap, and among the most reliable humectants there is.

Actives

Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps improve the appearance of uneven tone and supports barrier function. It is unusually well tolerated for something this useful.

Exosomes are the most-discussed ingredient in skincare right now. Ours are derived from apple extract. They are the headline active in our serum, alongside ingredients with a longer track record.

Lactic acid at a low level refines texture gently, without the sting of a stronger acid.

Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) keeps skin feeling comfortable. It appears wherever comfort matters more than activity.

Escin, from horse chestnut, has traditionally been used for the look of puffiness around the eye.

Soothing extracts

Aloe leaf juice forms the base of several of our formulas and helps calm the look of redness. Camomile, centella asiatica and linden flower extract do similar work.

Fragrance

Parfum on an INCI list means added fragrance. It is the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics, which is why we declare its presence or absence on the front of every label rather than leaving you to find it in the small print.