Esmi Skin Minerals Ageless Hyaluronic Serum

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.

It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.

The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.

A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Read more about hydrolyzed collagen here.

Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.

In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.

Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.

Research shows silybin extract can protect skin from UV-induced oxidative stress and also works to calm inflammation.

There's also growing interest in its potential for acne-prone skin. One 12-month study on over 50 subjects using topical Silybum Marianum Extract found a ~60% reduction in acne lesions over the course of a year.

More recently, a 2025 study found silybin significantly boosted collagen III and hyaluronic production in skin tissue with results comparable to retinol; please know retinol is still the gold standard and silybin research has a long ways to go to confirm whether it can replace retinol.

In terms of tolerability, one large study of over 4,000 participants rated this ingredient tolerance as "good" or "very good" in about 95% of participants.

Lycopene is a potent antioxidant. Besides helping to protect your skin against free-radical molecules, it also helps soothe the skin. Lycopene gives watermelon the distinct red color.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.

We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.

As an emulsifier, Sclerotium Gum helps prevent ingredients from separating, such as water and oil.

Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.

Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.

It's pretty compatible with most ingredients, but just sure to space out enzyme products with strong acids/retinoids to avoid over-doing it.

Maximum reported concentration is around 0.1% and most leave-on products use just 0.05%. If you see higher figures like 5-10%, this is usually the pre-diluted material from raw extract suppliers.

This ingredient has an assuring safety record and there's a lack of clinical case reports of dermatitis from using it.

The only caveat is allergy: patch test if you have a papaya or latex-fruit allergy.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Beyond smoothing, Argireline may also support collagen production. Collagen is the protein that helps keep your skin firm, bouncy, and well-hydrated by strengthening the skin barrier.

So while Argireline isn’t a miracle fix, it can be a helpful addition to a routine focused on both prevention and skin health.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

This dye is commonly used in foods, approved by both the FDA and EFSA.