Live Botanical Illuminating Exfoliating Serum

As an astringent, Punica Granatum Extract shrinks tissue by drawing water out of your skin. This leads to a tightening effect in the skin.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

As a probiotic/prebiotic/postbiotic, Lactobacillus ferment can help regular our natural biome. In fact, one study found a lack of diversity in our natural skin biome can trigger acne.

Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.

Like glycolic acid, it can:

Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.

Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.

To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.

Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.

Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.

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.

As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.

This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

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 feeds fungal acne.

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

Some other names for this ingredient include soy lecithin and deoiled soy 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.