Reversa 10% Niacinamide Concentrate

Unless it is specified to be non-alcohol, many types of witch hazel ingredients are distilled in denatured alcohol.

Witch Hazel water is an astringent, anti-inflammatory antioxidant, and antibacterial ingredient.

It contains tannins. Tannins have a drying effect when used on skin by constricting proteins. The constriction also minimizes the appearance of pores.

Both the tannins and fragrance found in witch hazel may be skin-sensitizing.

Witch hazel water gets anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties from its catechin and gallic acid content.

Indigenous groups have used witch hazel to help treat inflammation in North America for centuries.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

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.

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.

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.

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

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

Emerging studies show Nonapeptide-1 to help with reducing pigmentation and brightening the skin. It has shown to prevent the activation of tyrosinase, an enzyme in the skin that begins the process of melanin creation. Melanin is responsible for giving skin a tan or dark spots.

Rather than being brewed in bacteria, it's grown inside Nicotiana benthamiana, a tobacco relative used as a tiny plant "factory" (a technique called molecular farming that's well documented in the scientific literature for producing functional human growth factors).

In a formula, this ingredient acts as an anti-aging and skin conditioning active.

TGF-β2 is a signaling molecule that switches on the pathway in your skin to stimulate the synthesis of collagen I and support the skin's own lipid production.

This is why manufacturer's pitch it as a retinol-like alternative. And unlike retinoids, this ingredient doesn't increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few weeks of use. This makes it suitable for daytime use.

The headline claims for this ingredient come from the manufacturer's own 28 day in vivo studies. They reported reductions in wrinkle count, volume and depth, pore size reduction, and increases in radiance, hydration, firmness, and elasticity.

Though these sound solid, just keep in mind these are company-run trials rather than independent peer-reviewed dermatology papers.

The broader peer-reviewed work mostly backs the production method and the general collagen-stimulating biology of plant made TGF-β2 proteins and not an exact finished product.

One honest caveat: the molecule is large (like collagen) so it likely sits more at the surface rather than penetrating deeply into skin.

Typical concentration use levels are quite low and the actual bioactive protein is only present in trace amounts since growth factors work at very low doses.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here: