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The Ingredients Glossary

Every acne-clearing active, explained plainly.

We formulate around a short list of actives with strong clinical backing. Here's what each one does, why it's in our range, and how to layer it into a routine that won't wreck your barrier.

Decongest & clear

BHA exfoliant

Salicylic Acid 2%

Oil-soluble, so it travels into the pore lining and dissolves the mix of sebum and dead cells that drives blackheads and closed comedones. 2% is the level with the strongest clinical backing.

Retinoid

Encapsulated Retinal

Retinaldehyde delivered in a slow-release encapsulation. Speeds cell turnover to keep pores clear, with far less flushing and peeling than traditional retinoids.

AHA exfoliant

Mandelic Acid

A larger-molecule AHA that resurfaces gently — great for sensitive, breakout-prone skin and darker skin tones prone to post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Calm & rebalance

Vitamin B3

Niacinamide 5%

Regulates sebum, minimises the look of pores, reduces redness and supports the skin barrier. Well-tolerated across skin types at this level.

Sebum regulator

Zinc PCA

Helps normalise oil production and calms the look of active breakouts. Pairs cleanly with BHA in oily and combination routines.

Botanical soother

Centella Asiatica

Concentrated in madecassoside and asiaticoside — the calming actives that support post-blemish repair and reduce reactive redness.

Fade marks & even tone

Tone corrector

Azelaic Acid 10%

Softens post-inflammatory marks, evens tone and calms low-grade inflammation — without stripping the barrier. Safe across pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Pigment corrector

Tranexamic Acid

Targets the melanin pathway that drives stubborn post-blemish marks. Works well layered under niacinamide in the morning.

Barrier lipids

Ceramide Complex NP/AP/EOP

The three ceramide types most abundant in healthy skin — restore the barrier that acne routines often compromise, so actives keep working.

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