Ingredient Library
EFRESHME · THE LIBRARY
The Actives, Explained.
Hair, skin, and body actives, decoded. The ones we use, plus the ones you'll see on every shelf.
AnaGain
An organic pea sprout extract from Mibelle Biochemistry, Switzerland. Boosts FGF7 by 56% and noggin by 85%, the two protein signals that pull resting hair follicles back into growth. Published study in Phytotherapy Research. Vegan, food derived, suitable for sensitive scalps.
Read the deep dive →Baicapil
A blend of three botanical actives from Provital, Spain: soy isoflavones, wheat sprouts, and baicalin from Chinese skullcap. Activates Wnt and β-catenin signalling in dermal papilla cells. Manufacturer's study reports 22% more density over 6 months. We flag the limits of that study honestly inside.
Read the deep dive →Biotin
The vitamin in almost every hair shampoo, serum and conditioner on the shelf. Real conditioning ingredient. The growth claims are borrowed from oral supplement marketing where the evidence is also weak. No published RCT has shown topical biotin grows hair on its own. Useful as a cosmetic, not as a treatment.
Read the honest take →Castor Oil
Ninety percent ricinoleic acid, almost unique to the castor plant. Excellent sealant and conditioner. Activates EP3 prostaglandin receptors in the same family experimental hair drugs target, but no controlled hair growth trial exists. Heavy, sticky, foundational to oil cleansing and the LOC method.
Read the deep dive →Centella / Cica
The herb that turned Korean dermatology into a category. Four triterpene saponins (the MAMA complex) calm redness, repair the barrier, and rebuild collagen. Clinical evidence across scars, atopic dermatitis, and photoaging. One of the broadest data bases of any K beauty hero.
Read the deep dive →Ceramides
Half of your skin barrier is made of these. When they run low your skin gets tight, red, and sensitive. Topical ceramides replace what is missing. The ingredient that built CeraVe and the entire barrier repair category. Universal compatibility, foundational, never the wrong answer.
Read the deep dive →Collagen
The ingredient marketing promises to restore your skin's structure. The catch: the molecule is too large to cross the skin barrier. Real benefit is surface hydration and film forming. Real anti aging tools are retinoids, peptides, and lasers, not topical collagen.
Read the honest take →Ginseng
The root that anchors Korean traditional medicine and modern K beauty. Ginsenosides that brighten, firm, and improve scalp microcirculation. Moderate but consistent anti aging evidence. The closest a K beauty botanical comes to a true anti aging active.
Read the deep dive →Green Tea
The most clinically studied plant antioxidant in skincare. EGCG outperforms a lot of louder ingredients on photo damage, acne, and inflammation. Synergistic with vitamin C and vitamin E. Adds modest UV protection under sunscreen. Quiet hero of well formulated products.
Read the deep dive →Hyaluronic Acid
The molecule that holds a thousand times its weight in water. Naturally found in your own skin. The hydration baseline of modern skincare. Multi molecular weight formulas target surface and deeper layers. Apply on damp skin and seal it, or it can pull water out instead of in.
Read the deep dive →Jojoba Oil
Technically a liquid wax, not an oil. About 97% long chain wax esters that match the structure of human sebum more closely than any other plant ingredient. The carrier of choice for essential oils, the stabiliser that does not oxidise, the moisturiser that disappears.
Read the deep dive →Panthenol
The small molecule that quietly does three jobs at once: humectant, anti inflammatory, barrier supporter. Used in prescription wound healing creams, baby care, and the calmest cosmetic moisturisers. Underrated even by the people who use it daily.
Read the deep dive →Peppermint Oil
The cooling essential oil that outperformed 3% minoxidil in a mouse study on every follicle metric measured (Oh et al, 2014). Activates the TRPM8 cold receptor, triggers rebound vasodilation, boosts IGF-1. Strong mouse data, no equivalent human trial yet. Stacks naturally with rosemary.
Read the deep dive →Redensyl
A patented blend of larch tree DHQG and green tea EGCG2 from Induchem (2014). Reactivates dormant follicle stem cells, calms scalp inflammation. Clinical results: 17% more hair, 17% less fall over 84 days. Often positioned as a gentler option than minoxidil.
Read the deep dive →Rice Extract
The grain that built two skincare empires. Geisha used rice rinse water. SK II built a category on Galactomyces ferment. K beauty turned both into the rice toner that now sits on every Korean dresser. Hydration, gentle brightening, antioxidant, and barrier support in one ingredient.
Read the deep dive →Rosemary Oil
The botanical with a six month head to head trial against 2% minoxidil. Comparable hair count gains, significantly less scalp itch (Panahi 2015). Mechanism is a stack of small wins: microcirculation, anti inflammation, possibly mild 5 alpha reductase inhibition. Strongest cosmetic essential oil for hair.
Read the deep dive →Squalane
The oil that does not feel like oil. Mimics 13% of your skin's own sebum. Lightweight, non comedogenic, stable for years. The most universally tolerated face oil in modern cosmetics. Sourced from olives or sugarcane (the shark liver era is over).
Read the deep dive →Vitamin E
The fat soluble antioxidant in nearly every well formulated cosmetic. Protects your skin lipids from oxidation. Stabilises the rest of the formula it sits in. Synergistic with vitamin C (regenerates oxidised C). Quiet, structural, almost invisible on the label.
Read the deep dive →Eighteen ingredients and growing. Suggestions for what to cover next? Drop us a note.