The science behind Eucerin’s skincare: Ingredients and their benefits

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Many active ingredients in skincare products can significantly improve skin health and enhance mental well-being. When your skin looks and feels better, so do you. Eucerin is committed to advancing skincare science through continuous research and collaboration with leading dermatologists to create innovative and effective formulas. From Hyaluronic Acid to Thiamidol, these powerful ingredients deliver targeted skincare for hydration, dark spots, and sun protection.

Discover the science behind Eucerin’s skincare ingredients and how they benefit your skin’s health and radiance.

Glossary of ingredients

Glycerin

Benefit: Helps to hydrate skin.

Glycerin (known as Glycerol) is a humectant. This means it helps the skin to attract and keep water. It is a very effective moisturizer that smooths dry skin and gives it long-lasting hydration and care. It is both colorless and odorless.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Benefit: Helps to preserve hyaluronic acid and supports skin's own repair mechanism.

Glycyrrhetinic acid is derived from the roots of a Chinese Licorice plant. It provides anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Glycyrrhetinic acid helps to preserve the level of hyaluronic acid and elastin against enzymatic degradation. And it helps to support the skin's own repair mechanism against UV-induced damage.

The Advanced Spectral Technology used in our sunscreens combines UVA/UVB Filters with Licochalcone A and Glycyrrhetinic Acid for superior sun protection.

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefit: Provides moisture and firmness to skin.

Hyaluronic acid is a polysaccharide molecule (a big and complex carbohydrate) also known as hyaluronan. It occurs naturally in our body and acts like a magnet, attracting water to skin and thereby helping with its hydration.

Maintaining optimal hydration is key to healthy skin and to maintain radiance and firmness. As skin ages, our cells produce less hyaluronic acid and existing hyaluronic acid starts to degrade. This can lead to age-induced dryness and is also one of the factors responsible for the visible signs of skin aging such as fine lines and wrinkles, a loss of volume and a loss of elasticity.

Licochalcone A

Benefit: Anti-inflammatory active helping to soothe irritated skin and redness.

Licochalcone A is derived from a Chinese Licorice plant which uses natural compounds to protect its cells from excess sunlight. In skincare, it becomes a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant active that helps to protect the skin’s deeper layers from oxidative stress mediated by UV and blue light (HEVIS). Licochalcone A can help to soothe irritated skin and redness.

The Advanced Spectral Technology used in our sunscreens combines UVA/UVB Filters with Licochalcone A and Glycyrrhetinic Acid for superior sun protection.

L-Carnite

Benefit: Helps to reduce sebum for less oily skin.

L-Carnitine (also known as Carnitine) is an amino-acid derivative found in the skin. Carnitine helps regulate sebum production by promoting the uptake of fatty acids in the mitochondria, converting them into energy. Thus, the fatty acids can no longer be converted into sebum, and the amount of sebum is substantially reduced, leading to a less oily look and feel of the skin.

Panthenol or Dexpanthenol

Benefit: Reduction of skin irritation and dryness.

Panthenol and Dexpanthenol are two names commonly used for the same ingredient. Panthenol helps to improve hydration in the outermost layers of the skin. Panthenol converts into Panthotenic Acid (a B-Complex Vitamin) in the skin and enhances skin regeneration and repair.

When applied regularly, it has been proven to considerably improve symptoms of skin irritation such as dryness, roughness, scaling and redness. It is also an effective moisturizer and very well absorbed by the skin.

Thiamidol

Benefit: Reduction of dark spots and post-acne marks

Thiamidol is a patented ingredient developed by Eucerin, dermatologically proven to reduce pigment spots and prevent their reappearance. Thiamidol targets the root cause of uneven pigmentation by helping to effectively manage excess melanin production.

UVA and UVB Filters

Benefit: Protection from UV rays.

Eucerin uses high-quality broadband UVA and UVB filters that help to block harmful sun rays. These filters meet standards set by Cosmetics Europe and are photostable, which means they do not break down easily when exposed to the sunlight, helping to provide long-lasting protection.

The Advanced Spectral Technology used in our sunscreens combines UVA/UVB Filters with Licochalcone A and Glycyrrhetinic Acid for superior sun protection.

Behind the science: Eucerin Anti-Pigment for hyperpigmentation

Skin Concern: Hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone and dark spots

Uneven pigmentation is a common skin condition in which dark spots appear on the face, often a result of increased melanin production triggered by sun exposure, aging or inflammation. Learn about the causes of hyperpigmentation here.

A breakthrough discovery from Eucerin scientists

Dr Ludger Kolbe, a medical skincare and R&D expert at Eucerin, with his team set out to create a formula that would deliver effective results for people with uneven skin and pigmentation concerns.

“We ran a huge screening program,” explains Dr Kolbe. “We tested more than 50,000 potential ingredients in the quest to find an active that would reduce hyperpigmentation while being kind on skin.” Key to the Eucerin research approach was the methodology used to test the candidate ingredients. In the past, formulas had been tested on mushroom enzymes, but Dr Kolbe and his team insisted on testing the actives on human enzymes as a more accurate measure of their potential effectiveness.

The breakthrough was when the team discovered Thiamidol, which presented significant and impressive results in dermatological tests. “Thiamidol acts at the root cause of hyperpigmentation by reducing melanin production,” explains Dr Kolbe.

Impressive results for the Eucerin Anti-Pigment range

The innovative and effective Thiamidol is the key active in the Eucerin Anti-Pigment range and has been dermatologically proven to reduce dark spots and prevent their re-appearance: 96% of women agree it effectively reduces dark spots and provides an even complexion.¹

Anti-Pigment: For Uneven Skin Tone

Hyperpigmentation

Anti-Pigment Dark Circle Eye Cream

Hyperpigmentation

Anti-Pigment Dual Serum

Hyperpigmentation

Anti-Pigment Night Care

Hyperpigmentation

Anti-Pigment Day Care SPF30

Hyperpigmentation

Anti-Pigment Skin Illuminating Serum

Behind the science: Eucerin DermoPurifyer for acne prone skin

Skin concern: Acne and blemishes-prone skin

Acne is not simply a skin condition. In developing effective skin care for acne-prone skin, Eucerin researchers needed to address the four factors responsible for the symptoms: hyperkeratosis (disrupted skin cell shedding), seborrhea (increased sebum production), microbial colonisation (increased bacteria proliferation) and inflammation of skin. Read about the causes of acne here.

Developing a unique combination of active ingredients

Eucerin's research team set out to identify active ingredients that could be combined to address all four factors, said Frank Rippke, MD, Head of Scientific Management Eucerin. Such included the amino acid L-carnitine, an ingredient that is known to regulate sebum production, as well as Licochalcone A, a powerful anti-inflammatory that helps to sooth irritation and redness.

Impressive results for Eucerin DermoPurifyer range

Frank Rippke said: “Our goal was to find active ingredients that could tackle all four symptoms of acne. We were delighted with the results produced by our unique combination of anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and sebum-regulating ingredients.”

95% confirm it unclogs pores
97% agree it makes their skin look clearer
95% agree it finally beats acne marks²

DermoPurifyer: For oily, acne-prone skin

Redness-prone Skin

DermoPurifyer Triple Effect Cleansing Gel

Acne Prone Skin Oily Skin

DermoPurifyer Triple Effect Serum

Acne Prone Skin Oily Skin

DermoPurifyer Toner

Sources

Product in Use (PIU) study of the Anti Pigment Illuminating Serum with 120 women after 4 weeks of regular usage in the year 2021, conducted by MWResearch GmbH, Germany
Product in Use (PIU) study of the Dermo Purifyer Oil Control Triple Effect Serum with 100 women after 8 weeks of regular usage in the year 2020, conducted by MWResearch GmbH, Germany