Organic Active ingredients: the 411
Behind every great serum are a roll call of great active ingredients.
We've just launched our Back to Life Hydration Serum, which we're calling the serum for people who can't tolerate serums.
Our challenge?
We needed to develop a product that was not only powerful in its performance, but so lightweight it can be used on any skin type. No problem.
Using ingredients like Propylene Glycol, Ethanol, synthetic thickeners and Silicones, which are found in many serums wasn't an option, as they're known to irritate sensitive skin.
Instead, we found two performance-driven organic actives to do what we needed the serum to do: drive water into the skin, and hold it there.
Hyaluronic acid:
Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan, basically a very large sugar that naturally occurs in our skin and joints. Known for being hydrophilic, it will draw and hold onto water, and so it plays a huge role in retaining moisture.
We use ultra low molecular weight (which means tiny molecules of) Hyaluronic Acid, so it can penetrate into the skin easily. These clever molecules act like a sponge to bind water to the skin, helping to keep skin healthy and plumped up.
Our complete guide to hyaluronic acid breaks down the molecular weights, penetration rates, and why most serums get the formulation wrong.
Triberry:
We know berries to be powerful ingredients when it comes to what we eat, and the same goes for skin food. Rich in antioxidants, this trio of indigenous Australian berries support the skin's natural moisture barrier and protect against water loss.
(1) Pepperberry (Tasmannia lanceolata)
The pepperberry tree is a hardy mountain-growing species. Pepperberry is rich in antioxidants (anthocyanins & rutins) protecting cells from oxidative damage. The fruit extract has shown to have an antioxidant power three times greater than blueberries.
(2) Riberry (Syzygium luehmannii)
Riberry is a small rainforest pink-fruit also named 'Lilly Pilly' by the Aborigines. Riberry delivers vitamin E and anthocyanins alongside essential minerals including magnesium, calcium and potassium. These nutrients support the skin's natural repair processes.
(3) Muntries (Kunzea pomifera)
One of the oldest bush foods in the Aboriginal diet, muntries are rich in anthocyanins. The natural wax content in these berries provides an additional barrier against moisture loss, working synergistically with the hyaluronic acid to lock hydration in place.
Why organic actives matter
Choosing certified organic actives isn't about following trends. It's about understanding that higher-quality botanical extracts contain more of the compounds that actually benefit skin. Our Triberry Complex, for instance, is standardised to ensure consistent antioxidant levels in every batch.
When you formulate without synthetic shortcuts, you're forced to find ingredients that genuinely perform. That constraint drives innovation. It's why we invest in technologies like CO2 extraction for our Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil and why we culture our own mushroom cells for standardised adaptogenic compounds.
Natural active ingredients work when you take them seriously enough to understand their chemistry, optimise their extraction, and formulate them properly.
