Acaderma is a new brand to me I discovered through Instagram. Instagram has seriously been the best place for finding new brands and products lately. It used to be magazines but now Instagram really gives me my product wishlist. Acaderma CEO & Co-founder Dr. Shuting Hu is one of the youngest winners of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists award. Together with plant biology Professor James Simon, Acaderma was created. Think of Acaderma as being deeply rooted in science and academic research but actually is a clean skincare brand. They’re not only finding new plant ingredients but ways to use known ingredients for simple and effective formulations. I love it.
They have four products currently with a fifth on its way. I love the slim, simple, airless plastic pumps. The pump functions well it doesn’t spurt out too much and isn’t jerky. It’s very smooth. I got to test The Oasis Barrier Booster. Details per Acaderma:
The Barrier Booster is an infusion serum that provides an immediate soothing effect to the skin. Use to strengthen skin barrier or repair skin barrier damage induced by dehydration and over cleansing.
The Oasis is powered by two powerful Sahara xerophytes: African kinkeliba and cactus. Xerophytes are able to withstand and survive Africa’s harsh arid climate, making them the most appropriate to treat de-hydrated and damaged skin. African Kinkeliba is known by the French as “la tisane de longue vie” or quite literally, the “infusion of long life.” Although the kinkeliba plant’s leaves are commonly used to brew medicinal tea, its skincare potential has been practically untouched upon by the scientific and dermatological fields. After years of intense research, Acaderma’s scientific team extracted the patented Seh-Haw EX™ from kinkeliba to concentrate its effects by 100-fold, creating a product that can protect and repair the skin’s outermost barrier. Cactus plant extract, together with Beta-glucan, hydrate skin while vitamin B5 and aquaxyl are known skin barrier promoters that maintain external and internal skin health.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Combretum Micranthum Leaf Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Trehalose, Sodium Levinulate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Magnesium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Hydroxyacetophenone, Biosaccharide gum-1, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA
This serum has the best texture. It’s light and hydrating while being soothing. It sinks in quickly. A+ on texture. It has no discernible scent & no added fragrance. The formula is simple. It’s got glycerin (humectant), panthenol (B5, anti-inflammatory, humectant), Kinkeliba leaf extract (anti-inflammatory), prickly pear extract (antioxidant, high in vitamin E and K, revitalizing), trehalose (hydrator, naturally derived sugar), xylitylglucoside (polysaccharide, hydrating), anhydroxylitol (plant derived humectant), beta glucan (soothing, humectant, anti-inflammatory), sodium hyaluronate (humectant) & allantoin (soothing).
Prickly pear is one of my favorite oils and ingredients. Plus it makes a good margarita. It’s anti-aging and a good antioxidant. Kinkeliba leaf extract and the Seh-Haw EXTM compound in it is a new ingredient for me. It seems to be rich in polysaccharides and polyphenols (antioxidants). I love those cactus and desert style plants as they seem to be really good at hydrating as well as being antioxidants & anti-inflammatory. Kinkeliba leaf extract is listed as being anti-inflammatory the most. Here’s a few details from the Acaderma site on Seh-Haw EXTM:
Seh-Haw EXTM is discovered from Kinkeliba plant that only grow in west Africa Sub-Sahara region. It’s a concentrated Kinkeliba extract rich of polysaccharide and polyphenols. The soothing and skin barrier repair action mechanism of Seh-Haw EXTM is mainly due to its anti-inflammatory effects. Skin inflammation can lead to redness, collagen and elastin breakdown, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles. In human keratinocytes, Seh-Haw EXTM significantly enhances cell survival rate decreased by UV radiation, which helps to strengthen skin barrier. It also helps to reduce by environmental factors generated cellular ROS/RNS, which has been generally recognized as one of the key players involved in inflammation. The action mechanism also includes the decrease of proinflammatory cytokine secretion, providing multiple protection to skin barrier.
Overall this product is designed to hydrate and help repair your skins moisture barrier. I’m not one who suffers from huge amounts of inflammation or redness so I can’t speak to how well it does for those issues. I do like using this and feel it helps with hydration and well as calming my skin while I use actives like acids, retinol and vitamin c. Even though I don’t have lots of redness and inflammation I like using a calming serum everyday for this purpose-To help counteract actives and keep my skin from becoming dry and dehydrated or damaging my skins barrier. It’s fairly reasonably priced for the market right now. I really look forward to seeing where Acaderma goes in the future. I think it’s a brand worth watching. As a nurse my skincare passion is always in the products that are scientifically based but I want cleaner and effective formulations.
*Product gifted by brand but all thoughts are my own