Beauty Cream

• Kojic, arbutin, licorice and mulberry all target one enzyme: Niacinamide works further downstream, and ascorbyl glucoside and glutathione work as antioxidants.
• Argireline is the odd one out: A peptide aimed at expression lines, not tone — the only anti-ageing ingredient in an otherwise tone-focused formula.
• A skin brightening cream for face, not body: Petrolatum, beeswax and carnauba wax hold the actives in place overnight. Too rich for large areas.
• Surface cells turn over faster: Lactic acid loosens them, so pigment already sitting in the top layer leaves sooner than pigment still being made.
• Three sizes of the same beauty cream: The 7gm is a genuine trial size; the 35gm jar makes sense once you know it suits you.

• Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide: Two white mineral pigments. They lighten how skin looks the moment you apply the cream, and wash off with it.
• Argireline. Acetyl hexapeptide, sold as a peptide for expression lines: Evidence is modest and it works on movement, not on tone.
• Licorice and mulberry extracts: Two botanical tyrosinase inhibitors. Gentle, slow, and usually present at low levels — they support the stronger actives rather than lead.
• Ascorbyl glucoside: A stable vitamin C derivative the skin converts slowly, which is why this cream does not turn orange like pure vitamin C.
• Lactic acid. Expect a mild tingle for the first week: That is the acid working at the surface, and it settles as skin adjusts.
• Fragrance and colour: Both are listed. Neither does anything for your skin, and both are worth knowing about if you react easily.
• This cream will not change your natural skin colour, and nothing sold over a counter should claim to. What it can do is even out tone and fade marks, slowly, and only alongside daily sun protection. How kojic acid works covers the strongest active in it.

Full ingredient list (INCI) — verbatim from the catalogue

Aqua, Petrolatum, Bees Wax Lanoline Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Triethanolamine, Carnauba Wax, Kojic Acid Dipalmitate, Argireline, Licorice Extract, Mulberry Extract, Niacinamide, Alpha Arbutin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glutathione, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance and Colour.

1. Cleanse first. On a cream this rich, anything left on the skin gets sealed underneath it.
2. A pea-sized amount for the whole face. More does not work faster and will sit on the surface.
3. At night, as the last step. In the morning, use it under sunscreen or skip it and use sunscreen alone.
4. Start every other night for the first week. The lactic acid is the part most people feel.
5. Keep the jar closed and out of the bathroom window. Light and heat shorten the life of every active in it.

What is beauty balm cream, and is this one?

A beauty balm, or BB cream, is a tinted moisturiser that combines light coverage with skincare. This is not sold as one, but the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in it do give a small amount of coverage and a lighter finish on application. So it behaves a little like one, without being one.

How long before I see a real change?

The instant part happens on day one and is the pigments. The real part is slower: most people notice marks softening between weeks six and twelve. If you saw a big change on day three and nothing since, you saw the pigments, not the actives.

What happens if I stop using it?

The immediate lightening goes as soon as you stop, because it washes off. Any genuine change in marks stays, but it fades back over months if the sun exposure that caused it continues. This is why people say brightening creams stop working — two different effects, ending at different speeds.

Which size should I buy?

Start with the 7gm if you have never used a kojic acid product, because it is enough to find out whether your skin tolerates the lactic acid and fragrance. Move to the 23gm once you know. The 35gm jar is the best value and lasts most people around three months on the face.

Can I wear it under makeup?

Yes, but it is rich, so give it ten minutes and use less than you would at night. Some foundations separate over petrolatum-based creams. If that happens, keep this one for evenings and use something lighter in the day, with sunscreen over it either way.

Will it make me lighter than my natural colour?

No, and you should be wary of anything that claims it will. What these ingredients do is slow melanin production where it has overshot, so marks and patches move closer to the rest of your face. Your baseline tone is not the target and is not what changes.

Can I use it with one of the ampoules?

Yes. Apply the ampoule first because it is thinner, then this cream over it to seal. Do not add a second exfoliating acid on the same night — the lactic acid in here is already doing that job, and doubling up is where irritation starts.

Is it suitable for sensitive skin?

Cautiously. It contains fragrance, colour, lactic acid and lanolin alcohol, and each of those is a common trigger. Patch test behind the ear for three nights. If your skin reacts to fragrance in general, this is not the product in our range to start with.