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behind the formulas

THE SCIENCE

Each active in our products is well studied and chosen for their strong performance and potency. Below is what those studies actually measured, who ran them, and what the numbers mean.

how to read this page
WHAT THESE NUMBERS REALLY MEAN

Our cosmetic efficacy data is generated by the companies that develop the raw actives, study them and promote them on the marketplace. They test a single ingredient at a defined concentration, under controlled conditions, and publish the protocol. This is real evidence that we cite directly, however it is not the same as a clinical trial of a finished product, and we don’t present it as one.

in-vitroMeasured on human cells in culture. Shows an ingredient can trigger a biological response.
in-vivoMeasured on people, usually against a placebo on the opposite side of the face or body.
ex-vivoMeasured on living tissue outside the body, such as a skin model.
what we don’t claimNo figure on this site comes from testing a finished ÆONS product. Every number is ingredient-level data, attributed to its source below.
malus domestica · step 01, 02
SWISS APPLE STEM CELLS

Uttwiler Spätlauber is an endangered Swiss apple, once prized for staying edible through a long winter without shrivelling. Mibelle Biochemistry cultures its stem cells rather than harvesting the fruit, then encapsulates them in liposomes. The interest is in longevity: skin’s own stem cells decline in number and activity with age, and depletion is widely regarded as a primary driver of skin ageing.

+92%
colony-forming efficiency
of epidermal stem cells
100%
of subjects showed
reduced wrinkle depth
28
days, twice daily
on crow’s feet
Mibelle Biochemistry. Colony-forming efficiency measured in-vitro at 0.04% extract against control, using a progenitor cell targeting model. Anti-wrinkle result from an in-vivo study, 20 volunteers aged 37–64, 2% emulsion applied twice daily for 28 days, wrinkle depth measured by PRIMOS.
palmitoyl tripeptide-37 · step 03, 04
THE COLLAGEN PEPTIDE

A signalling peptide that works through the TGF-β pathway, prompting fibroblasts to produce more of the collagen that gives skin its structure. It also suppresses MMP-9, one of the enzymes that breaks collagen down, so it acts on both sides of the same equation.

152%
increase in
Collagen I
175%
increase in
Collagen III
48%
reduction in
MMP-9 activity
88%
reduction in
wrinkle depth
Botanigenics / DD Chemco. Collagen and MMP-9 figures in-vitro at 0.034mM. Wrinkle depth from an in-vivo study, 15 subjects, 3% cream once daily for 28 days, measured by confocal microscopy of silicone replicas of the eye area. Overall smoothness improved 45% in the same study.
acetyl tetrapeptide-2 · step 04, 05
THE FIRMING PEPTIDE

Elastin is what lets skin snap back. Building it requires two proteins, FBLN5 and LOXL1, that assemble loose tropoelastin into mature, functional fibres; both decline with age. This peptide raises the levels of both, which is a different mechanism from simply making more collagen.

2.3×
FBLN5
protein levels
1.7×
LOXL1
protein levels
+47%
Type I collagen
synthesis
−39.6%
dermal fibre
fragmentation
Lipotec. Protein and collagen figures in-vitro on human dermal fibroblasts. Fragmentation and firmness from a 55-day in-vivo study, 19 volunteers aged 50–60 with saggy facial skin, 2% emulsion twice daily, placebo applied to the opposite half of the face. Dermal structure quantified by in-vivo confocal microscopy; flaccidity area fell 23.2% and skin indentation 9.5% by ballistometry.
glyceryl glucoside · step 02, 05
GLYCOIN, THE CELL ENERGIZER

Myrothamnus flabellifolia survives total dehydration for years, then re-greens within hours of rain. Glycoin is the molecule that makes that possible, protecting the plant’s cell membranes while dry and restarting its metabolism when water returns. In skin the interest is energy: ATP production in skin cells declines with age, and most repair depends on it.

+93%
skin
elasticity
+61%
skin
smoothness
+24%
skin moisture,
single application
+280%
SOD1 antioxidant
enzyme
bitop AG. Elasticity, smoothness and moisture from a placebo-controlled, blinded in-vivo study, 20 subjects aged 45+, 1% cream twice daily for 4 weeks; elasticity by Cutometer on the cheek, smoothness by PRIMOS, moisture by Corneometer, each measured against the untreated area. SOD1 and cell vitality measured in-vitro on aged human keratinocytes. Skin density rose 9.9% over 4 weeks in a separate in-vivo study (n=5).
hydrolyzed manihot esculenta · step 04
THE IMMEDIATE TENSOR

Not everything has to work over weeks. This cassava-derived glucan forms a thin viscoelastic film on the skin surface that tightens as it sets, which is why the effect is visible within half an hour rather than a month. It sits alongside the slower actives rather than replacing them.

30
minutes to a measurable
tensor effect
4
hours the effect
is maintained
90%
of a trained panel felt
the effect at 10 minutes
800+
volunteers across the
ingredient’s testing
Silab. In-vivo studies at 4% versus placebo in an emulsified gel. Elasticity parameters Uf and Ue rose significantly at 30 minutes in 72% of volunteers (cutometry, n=18). One hour after a single application, the Sa roughness parameter fell 10.2% on crow’s feet (fringe projection, n=17, mean age 62). Significance by Student’s t-test, P < 0.05.
the rest of the formula
SUPPORTING ACTIVES

Not every ingredient carries a headline number, and several are chosen for how they behave alongside the actives above rather than for an effect of their own.

brestineA marine plankton polymer that fills surface furrows. Tested in-vivo at 2% on 17 volunteers with crow’s feet: visible within 15 minutes, maintained at 6 hours. Barnet Products.
alpaflor malva aoMallow grown organically in the Swiss Alps between 1,000 and 1,500 metres, certified by Bio Suisse. Mucilages and polysaccharides for soothing and moisturising; used where exfoliating acids need buffering. DSM.
amelioxA liposomal complex of carnosine with silymarin and tocopherols. Carnosine limits the glycation that stiffens collagen. Dermatological test on 20 women over 4 weeks: 24% decrease in frown lines, 27% in crow’s feet. Mibelle Biochemistry.
derm srcBamboo silica, pea extract and glucosamine. In a 4-week split-face study at 3% (n=20), lines and wrinkles improved 45.3% by the Packman method versus 4.7% for the base gel. Barnet Products.
where this comes from
SOURCES

Data on this page is drawn from technical documentation published by the companies that manufacture each active: Mibelle Biochemistry, Lipotec, Silab, bitop AG, Barnet Products, Botanigenics and DSM. Protocols, sample sizes and concentrations are reproduced as stated in that documentation. Where a figure is in-vitro, it is labelled as such. We have not conducted clinical testing on finished ÆONS products, and nothing here should be read as a medical claim.

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