When it comes to beauty care, K-Beauty has some serious competition. While the Korean cosmetics trend usually comes in bright colours and is primarily intended to be fun, Japanese cosmetics stand for a whole new kind of mindful skincare that focuses specifically on healthy skin. True to the motto “less is more”, the new trend…

Jiaogulan extract (pronounced: Dschiau-gu-lan, Latin: Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is a Chinese medicinal herb that is also known as the “plant of immortality”. The unusual nickname is due to a Chinese province in which a particularly large number of people lived to be over 100 years old. When people were asked for their health secret, they said…

Cyclodextrins are compounds that belong to the oligosaccharides. They consist of several glucose molecules linked together in a ring. The structure of these glucose rings is always conical. Cyclodextrins are named differently depending on the number of glucose units: A ring of six glucose units is called alpha-cyclodextrin, with seven glucose molecules experts speak of…

extrFennel (Foeniculum vulgare) as a plant species belongs to the genus Apiaceae and is used as fennel extract in cosmetics. The Latin term means hay. From a fist-sized white bulb grow long stems on which feathery leaves and at the end are yellow flowers. The extract is obtained from the fennel bulb. The original cultivation…

In biotechnology, fermentation refers to the deliberate (intentional), enzymatic or microbial conversion of organic substances. This is done either by adding enzymes (ferments) or by adding fungal, bacterial or other biological cell cultures. These targeted, natural microorganisms are in fact readily capable of forming valuable nutrients that are either impossible or very difficult to produce…

Even our grandmothers and mothers used to put cucumber slices on their eyes to relieve or eliminate unsightly puffiness after a sleepless night. It is even said that once upon a time even Cleopatra used fresh cucumber to care for her flawless complexion. Today it has been proven that the cucumber, which after all consists…

Anyone who looks at the cosmetics shelves in stores quickly notices a phenomenon that is still relatively new: there are more and more Doctor Brands. Behind this mysterious designation are brands that have been developed by doctors or that are recommended by doctors. Doctor brands are currently very trendy and are becoming increasingly popular. Not…

What could be more relaxing after a hard day or in cold, wet weather than a full bath? The warm water and the beguiling bath products are balm for body and soul and make sure that stress and hecticness fall away from us all by themselves. A bath is also really good for tension, aching…

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a potent polyphenol primarily found in green tea, comprising approximately one-third of its dry weight. While EGCG can also be found in trace amounts in other natural sources such as apple peels, onions, plums, pistachios, kiwis, and pears, green tea remains the primary and richest source of this valuable antioxidant. The…

EPA and DHA are the commonly used abbreviations for eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. These are two essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that belong to the class of valuable omega-3 fatty acids. Essential means that our body absolutely needs eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA for a variety of important biological functions, but cannot produce the substances itself.…