We don't pick
ingredients.
We earn them.
Every ingredient in our formula went through a process most brands skip entirely. This is what that process looks like.
Most products are built backwards. Start with a price point, fill to it, market aggressively.
We started with a question instead: what does lip skin actually need to repair itself overnight? Then we went looking for the compounds that answer it.
That's a different kind of research. It takes longer. It rules out most of what's available. And it's the only reason we're confident enough to put our name on what's inside the jar.
Five questions.
Every time.
What is the clinical evidence?
We start with peer-reviewed dermatology literature — not brand whitepapers, not supplier claims. If an ingredient doesn't have published evidence for its function on skin, it doesn't make the shortlist. Ceramide NP, for example, has decades of barrier-repair studies. Hyaluronic acid's mechanism is understood at the molecular level. That's the standard.
What concentration actually works?
There's a wide gap between "this ingredient has been shown to work" and "this formula contains enough of it to do anything." We work backwards from the effective concentration range published in studies, then build the formula around that — not the other way around. If the cost goes up, it goes up.
Does it survive the formula?
Actives degrade. Vitamin C is notoriously unstable — it oxidises on contact with air and light. We run stability testing at accelerated temperatures to confirm that what's in the jar on day one is still intact and active on day 180. If an ingredient doesn't survive the formula, it doesn't go in the formula.
Is it safe for lip skin specifically?
Lip skin is thinner, more permeable, and more exposed than facial skin. An ingredient that performs well in a face cream may behave differently here. We test specifically on lip-area skin and exclude anything with a known sensitisation risk in that zone — regardless of how widely it's used elsewhere.
Can we explain it plainly?
If we can't explain in plain language exactly what an ingredient does and why it's there, it doesn't pass. This isn't just a communication standard — it's a formulation standard. Vague ingredients signal vague reasoning. Everything in our formula has a clear, specific job.
What happens
before it reaches
your lips
Formulating a lip mask that actually repairs — not just one that feels nice — requires a different kind of testing. Here's what ours goes through.
Stability testing
Accelerated ageing at 40°C and 75% humidity. If the formula separates, discolours, or loses active potency — it goes back to the bench.
Efficacy verification
We don't rely on ingredient supplier claims. We test the finished formula for skin hydration, barrier integrity, and pigmentation change across a 4-week period.
Patch & sensitisation testing
Tested on sensitive skin including reactive lip skin specifically. Our formula is designed to work without irritating — even for people who've had reactions to other lip products.
Challenge testing
Microbial safety testing to confirm the preservative system works across the product's full shelf life. Safe to use from first application to last.
Ruled out.
On purpose.
Every ingredient below was considered. Each one failed at least one of our five questions.
A formula we're
certain about.
Not hopeful. Not fairly confident. Certain enough to put it on our lips every night.
See the products