The term cosmeceutical was coined in 1980 by the dermatologist Dr. Albert Kligman. Cosmeceutical is a combination of the words cosmetic and pharmaceutical, meaning that the product contains active ingredients which have a biological effect; for example reducing the appearance of wrinkles or lightening skin pigmentation.

Active ingredients are those included in a formulation, which have a specific effect on the skin. These ingredients are required at certain percentages to be effective and are often unstable if not formulated and stored correctly. Peptides, growth factors and antioxidants fall into this category.

AWE Cosmeceuticals™ skin care products should not be left in direct sunlight or in temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius. Avoid leaving products in cars.

At AWE Cosmeceuticals™ we use natural preservatives, as a result we use airless bottles to ensure the active ingredients are protected from exposure to air, sunlight and fingers!

All skin care products have a two year shelf life from the time of manufacture. Once opened it is recommended that products are used within 6 months.

Serums are active products which are used to target a specific skin condition. Our serums have been designed to target the most common skin concerns; ageing, pigmentation, acne and sensitive skin conditions. Serums are generally light, easily absorbed products which are applied onto a cleansed skin.

Retinol is a derivative of Vitamin A. Unlike many vitamins, vitamin A must go through metabolic processes before it is converted into the useable form of retinoic acid in the skin. Retinoic acid has been found beneficial in the treatment of acne, diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and evening out skin tone. Retinol is sensitive to sunlight and can therefore be unstable in some formulations. We use retinol in an encapsulated form to protect the integrity of the ingredient. Retinol has a better conversion rate into retinoic acid than retinyl palmitate. It is also important to know the concentration of retinol in a product as small amounts are unlikely to convert to adequate amounts of retinoic acid for real results.

Retinol can cause irritation in skin unaccustomed to its use. It is recommended to commence using retinol gradually. Start off applying every third night, if you have no irritation increase to every second night and build up to daily use.

Should irritation occur, such as redness and peeling of skin stop using until skin has cleared and then re-commence gradually.

Learn more about our karmin Bio Active Vitamin A + Squalene + CO Q10 serum.

Skin cells turnover (exfoliate) approximately every 28 days. Young skin has a higher turnover rate and as we age our skin turns over slower, often resulting in a dull complexion due to the build up of dead skin cells. Exfoliation helps to remove excess dead skin cells, which may also cause congestion of the pores. We recommend exfoliating with samskrta Skin Polish one to two times a week. Excess exfoliation is not recommended for optimal skin health.

AWE Cosmeceuticals™ source mostly natural ingredients for our products, however we do use some synthetic ingredients with proven research to target specific skin conditions.

The use of bio mimetic peptides has become extremely popular due the advances in cosmetic technology. Bio-mimetic peptides are so called because they mimic natural biological processes.