The glossary · Batch 041
Fourteen ingredients we will defend by name.
Every active we formulate with, what it actually does, where the raw material comes from, and the range we dose it at. If an ingredient is not on this page, it is not in the bottle.
What's in it, and how much
The whole glossary, not the flattering half.
Concentration ranges, not single numbers — a serum and a cream need different doses of the same active. The exact figure for any given batch is on that product's page and its assay.
| Ingredient | What it does | Source | Used in | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NiacinamideNiacinamide (vit. B3) | Evens tone and supports the barrier's own ceramide production. The one active that does two jobs without asking for a trade-off. | Synthesised, pharma grade | Dew SerumBarrier Cream | 2.0–4.0%4.0% in serum |
| Meadowfoam seed oilLimnanthes alba | An unusually stable occlusive lipid — 98% long-chain fatty acids, so it resists going rancid without added antioxidant. | Willamette Valley, OR — 3 farms | Dew SerumFace Oil | 3.5–94%94% in the oil |
| RetinaldehydeRetinal | One conversion step from retinoic acid, so it works faster than retinol at a lower dose — and stings less on the way there. | Synthesised, encapsulated | Night Shift | 0.05%PM only |
| Ascorbyl glucosideAscorbyl glucoside | A vitamin C derivative that survives in water without turning brown in six weeks. Slower than pure ascorbic acid; it is still there in month three. | Ferment, JP | Day Fluid | 5.0% |
| Lactic acidLactic acid | The largest of the common AHAs, so it penetrates more slowly and irritates less. Exfoliates and hydrates at the same time. | Beet ferment, NL | Clay Mask | 2.0%pH 3.8 |
| Zinc oxideZinc oxide, non-nano | Broad-spectrum mineral UV filter. Non-nano, so it sits on the skin rather than in it — and yes, that is why it is not invisible. | Mineral, USP grade | Mineral SPF 30 | 18.5% |
| Ceramide NPCeramide NP | The lipid your barrier is short of when it stings. We dose it in a 3:1:1 ratio with cholesterol and fatty acid, which is the ratio skin uses. | Ferment, DE | Barrier Cream | 1.2% |
| SqualaneSqualane, olive-derived | A light emollient that mimics skin's own squalene without oxidising. Carries the retinal so it releases slowly instead of all at once. | Olive, ES | Barrier CreamNight Shift | 4.0–12% |
| Sunflower oleateHelianthus annuus | The cleansing oil's base. Dissolves sunscreen and sebum by like-dissolves-like, which is why it takes off SPF that soap cannot. | Willamette Valley, OR | Cleansing Oil | 62% |
| GlycerinGlycerin, veg. | The humectant everything else is measured against. Cheap, boring, and better studied than any botanical alternative on the market. | Rapeseed, DE | All formulas | 3.0–8.0% |
| Sodium hyaluronateSodium hyaluronate, 50 kDa | Low molecular weight, so it holds water inside the top layers rather than forming a film that tightens as it dries. | Ferment, JP | Dew SerumDay Fluid | 0.4–0.6% |
| PanthenolPanthenol (pro-B5) | Calms the sting and speeds barrier repair. It is the reason the retinal is tolerable in week one. | Synthesised | Dew SerumNight Shift | 1.0–2.0% |
| Chamomile extractChamomilla recutita | Anti-irritant, via bisabolol. Shade-dried rather than heat-dried, because heat costs you most of what you bought it for. | Hood River, OR — 9-acre plot | Dew SerumClay Mask | 0.25% |
| Preservative systemBenzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid | Keeps mould out of a water-based product. There is no botanical equivalent worth using, and we would rather say so than call it "nature-identical". | Synthesised | All water formulas | 0.9–1.0% |
Ranges span the whole line — the exact figure for any batch is printed on the box and posted with its assay. If a batch misses its target by more than ±0.2%, it does not ship, and the failed assay stays public.
Where it comes from
Six growers. All named.
We buy botanicals direct, in small lots, from farms we can drive to. Every lot number on a Rare Botany box traces back to a specific harvest on a specific week.
The other half of the list
What is never in the bottle.
A glossary that only tells you what is in a formula is a marketing document. Here is the part that costs us sales.
Now the easy part
Pick the step you're missing.
Nine products, filtered by where they sit in the routine. Every card carries its hero active at the concentration you just read.