Pure & Concentrated Actives are face serums that need no introduction: they are real best sellers because, thanks to their pure ingredients and innovative formulations, they have ‘revolutionised the concept of natural beauty, offering visible results and combining effectiveness and respect for the environment’.

The natural frontier of anti-ageing has powerful allies on its side! These are pure face serums with surprising efficacy, each with a specific and targeted action, allowing you to choose the one best suited to your skin. Saponaria's Pure Actives are indeed the most copied and imitated cosmetics of recent years, but why settle for copies when we can have the originals? Their proven effectiveness has already won the hearts of many people, innovative formulas, sustainable packaging and fair prices have done the rest.

Now they come with a great new feature: they are Cosmos Organic certified and their effectiveness is clinically tested.

Let's get to know them better. Here is what we will find in this article:

- Pure Actives, what they are: a brief presentation
- Characteristics of mature skin
 - Natural causes of skin ageing
 - Environmental causes of skin ageing
- Pure actives: let's see them in more detail
  - Pure actives: who they are and what they do
    - Hyaluronic Acid
    - Bakuchiol
    - Plant Collagen 
    - Fermented Complex
    - Phytoretinol
    - Peptide Complex
    - Stable Vitamin C
    - Niacinamide + Zinc
    - Salicylic Acid
    - AHA Peel
 - How to choose and when to use Pure Actives
 - A few words on packaging and how to make this world a better place

Pure Actives, what they are: a brief presentation

They appear as serums with a watery, impalpable and very light texture and are perfectly suited to all skin types, from the youngest and most impure to the most mature and dry. They are:

• Hyaluronic Acid: La Saponaria's much-loved and well-known Hyaluronic Acid, a targeted multi-molecular weight anti-wrinkle treatment that has won the hearts of many of us, has a plumping and moisturising function! It is contained, like all other Pure Actives, in a post-consumer recycled plastic bottle made from used plastic waste, and fitted with a UV filter to keep the precious formula even safer.
  
  
• Bakuchiol: the natural alternative to retinol, with regenerating and lifting action. It is a serum in oil, making it perfect for dry, mature skin. It acts on the furrow of the wrinkle by reducing its depth and thickness. It improves elasticity, firmness and evenness of the skin and gives the face a more youthful and regenerated appearance. 
  
  
• Plant Collagen: the plant alternative to animal collagen with an anti-ageing, plumping and instant lifting effect. It is the Pure Active to choose before a special evening for its wow effect..
  
  
• Fermentated Complex: Korean-inspired active ingredient with anti-ageing, anti-blemish and smoothing action, based on natural fermented ingredients
  
  
• Phytoretinol: the natural alternative to retinol, with anti-ageing, regenerating and lifting action, a vitamin A equivalent with maximum skin tolerance that mimics the actions of retinol

• Peptide Complex: its watchwords are firming, toning, plumping and we can use its portentous characteristics not only to care for the skin of the face but also that of the décolleté.

• Stable Vitamin C: with strong antioxidant power, it is able to slow down the action of free radicals and has a smoothing effect: it lightens blemishes and compacts the texture. It gives extreme radiance to the skin, leaving it fresh and radiant.

• Niacinamide +Zinc: a powerful active ingredient with a sebum-regulating, soothing, protective action that prevents the appearance of new imperfections and reduces sebum production, making the skin less shiny and the texture more compact, even and radiant.
  
  
• Salicylic Acid: the Pure Active for balancing the skin and reducing imperfections! Thanks to its exfoliating properties it is particularly useful in cases of acne or impure skin.
  
  
• AHA Peel: the only monthly treatment for deep skin exfoliation with regenerating and smoothing action. The last magic touch for a truly complete skin care routine.

Let's get to know them better in detail and see together how and when to use them to boost our anti-wrinkle routines, brighten our skin, smooth out expression lines, and diminish dyschromia and imperfections.

Characteristics of mature skin

We all have the desire to maintain a beautiful and fresh appearance even as the years go by! Unfortunately, everyday life puts a strain on our skin and skin ageing is an entirely natural process, which we can, however, slow down. We can do a lot to take care of our skin and give it all the nutrients it needs so that it always looks its best.

The natural ageing process starts between the ages of 25 and 30 when we see the first small expression lines appear, especially in the more sensitive areas such as the forehead and eye contour. From the age of 25 we lose 1% of collagen per year and after the age of 30 more collagen is lost than is produced.

This is why, as the years go by, these signs become deeper and more numerous, until they become real wrinkles, which also affect the area around the mouth, which is more prone to losing elasticity. 

Mature skin is characterised by:

• Dry skin
• Thin skin
• Lack of radiance
• Lack of firmness and tone
• Deep wrinkles
• Pale or yellowish complexion
• Open pores
• Hyperpigmentation and age spots

The causes of this process are natural, related to the normal process of cellular senescence, and environmental, caused by external factors

Natural causes of skin ageing

The main natural causes of skin ageing are:

• Less collagen synthesis: skin thickness is mainly determined by the presence of collagen. In young skin, collagen synthesis and degradation are perfectly balanced, whereas in mature skin, normal collagen metabolism is disrupted, resulting in reduced skin thickness, loss of firmness and turgidity.
• Reduced elastin synthesis: elastin is a protein found in all elastic fibres such as tendons, arteries and even the skin. As the years pass, we produce less and less elastin, which is why the skin loses its elasticity and first expression lines and then wrinkles begin to appear, caused by the skin's inability to stretch again after a change.
• Variations in melanin production: the mechanisms of melanin production also begin to vary with age, which is why we often see an irregular production of melanin with the formation of darker hyperpigmentation spots, very frequent on the hands, face and décolleté.

Environmental causes of skin ageing

The main environmental causes of skin ageing are:

• Stress, which leads to the production of free radicals, reactive and unstable species that bind with the components of our skin (lipids, phospholipids, collagen and hyaluronic acid), damaging them and causing premature ageing.
• Pollution. Continuous exposure to smog and pollutants attacks our skin by restricting its respiration and hydration.
• Exposure to UV rays, which also cause the release of free radicals, even managing to damage the deeper layers of our skin.
• Inadequate nutrition
• Smoking and alcohol
  
  

Both natural and environmental causes can be acted upon, thus avoiding accelerating the normal ageing process and externally integrating all those substances useful for the regeneration of the epidermis and which can stimulate the synthesis of new cells.

In general, as we have seen, skin ages, loses its radiance and elasticity for a variety of causes. This is why we cannot rely on a single product which, however complete, will never be able to respond to so many facets. Rather, for effective action, we need to act on several fronts. Only in this way will we succeed in our aim of preserving a radiant and relaxed skin over time.

Pure & Concentrated Actives: let's see them in more detail

And that is precisely how pure actives act: a coordinated action on several fronts that will never conflict with other treatments but will complement them perfectly. These are in fact pure products, very functional and powerful, but extremely well-tolerated and suitable for all skin types, from combination, oily and asphyxiated skin to dry or very dry and sensitive skin, and are suitable for all ages.

Each skin will find its own reference Pure Active, but there is nothing to stop us using them together to maximise their action.

For example: you are 20 years old and have imperfections but also want to prevent wrinkles? Your reference active ingredients will be Niacinamide+Zinc, perfect for all combination skins, and Plant Collagen, ideal for an immediate tightening effect. On the other hand, are you 30 years old and want to diminish expression lines? You can use Fitoretinol for a long-term action combined with Hyaluronic Acid, plumping.

Or are you 40 years old and want brighter, blemish-free skin? Your reference active is Vitamin C, to which you can add the toning and plumping action of Complex Peptides.

If, on the other hand, you are 50 years old or older and your wrinkles are deep and pronounced, a combination of Bakuchiol, Peptide Complex and Fermented Complex may really be the effective action you are looking for. To use them all together we can mix them together, or use some pure as a serum and add drops of others to your face cream. Finally, we can use some in the morning and some in the evening.

Pure actives: who they are and what they do

They are powerful and easy to use. They are certified organic and their effectiveness is clinically proven. Here are their main features in detail:

Hyaluronic Acid

Multi-molecular Hyaluronic Acid is a concentrated biological plumping and moisturising face serum

He needs no introduction: he is the anti-wrinkle product par excellence!

Its strong point is its multiple molecular weight which enables it to perform its extraordinary moisturising actions on the surface (high and medium weight) and treat wrinkles in depth (low and very low weight).

After use, the skin appears smoothed and plumped, wrinkles and small sagging filled, for a relaxing effect and a visible reduction in the depth of wrinkles. Its effectiveness is clinically proven.

Recommended for: those looking for a product targeted against wrinkles.

Bakuchiol

Bakuchiol is the regenerating and lifting organic face serum concentrate: the natural and dermo-compatible alternative to retinol, in an
oil!

This is a certified organic anti-ageing face serum that acts on the furrow of the wrinkle by reducing its depth and thickness. It improves elasticity, firmness and skin uniformity and gives the face a more youthful and regenerated appearance.

Bakuchiol is a very good alternative to retinol, without having the disadvantages of
the latter:
- it is not photosensitising, so it can be used all year round, even in summer
- it is highly dermocompatible and well tolerated even by sensitive skin
- it is of plant origin, being extracted from the seeds and leaves of the Psoralea Corylifolia, known as Babchi.

Recommended for: those looking for a younger, fresher look

Plant Collagen

Plant Collagen is the organic lifting and toning face serum concentrate

As we have previously seen, collagen is a protein that forms the structure of the skin and gives it support. It is used in the production of anti-ageing cosmetics to provide elasticity to the skin and promote cell turnover.

The Problem? The collagen commonly used is of animal origin. This implies that its particles are too large: they therefore do not penetrate deeply, performing a superficial and temporary action.

Plant collagen is the plant alternative to animal collagen, designed specifically for cosmetic use and to act in the deeper layers of the skin. It is able to give the skin hydration and a powerful immediate anti-age effect (+18% skin firmness), but if applied consistently, the results will be visible and stable even in the long term.

Who it is recommended for: those seeking greater skin elasticity but, thanks to its immediate tightening effect, also those who want to look their best on a special occasion.

Fermentated Complex

Fermentated Complex is a concentrated organic lifting and smoothing face serum. Korean-inspired, it proves particularly effective as a smoothing agent and ideal for those seeking porcelain skin

An innovative Korean-inspired product based on natural ingredients that undergo a fermentation process, making them more powerful and performing on the skin. Fermented Complex is a pure active ingredient based on Marine Phytocomplex, an extract obtained from the fermentation of marine microalgae, which has an anti-ageing and lifting action.

It also stimulates the synthesis of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, essential components for healthy skin.

Recommended for: those who need a complete product to smooth the skin texture, even out the complexion and combat wrinkles.

Phytoretinol 

Phytoretinol is the regenerating and lifting organic face serum concentrate, a perfect dermocompatible alternative to classic retinol

Retinol is a provitamin A that fights skin ageing. The problem? It has a chemical origin, is photosensitising and irritates the skin!

Phytoretinol is the natural alternative to retinol, a vitamin A equivalent with maximum skin tolerability that mimics the actions of retinol, in particular promoting collagen synthesis and cell renewal.

Recommended for: those in need of long-term anti-ageing treatment.

Peptide Complex

Peptide Complex is the smoothing and firming organic face and décolleté serum

Considered great anti-ageing allies of the skin, peptides are short amino acid sequences whose main characteristic is to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, giving the skin tone and elasticity.

Peptide Complex contains a hexapeptide of plant origin derived from fermentation and the extract of Sacha Inchi, a plant from Peru already known to the Incas. The combination of these two ingredients promotes rejuvenation of the face and décolleté: this serum works against sagging skin and can be used both on the face and breasts.

Peptide Complex is able to
- improve skin tone and elasticity
- counteract natural sagging of the skin
- stimulate collagen and elastin production
- minimise the appearance of skin blemishes and redness
- make the skin appear smoother, firmer and less marked

Stable Vitamin C

Stable Vitamin C is a concentrated organic brightening and illuminating face serum with a concentrated and even more functional formula

Vitamin C is an extremely powerful antioxidant that neutralises the action of free radicals and counteracts the signs of ageing by stimulating collagen production.

It gives extreme radiance to the skin, leaving it fresh and radiant. This portentous active also has an evening out effect: it lightens blemishes and compacts the texture. 

Recommended for: anyone who wants to brighten the face and even out the complexion.

Niacinamide+Zinc

Pure active agent ideal for combination and impure skin with sebum-balancing and anti-imperfection action

Niacinamide, together with Zinc, is the perfect ally in the fight against pimples, blemishes and blackheads.

In fact, this active ingredient is able to prevent the appearance of new blemishes and reduce sebum production, making the skin less shiny. It also acts on dilated pores, making the skin texture firmer and more even and luminous. With its soothing action, it is also perfect for combating redness or post-pimple spots. It prevents photo-ageing and has a protective action against sunlight and atmospheric agents.

Recommended for: all combination and oily skin, but also for stressed and polluted skin.

Niacinamide 10% and Zinc gluconate 3% are combined in our shock-acting active ingredient.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic Acid is a strong purifying and sebum-regulating concentrate!

This face serum acts on the imperfections typical of acne-prone or impure skin. In particular, the active penetrates the pores by reducing the occlusion caused by the accumulation of excess sebum and dead cells, thus limiting the formation of new imperfections and blackheads. In addition, among its powers, this precious active contributes to maintaining the balance of the cutaneous microbiome, which is essential for preserving the health of the skin and avoiding the imbalances that can lead to the formation of imperfections and inflammations.

Who it is recommended for: all acne-prone or impure skin, even the most sensitive.

Its purifying action is a panacea that provides long-lasting benefits. 

AHA Peel

The AHA Peel is a biological exfoliating and regenerating rinsing treatment

The AHA Peel is a deep cleansing and regeneration treatment with high skin tolerability.
It is dermatologically tested for sensitive skin and is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive, thanks to a clever mix of natural alpha hydroxy acids (5% concentration) that make the formula gentle but highly effective.

It is clinically tested and is perfect for those who wish to minimise signs of ageing, blemishes and dull skin because it promotes skin renewal from the outside, accelerating natural cell turnover, and from the inside, being able to nourish and protect the deeper layers:
- Gently exfoliates the skin -> more even, radiant and smoother skin
- Protects collagen -> firmer skin
- Stimulates fibroblasts to produce new fibrils -> younger, smoother skin

How to choose and when to use Pure Actives

The pure active ingredients can be used morning and evening: none of them are photosensitising. They can be included in one's daily beauty routine immediately after cleansing and before applying the face cream or in addition to it.

To help you choose the pure Actives best suited to your needs, consult our table below

The Actives can be used mixed with each other, alternating or combined with your favourite face creams or serums!

They can be used:

1. On its own, before or as an alternative to the cream, by applying 2 drops of the product directly to the face and massaging in until completely absorbed
2. As a booster, by adding 1 or 2 drops of product to your favourite face cream or serum. It will make the texture of the cream much lighter to the touch and easier to absorb, increasing its effectiveness!
3. After using AHA Peel, you can use all the pure Actives except Niacinamide+Zinc.
4. Mixed with each other: 1 drop of each chosen pure active can be mixed with each application. Exception is Bakuchiol which, being on an oil base, do not mix with the other actives but can be applied immediately afterwards. Niacinimide and Vitamin C cannot be mixed together: better to use one in the morning routine and one in the evening routine if you want to use both!

All pure Actives can be used together and mixed with each other, except Vitamin C and Niacinamide: better to use one in the morning and one in the evening

Here is an explanatory video showing the application of the Actives used both in purity and as a face cream booster:

A few words on packaging and how to make this world a better place

Our choices define us: that is why here at La Saponaria we are doing a huge job on packaging! We have decided to eliminate virgin plastic from all our packaging, which we are progressively doing on all our products. We are therefore using glass jars, recycled aluminium, recycled and 100% biodegradable cardboard and bioplastic, a plastic derived from sugar cane. Another super interesting material is re-bottle recycled plastic, i.e. post-consumer recycled plastic obtained from used plastic waste.

What not everyone knows is that normal recycled plastic comes from industrial waste, but is in fact new, never having been used. This is why post-consumer recycled plastic has an added value over normal recycled plastic: not only does its creation not involve the creation of new material, but it also breathes life back into those already used, preventing them from ending up in the sea or in landfills.

Making organic, health and environmentally friendly cosmetics is not enough for us! Sustainable packaging has always been a priority for us, and now more than ever. The entire Attivi Puri line has a re-bottle made of recycled plastic and for this it won Conai's Eco-Pack 2024 award.