The Ingredient Library
Full INCI on every label. No proprietary complex, no active blend, no hidden architecture.
Below is the curated library of what each ingredient actually does across the ten formulas — listed by plant name first, INCI second, function in one sentence, and the rituals it appears in. The full unabridged INCI for each product lives inside its PDP, not folded away.
The signalling, resurfacing, and hydration actives at the heart of each formula — concentrations declared where verified, plant names kept in plain view.
Plant-derived retinol alternative. Studied alongside retinol for renewal markers comparable in published 12-week dermatology trials, with a different sensitivity profile. Does not bind to retinoid receptors. 1.5% concentration calibrated for nightly use. Stable in oil. Traditionally used through sensitive life phases.
Short amino-acid signalling chain. Speaks to the dermal layer where firmness lives — a nightly peptide that compounds over weeks, not days.
Amino-acid derivative that supports elasticity at the structural layer. Works alongside Hexapeptide-11 to give the skin better posture over time.
Stable vitamin C bonded to a glucose molecule — released gradually by the skin's own enzymes. Works under sunlight, not against it. No photosensitivity or oxidation penalty of raw L-ascorbic.
Plant-derived antioxidant that stabilises vitamin C and extends its active window. The stabiliser plant chemistry has used for as long as plants have needed protection from sun.
The largest molecule in the AHA family — works at the surface rather than penetrating into the layers where irritation compounds. 10% in REVEAL for twice-weekly refinement; low concentration in PURE as a gentle daily tone-reset.
The salt form of hyaluronic acid — smaller, water-soluble, absorbs further into the skin than raw HA. Holds water at the cellular level.
Lower molecular weight hyaluronic acid — reaches deeper than full HA or sodium hyaluronate. Used alongside the other two weights so the formula holds water at three layers simultaneously.
Plant-derived ceramides — structurally similar to what the skin makes itself to form the barrier layer. The molecular mortar that degrades with age, climate, and soap. Rebuilt nightly in NOCTURNE.
The humectants and natural moisturising factors that hold water at the cellular level — most formulas in the ritual carry at least three of them.
A natural moisturising factor the skin already produces on its own — returned where aging, climate, and heating remove it. The water that stays after rinsing.
The most studied humectant in cosmetic chemistry. Draws water from the air and from deeper skin layers to the surface — softness without occlusion.
The base of most water-phase formulas. Conditions the skin through the cleanse, carries active molecules without occluding, softens the surface in its own right.
Plant-derived glycol (usually from corn). A lighter hydration vehicle than glycerin — helps actives penetrate without the tacky finish.
Short-chain glycols that carry active molecules into the skin and stabilise the formula. Non-occlusive, non-sensitising at the concentrations used.
Cold-pressed seed and fruit oils — every one organic-farmed where available, layered by molecular weight and fatty-acid profile across ETHER, FORM, NOCTURNE, LUMIS, and SOLEIL.
Closely matches the skin's natural lipid profile — the closest biomimetic fit among botanical oils. Absorbs rather than sits. Used across most of the evening ritual.
Carotenoid-rich oil traditionally associated with the skin’s renewal register. A natural vitamin A precursor used in oil-phase formulations for centuries.
Omega-9 fatty acids — the elasticity register. Gives the skin better hold and surface calm without the weight of heavier oils.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) — one of the few plant sources. Supports the skin's own anti-inflammatory register and barrier lipid production.
One of the highest natural carotenoid concentrations in plant chemistry — contributes the orange cast to the oil and the antioxidant weight to the formula.
Omega-3 rich. Gives the body ritual its finish — the weight and minerals that catch light without sitting on the surface.
Ellagic acid and other polyphenols — supports a more even tone over time. A quiet antioxidant that rarely appears outside serious oil formulations.
Anthocyanins and a rare balance of omega-3 and omega-6. One of the most stable cold-pressed oils — shelf life months beyond others.
The base of SOLEIL. Oleic and linoleic acids close to the skin's own lipid register — non-irritating, non-comedogenic, the workhorse oil of natural formulation.
Restores the softness that body-fold skin loses first. Traditional in Mediterranean skincare for exactly the reason people keep returning to it.
Water-phase extracts chosen for a single function each — not multi-active blends that hedge across purposes.
The least processed of the Camellia tea leaves — highest polyphenol concentration, the antioxidant register of the water phase.
Traditional balancing botanical. Used in VEIL and PURE for a light, clean register — calming without sedating the skin.
Rarely seen in cosmetics. Antioxidant depth with a carotenoid register — holds the surface of GRACE through the day.
The most-studied anti-inflammatory flower in plant chemistry. Softens the cleanse for the sensitive register — and is the natural source of Bisabolol alongside.
An isolate from chamomile. Regulates the temperature of the hydration process — reactive skin's most reliable calming molecule. Hero in GRACE.
Traditional balancing botanical. Supports the skin's own regulation during cleansing — quiet work, no surface effect.
Deep-pigment anthocyanins. Contributes antioxidant weight to NOCTURNE's night-cream architecture.
A quiet anti-inflammatory signal — not the first-line calming molecule, but a secondary register that supports barrier recovery when it's already compromised.
Used sparingly — where a formula needs structure, comfort, and a gentle occlusive without the weight of petroleum.
Structural butter for NOCTURNE — insulates without occluding. The richness the evening barrier work needs, without the heaviness night creams are usually sold on.
The comfort register. Used in NOCTURNE to give the cream its soft-set finish — enough fat to hold overnight, light enough to absorb by morning.
Plant wax that gives water-phase formulas their viscosity — a vegan alternative to beeswax, used where structure is needed without animal input.
The molecules that hold water and oil together, and the amino-acid cleansers that clear the surface without stripping the barrier.
Coconut-derived non-ionic surfactant. Sulphate-free, lifts residue without breaking the skin's own barrier lipids — the cleansing register for twice-daily use.
Amphoteric surfactant — gentle enough for twice-daily use, effective enough to clear make-up residue without a second cleanse needed on light days.
Fatty alcohol derived from plant oils — not the drying kind. Adds emulsion stability and the soft finish to creams. Misread as harsh; actually one of the gentler ingredients in natural formulation.
COSMOS-approved emulsifier. Holds the water and oil phases together without the silicone feel of older emulsifier systems.
Natural polysaccharide — gives water-phase formulas their gel consistency without synthetic carbomers. Used across most of the ritual.
COSMOS-approved natural preservatives only. No parabens, no phenoxyethanol, no formaldehyde-releasers — the formulation standard most of the industry quietly relaxed a decade ago.
The salt form of benzoic acid — naturally occurring in cranberries, plums, and other fruit. COSMOS-approved, the most broadly-used natural preservative.
Naturally occurring in rowanberries — works alongside sodium benzoate for broad-spectrum protection. Non-sensitising at cosmetic concentrations.
Corn-derived — the gentlest of the natural preservatives, especially useful for sensitive-skin formulations where other preservatives can register.
A COSMOS-approved chelator — binds to trace metals that would otherwise destabilise the formula. The quiet partner to the preservatives.
Natural vitamin E. In the oil formulas it doubles as the antioxidant that keeps the cold-pressed oils stable through the six-month shelf life.
Naturally occurring allergens from the essential oils that give each formula its light aroma. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 requires these declared by name — so we list them.
Naturally present in lavender, rosewood, and many other essential oils. The calming floral register. Declared per EU fragrance-allergen rules, not added as an isolate.
Citrus register — naturally present in almost every citrus peel oil. The brightness in LUMIS, the finish in SOLEIL. Declared per EU allergen rules.
Rose register — naturally in geranium and rose essential oils. Gives ETHER its elegant rose top-note over the spicy and woody base.
Present in geranium and rose oils. Part of ETHER's rose-and-spice register and FORM's delicate floral signature.
Lemon-verbena register — naturally in lemon grass and melissa oils. Part of GRACE's soft floral note with the melissa top.
Spice and wood register — naturally in black pepper, clove, and copaiba. The quiet warmth in SOLEIL's green-cardamom and rosemary finish.
No matches.
Try a plant name (jojoba, rosehip), an INCI term (tocopherol, linalool), or a function (hydration, antioxidant). Or reset the filters and browse the full library.
On transparency
Every ENGEL LOEWE label declares its full INCI in the order the EU regulation requires — not a “key actives” summary followed by an ‘and other ingredients’. The brands that edit their ingredient lists down to the marketing-friendly molecules are, almost without exception, hiding the ones that would not survive attention.
The curated library above is the editorial version — the 46 molecules the ritual leans on, each with its one-sentence function. The unabridged INCI for each formula lives inside its product page, in a single accordion that opens without prompt.
For anything you cannot find here, the shortest path is to write to us. Every question about a molecule, concentration, or certification gets a direct reply within one business day.
Return to the formulasConfirmed. The doors open the thirtieth of May.
I have your address. There will be two letters between now and the launch — a few days before First Circle private access opens, then on the morning the doors do. No urgency in between.
Your only task is to forget about us.
30 May 2026 the doors open.
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The journal is open. Three pieces, written before the products were ready.
Merlin Dragutinovic
Founder · Austria
