Our Ingredients

water

We use 100% reverse osmosis purified water in all of our formulations.

ethoxydiglycol

Ethoxydiglycol is a safe, low-toxicity, plant-derived carrier, with 50 years of safe use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic transdermal systems. It nourishes the skin by improving moisture retention and delivering a smooth, non-greasy feel.  This carrier facilitates the solubility of active ingredients and ensures their transport across the skin for enhanced absorption.  Spectrum Sciences uses only the highest purity, pharmaceutical grade ethoxydiglycol.

propylene glycol caprylate

Propylene glycol caprylate is a gentle, low-comedogenic combining coconut-derived caprylic acid with a pharmaceutical-grade humectant, safely incorporated in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for decades. It is also GRAS as a food additive, demonstrating a very low level of toxicity.  It supports skin barrier repair, offering nourishing hydration ideal for dry or irritated complexions.  It also functions as a skin-permeation enhancer by fluidizing skin lipids and improving active ingredient absorption.  Our source is the highest quality pharmaceutical grade.

glyceryl caprylate

Glyceryl caprylate is a 100% natural, plant-derived (coconut/palm kernel) preservative and emollient with a proven safety record in natural formulations since the early 2000s.  It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety, along with being COSMOS Certified and ECOCERT Approved.  Its fully natural origins make it soothing for eczema-prone skin, providing light emollience and microbial protection without harsh chemicals.  As a medium-chain fatty acid ester, it temporarily loosens tight junctions in the skin barrier, promoting the absorption of accompanying active ingredients.  Our source is the highest quality pharmaceutical grade.

ethanol

Non-denatured ethanol is a naturally occurring alcohol obtained through fermentation of cereal grain followed by multiple distillations for 100% purity.  It has been used in tinctures and toners with centuries of safe topical use and is also GRAS in food products. Our prior formula used higher concentrations that caused some users to complain of skin dryness and irritation with prolonged use.  We have significantly reduced the ethanol concentration in our updated formulations, rendering a non-irritating product, while preserving some of ethanol’s well-established penetration enhancement properties.  To compensate for the reduction in ethanol, we have added these listed penetration enhancers so that the dose you apply is the dose you absorb.

propylene glycol

Derived from plant-based glycerine, propylene glycol is a moisture-binding humectant safely used in pharmaceuticals and skincare since the 1930s. It is GRAS as a food additive, demonstrating its exceptionally low toxicity. As a component of our topical formulas, it draws water into the skin for deep hydration and soothing comfort.  By hydrating and relaxing the skin barrier, it is part of a nuanced mechanism of transdermal absorption of active ingredients in our formulas.

laurocapram

Laurocapram is a highly effective, coconut-derived (lauric acid) penetration enhancer developed in the 1980s with an outstanding safety record in pharmaceutical and cosmetic topical use. Decades of clinical studies confirm its low irritation potential. It gently optimizes skin permeability for even, thorough delivery of active ingredients while remaining kind to the skin.  The structure of this molecule allows it to seamlessly integrate into the skin’s lipids to create temporary, reversible micro-pathways — one of the most powerful and well-researched mechanisms for dramatically increasing transdermal uptake of both water-soluble and oil-soluble active ingredients.

oleic acid

Oleic acid is a time-honored, olive oil-derived omega-9 fatty acid cherished in skincare since ancient Egypt. Naturally present in human sebum, it is exceptionally skin-compatible, deeply nourishing, and renowned for calming and restoring even the most sensitive or compromised barriers.  Its gentle, cis-unsaturated structure softly fluidizes the skin’s lipid matrix, creating natural micro-channels that dramatically improve the transdermal delivery of both water- and oil-soluble active ingredients.  It is GRAS as a food-safe ingredient, demonstrating its exceptionally low toxicity.

phosphatidylcholine

Phosphatidylcholine is a highly purified phospholipid naturally derived from non-GMO soy lecithin.  It is the very same molecule that forms the backbone of human cell membranes. With decades of safe use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic topical products, it is exceptionally biocompatible, non-irritating, and deeply nourishing, helping to calm inflammation and reinforce the skin’s natural barrier.  It encapsulates and ferries active ingredients through the skin's aqueous and lipid phases, optimizing absorption via intact delivery vehicles.  Thanks to its dual hydrophilic and lipophilic nature, phosphatidylcholine gently integrates into the skin’s intercellular lipids, softening and loosening skin lipids to dramatically increase permeability and enable deeper, more efficient transdermal delivery of active ingredients.  It is also GRAS as a food ingredient, demonstrating its exceptionally low toxicity.

tocopherol

Tocopherol (vitamin E) is naturally sourced from vegetable oils and has been a skincare staple since the 1940s for its proven safety and stability as an antioxidant. This plant-derived nutrient is included to protect the integrity of the formula’s oil-based components and active ingredients.  Secondarily, it deeply nourishes the skin by protecting lipids and soothing oxidative stress, ideal for barrier repair.  It is GRAS as a food ingredient, demonstrating its exceptional safety.

disodium EDTA

Disodium EDTA is a pharmaceutical-grade stabilizer safely used in trace amounts in cosmetic products and medicines for over 70 years. It is non-irritating, non-absorbed, and FDA-recognized as safe –gently protecting the formula from metal-ion interference, preserving potency and clarity.  By binding trace metal ions (such as iron and copper) that can catalyze oxidation of formula components, disodium EDTA preserves the long-term integrity of our products.  It is GRAS as a food ingredient, demonstrating its exceptionally low toxicity.

adenosylcobalamin

Adenosylcobalamin is a source of vitamin B12, also known as adenosyl-B12.  It is one of the two activated forms of vitamin B12.  The FDA considers this form safe, classifying it as GRAS, based on scientific evidence and long history of use.  Our source is third-party tested for maximum purity.

methylcobalamin

Methylcobalamin is a source of vitamin B12, also known as methyl-B12.  It is the second of the two activated forms of vitamin B12.  The FDA considers this form safe, classifying it as GRAS, based on scientific evidence and long history of use.

polyglyceryl-4 oleate

Polyglyceryl-4 oleate is a non-irritating, plant-derived emulsifier sourced from vegetable glycerin and olive oil, with a long history of safe use in topical cosmetic and pharmaceutical products since the 1990s.  It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety, along with being COSMOS Certified and ECOCERT Approved.  Its natural origins ensure that it's soothing for sensitive skin, promoting hydration without clogging pores.  It acts as a mild, non-ionic surfactant that enhances emulsion stability and improves the spreading and penetration of vitamin B12 through the skin barrier.

sorbitan oleate

Sorbitan oleate is a safe, non-ionic emulsifier from sorbitol (corn-derived sugar alcohol) and oleic acid (olive oil), in use since the 1950s with no notable sensitization risks. It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety, along with being COSMOS Certified and ECOCERT Approved.  Its natural, raw materials ensure mildness, offering light emollience that nourishes dry skin without heaviness.  By reducing interfacial tension, it stabilizes emulsions while subtly fluidizing skin lipids, aiding the controlled release of vitamin B12.

rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract

Rosemary leaf extract is harvested from the evergreen Rosmarinus officinalis shrub native to the Mediterranean.  It has a 2,000-year history in herbal medicine for its safe, antioxidant properties.  Rosmarinic acid and carnosol, the unique antioxidants present in rosemary extract, not only help preserve the integrity of formula components from oxidation, but they also impart an added antimicrobial benefit, especially against gram-positive bacteria.  It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety.

glutamic acid

Glutamic acid is a naturally occurring amino acid with a long, safe history in topical formulations since the 1970s.  There is no irritation potential at the concentration found in our formulation. It is used to alter the solubility and diffusion of vitamin B12 for an enhanced absorption profile.  It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety.

sorbitol

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol derived from corn via natural fermentation and has been safely employed in topical products since the 1930s, recognized as non-irritating and hypoallergenic. It is an evidence-based method of preserving the integrity of vitamin B12 in solution.  It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety.

potassium iodide

Potassium iodide is a source of iodide, a nutrient critical for production of thyroid hormones.  It is a GRAS food ingredient.

sodium selenite

Sodium selenite is a source of selenium, a nutrient critical for production of selenoproteins, which are involved in conversion of T4 to T3 and in the body’s antioxidant defense system.  It is regulated as a safe source of selenium.

sodium molybdate

Sodium molybdate is a source of molybdenum, a nutrient critical for sulfur processing, purine metabolism, aldehyde metabolism, and mitochondrial detoxification of metabolic byproducts.  It is regulated as a safe source of molybdenum.

sodium thiosulfate

Sodium thiosulfate is part of the system that maximizes long-term stability of iodide.  It exists naturally in the body as a metabolite of sulfur-containing amino acids.  It is a GRAS food ingredient.

Polyglyceryl-6 laurate

Polyglyceryl-6 laurate is a plant-sourced emulsifier from glycerin and lauric acid (coconut oil), with a very safe track record in topical formulations since the early 2000s.  It is suitable for daily use, even on delicate skin.  As a non-ionic surfactant, it is used to aid the formation of a microemulsion, enhancing active ingredient absorption.  It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety, along with being COSMOS Certified and ECOCERT Approved.

dimethyl isosorbide

Dimethyl isosorbide is derived from sorbitol (a sugar alcohol from corn) through a process established over 40 years ago.  It is a non-irritating carrier with an outstanding safety profile and widespread use in pharmaceutical transdermal systems. It boosts ingredient efficacy by increasing the solubility and partitioning of active ingredients into the skin without irritation or greasiness.

squalane

Our squalane is ethically plant-sourced from olives.  It has a safe history as an emollient since the 1950s, mimicking human sebum to lock in moisture. It deeply nourishes and soothes for supple, resilient skin.  As a biocompatible lipid, it integrates into the skin's intercellular matrix, creating a reservoir that sustains the slow, controlled release of active ingredients for prolonged absorption.

arginine HCl

Arginine is a naturally occurring amino acid with a long, safe history in topical formulations since the 1990s.  There is no irritation potential at the concentration found in our formulation. It is used to alter the solubility and diffusion of active ingredients for an enhanced absorption profile.  It is also GRAS as a food additive, further demonstrating its exceptional safety.

carnitine

A naturally occurring, vitamin-like compound found abundantly in the human body (especially heart and skeletal muscle) and in foods like red meat and dairy. It has been safely used in topical and oral pharmaceuticals for over 40 years with an outstanding tolerability profile – even on sensitive skin. It is used to alter the solubility and diffusion of active ingredients for an enhanced absorption profile.  L-carnitine is recognized by the FDA as GRAS when ingested and widely accepted in cosmetics for its biocompatibility and non-irritating nature.