Coenzyme Q10: Our Hero Ingredient

We love experimenting with powerful vitamins, extracts and boosters for our products. We talk a lot about harnessing natural ingredients and not watering down our formulations, but unfortunately we find that a lot of these great extracts are water soluble or hydrophilic. Step in Coenzyme Q10, an oil soluble and fat soluble substance that is naturally present in the body. As we get older, the body’s natural ability to produce and store the enzyme decreases. Environmental factors also have a negative effect on our natural Q10 levels.

Coenzyme Q10 was made famous by Nivea’s body cream back in the day, where it was pitched as a body firming superstar. While this is true, it’s also great for the face, both as a firmer and antioxidant, fighting free radicals. The enzyme can boost regeneration and skin repair, and is easily penetrable as it’s a small molecule.

Scared to start experimenting? Nah! We’ve put together a super simple anhydrous cold blended cream and with the addition of Q10, it suddenly becomes seriously boosted and a powerful addition to your mixologist’s cabinet. It’s easiest to use a liquid coenzyme for it to blend evenly. You’d be surprised how easy it is to find!

Boosted with Q10

• 45% Mango Butter
• 25% Babassu Oil
• 25% Jojoba Oil
• 4.5% Apricot Kernel Oil
• 0.5% Ubiquitone (Coenzyme Q10)

Cold blend the mango, babassu and jojoba oils by stirring vigorously to create heat, gently melting the butters so they blend. Keep blending until you achieve a cream like consistency. Separately, combine the apricot oil and ubiquitone and then stir into the cream. Decant into an airtight jar and allow to cool.

Shelf Life: 6 months, use a spatula to remove the cream from the jar.

– Elsie Rutterford & Dominika Minarovic

Psssst….We use Coenzyme Q10 in our multi-purpose beauty balm Babe Balm, along with some other stellar ingredients. It’s a beaut.