A map of beauty biology

C6H6N2O · 122.12 g/mol

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 involved in cellular metabolism as a precursor of NAD+. It has been studied for barrier-related, pigmentation-related and sebum-related endpoints in skin.

4 targets · 3 pathways

C20H30O · 286.5 g/mol

Retinol is a vitamin A alcohol that cells can convert to retinaldehyde and then retinoic acid, the form that binds nuclear retinoic acid receptors and changes gene transcription.

4 targets · 3 pathways

C20H28O2 · 300.4 g/mol

All-trans retinoic acid is the receptor-active retinoid metabolite. It is a regulated drug substance in many countries; it is included here for biological context only.

3 targets · 2 pathways

C20H28O · 284.4 g/mol

Retinaldehyde sits one oxidation step closer to retinoic acid than retinol, and is studied as a cosmetic retinoid with the same receptor-mediated mechanism downstream.

2 targets · 1 pathways

(C14H21NO11)n

Hyaluronic acid is a large glycosaminoglycan of the extracellular matrix. Molecular weight strongly affects how it behaves, and topical molecules are much larger than most skin-penetrating compounds.

3 targets · 2 pathways

C34H67NO4 · 553.9 g/mol

Ceramide NP is a sphingolipid found in the stratum corneum lipid matrix. Ceramide composition is a well-described feature of barrier biology.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C6H8O6 · 176.12 g/mol

L-ascorbic acid is vitamin C: a water-soluble reducing agent and an essential cofactor for the prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases that mature collagen.

4 targets · 3 pathways

C6H6MgO9P · 289.39 g/mol

A phosphorylated, salt-stabilised vitamin C derivative studied as a more stable alternative to L-ascorbic acid. It requires enzymatic conversion to free ascorbate to act.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C29H50O2 · 430.7 g/mol

Alpha-tocopherol is a lipid-soluble vitamin E form that interrupts lipid peroxidation chain reactions in membranes.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C10H10O4 · 194.18 g/mol

Ferulic acid is a plant phenolic acid studied both as an antioxidant and as a stabiliser in vitamin C and E formulations.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C14H12O3 · 228.24 g/mol

Resveratrol is a plant stilbene studied for sirtuin-related and antioxidant biology. Most reported skin effects come from cell or animal models.

3 targets · 2 pathways

C18H24O · 256.4 g/mol

Bakuchiol is a meroterpene phenol studied as a retinoid-functional alternative. It is not structurally a retinoid but gene-expression overlap with retinoids has been reported.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C7H6O3 · 138.12 g/mol

Salicylic acid is a lipophilic beta hydroxy acid that acts largely at the level of corneocyte cohesion and follicular keratin.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C2H4O3 · 76.05 g/mol

Glycolic acid is the smallest alpha hydroxy acid. Its effects are strongly pH- and concentration-dependent and are chiefly described at the level of corneocyte adhesion.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C3H6O3 · 90.08 g/mol

Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that is also a natural moisturising factor component, so it is studied for both exfoliation and hydration endpoints.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C9H16O4 · 188.22 g/mol

Azelaic acid is a nine-carbon dicarboxylic acid studied for pigmentation and inflammatory endpoints. It is a regulated medicine at higher strengths in several regions.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C6H6O4 · 142.11 g/mol

Kojic acid is a fungal metabolite that chelates the copper ions in the tyrosinase active site, an unusually well-characterised depigmenting mechanism in vitro.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C12H16O7 · 272.25 g/mol

Arbutin is a glucosylated hydroquinone derivative studied as a tyrosinase inhibitor with slower release than free hydroquinone.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C8H15NO2 · 157.21 g/mol

Tranexamic acid is a lysine analogue that blocks plasminogen binding. It is studied topically for melasma-related pigmentation via plasmin-dependent signalling rather than direct tyrosinase inhibition.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C14H22CuN6O4 · 402 g/mol

Copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a glycyl-histidyl-lysine peptide complexed with copper, studied for matrix gene-expression effects largely in cell and animal models.

3 targets · 2 pathways

C46H83N9O11 · 962.2 g/mol

Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is a lipidated fragment of the type I collagen propeptide sequence, studied as a matrix-signalling peptide.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C34H60N14O12S · 888.99 g/mol

Acetyl hexapeptide-8 is a synthetic peptide modelled on a SNAP-25 sequence and studied for neuromuscular-signalling endpoints in vitro.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C32H59N5O5 · 593.85 g/mol

Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 is a lipidated GHK peptide studied alongside copper peptides for matrix-related gene expression.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C10H12N2O6Zn · 321.6 g/mol

Zinc PCA pairs zinc with pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural moisturising factor component. It is studied for sebum-related and barrier-related endpoints.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C9H19NO4 · 205.25 g/mol

Panthenol is the alcohol analogue of pantothenic acid and a precursor of coenzyme A. It is studied for barrier and irritation endpoints.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C48H78O19 · 959.1 g/mol

Asiaticoside is a triterpenoid saponin from Centella asiatica studied for matrix synthesis and wound-related biology, mostly in animal and cell models.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C48H78O20 · 975.1 g/mol

Madecassoside is a Centella asiatica saponin studied for antioxidant and matrix-related endpoints in cell and animal models.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C13H16N2O2 · 232.28 g/mol

Melatonin is an indoleamine with described receptor and antioxidant activity. Skin itself expresses melatonin-pathway enzymes, which is why it appears in cutaneous research.

3 targets · 2 pathways

C9H15N5O · 209.25 g/mol

Minoxidil is a potassium-channel opener used as a regulated topical medicine for pattern hair loss. It is included for hair-follicle biology context, not as a cosmetic ingredient.

3 targets · 2 pathways

C8H10N4O2 · 194.19 g/mol

Caffeine is a methylxanthine and phosphodiesterase inhibitor studied in hair-follicle organ culture and in microcirculation-related cosmetic research.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C10H13N5O4 · 267.24 g/mol

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside and endogenous receptor agonist studied for dermal papilla signalling and wrinkle-related endpoints.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C10H16N2O3S · 244.31 g/mol

Biotin is a vitamin cofactor for carboxylase enzymes. Deficiency affects hair and nails; supplementation in non-deficient people has limited supporting evidence.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C30H62 · 422.8 g/mol

Squalane is the saturated form of squalene, a lipid naturally present in human sebum. It is studied as an emollient and occlusive rather than a signalling molecule.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C27H46O · 386.7 g/mol

Cholesterol is one of the three lipid classes of the stratum corneum lamellae, alongside ceramides and free fatty acids.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C18H32O2 · 280.4 g/mol

Linoleic acid is an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid required for acylceramide formation in the epidermal barrier.

2 targets · 2 pathways

CH4N2O · 60.06 g/mol

Urea is a small natural moisturising factor component that is humectant at low concentrations and keratolytic at high concentrations.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C3H8O3 · 92.09 g/mol

Glycerol is a small polyol humectant that also moves through aquaporin channels, linking it to keratinocyte water handling.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C4H6N4O3 · 158.12 g/mol

Allantoin is a purine metabolite used as a soothing and keratolytic agent. Its cutaneous mechanism is less well characterised than its physical effects.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C22H18O11 · 458.4 g/mol

EGCG is the major green tea catechin, studied for antioxidant and UV-response biology mainly in cell and animal models.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C8H14O2S2 · 206.33 g/mol

Alpha-lipoic acid is a dithiol cofactor of mitochondrial dehydrogenase complexes and an amphipathic redox agent.

2 targets · 2 pathways

C59H90O4 · 863.3 g/mol

Coenzyme Q10 is a lipid-soluble electron carrier of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and a membrane antioxidant.

1 targets · 2 pathways

C26H38O3 · 398.6 g/mol

Hydroxypinacolone retinoate is a retinoic acid ester marketed as a cosmetic retinoid. Public mechanistic data are thinner than for retinol.

1 targets · 1 pathways

(C6H10O5)n

Beta-glucans are polysaccharides recognised by innate immune receptors such as dectin-1, which is why they appear in soothing and barrier research.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C6H10N2O2 · 142.16 g/mol

Ectoin is a bacterial compatible solute studied as a protein- and membrane-stabilising osmolyte in skin models.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C14H24N6O4 · 340.38 g/mol

GHK is a copper-binding tripeptide identified in human plasma, studied for matrix gene expression in fibroblast models.

2 targets · 1 pathways

C5H6NNaO3 · 151.1 g/mol

Sodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, one of the most abundant natural moisturising factors generated from filaggrin.

2 targets · 1 pathways

ZnO · 81.38 g/mol

Zinc oxide is an inorganic UV filter. Its protective mechanism is physical and chemical attenuation of UV photons rather than a biological pathway.

1 targets · 1 pathways

C6H6O2 · 110.11 g/mol

Hydroquinone is a phenolic tyrosinase substrate analogue. It is restricted or prescription-only in many jurisdictions and is included for mechanistic context.

2 targets · 1 pathways