Since the dawn of time, there has been a connection between beauty and the night, as the night occupies an important place in beauty. The legends and myths that link the two are numerous and reveal many cosmetic practices and inspire the universes of modern cosmetic brands.
Selene, for example, the Greek goddess of the moon, was associated with beauty, healing and serenity and, according to legend, she took full moon baths. Sothys, the Egyptian goddess of beauty, is a star that became a goddess and is destined to protect women and their beauty. In addition, in the Japanese Edo period, there were many nocturnal rituals and practices, such as ancient mixtures with massicot or rice water that women applied to their faces overnight. For two and a half centuries, a unique aesthetic and refined sense of beauty prevailed.
And finally, Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, was called "Belle Reine" and practised many nightly beauty rituals such as sleeping with gloves coated with wax, rose water and sweet almond oil.
Over the centuries, routines have evolved and changed with the demands of the times.
Nowadays, the night cosmetics market is booming. The number of newly launched "night" or "sleep" products has increased by more than 17% in the last 3 years.
All over the world, there are many nightly routines, with about 5 to 10 steps, even more in China or Japan. Facial care, as the most important category of this routine, consists mainly of two steps: cleansing and care before going to bed.
Every year, we spend an average of 118 days sleeping. Sleep is an important time to refresh and regenerate the body and especially the skin. This is a valuable and ideal time to pamper the skin with effective cosmetics. In addition, nighttime beauty routines help you relax and go to sleep peacefully thanks to a holistic approach and emotional benefits.
The efficacy-oriented side of night beauty
The concept of beauty sleep is quite old and aims to use sleep time to regenerate the skin. Our body has a 24-hour rhythm from morning to night, and the night is particularly suitable for regenerating the skin. Several key moments in the cycles of skin functions take place at night:
- The skin's microcirculation is at its highest between 11pm and 4am.
- Cellular regeneration increases dramatically after 10pm (300% more mitosis at 1am than 1pm).
- The number of inflammatory receptors is much higher between 7pm and 11pm.
- Transepidermal water loss is highest at midnight.
After all, unlike the barrier function, the skin is more permeable during the day. The penetration of certain substances can indeed be more efficient. This hypothesis was experimentally confirmed by Etienne Soudant in 1990.
Therefore, many cosmetic products applied in the evening take advantage of this time and focus on improving the skin's appearance. These products are mainly enriched with powerful anti-ageing, moisturising and brightening active ingredients and use effect-oriented claims such as "Advanced", "Smart", "Skin-transforming", "time-filler", intensive care such as "skin-transforming pillow care", but also light medical beauty products with claims such as "time-filler night", "rest & restore technology".
This trend is not only evident in the ingredients, but also in the choice of textures, packaging and the way the products are applied. This focus on efficiency is reflected in products such as "enhanced emulsion" or "long-lasting application", but also in "pipette packs", which represent the laboratory sector. With the same codes, night cosmetic products are now extended beyond skin care to other categories: lip care, hand care or hair care.
SEPPIC offers a range of specific nighttime ingredients that combine science and spirituality with inspirational nighttime stories that highlight their effectiveness.
QUINOA
This plant has its origins in the night. According to legend, the Aymaras, an indigenous American people, could talk to the stars. One day, a star let itself be enchanted by an Aymara boy and came down to earth. They spent a long time together and the star fed the boy a tasty and nutritious golden grain: quinoa.
ADIPOLESS ECO™ (1,3-Propanediol-Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract) is an extract of quinoa that provides a fresh look by reducing the concentration of red blood cells (tested in-vivo by D28 vs. placebo) responsible for the colour of dark circles. Thanks to its anti-angiogenic innovation (tested in vitro), this ingredient strengthens the capillary walls and controls the formation of the capillary network. In addition, ADIPOLESS ECO™ preserves the elasticity of the skin, which is less fine and transparent to faded dark circles, by protecting 79% of the elastic fibres (in-vitro tested vs. control).
CENTELLA ASIATICA
Centella asiatica is a popular plant in Asia and Africa, rooted in traditional medicine for both the body and the mind. Its legend is set in Laos, where a young farmer fell in love with the daughter of his village chief. When he proposed marriage, the girl's father flew into a rage, took his sword and cut off his ear. The chief, who knew the boy's reputation as a healer, asked him to heal his ear in one night if he wanted to marry his daughter, whereupon the young man spent the whole night applying Centella Asiatica to his ear and presented himself to the village chief the next morning without a scratch. The wedding took place and the legend of Centella Asiatica began to spread.
TALADVANCE™ (Glycerin-Aqua/Water - Centella asiatica Leaf Extract) is an extract from the leaf of the Centella asiatica. After 28 days, nightly application at 2% (tested in-vivo) improves skin suppleness. In addition, in-vitro tests have shown that this active ingredient has a restorative effect on desynchronised fibroblasts at a dosage of 0.2 % overnight. Thus, TALADVANCE™ restores chronobiology and supports the maintenance of the skin's circadian rhythm for a healthy early morning appearance.
WATER LILY
An Indian legend says that after a fierce battle between the Shepherd Star and the North Star for dominion over the realm of night, drops of sweat fell into the lakes and turned into the water lily. The name water lily comes from the Egyptian word "nanoufar", which means beautiful. This flower spreads its beautiful corollas in the calm waters of the marshes, opening at sunrise and closing at night. Its white colour, a symbol of tranquillity, purity and serenity, can also be seen as a nocturnal glow of light that inspired Claude Monet for a long time. Traditionally, water lily flowers are used to calm and help you fall asleep.
SEPICALM™ VG WP (Sodium Palmitoyl proline - Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract) is an extract of the water lily. An in vivo protocol with SEPICALM™ VG WP at a dosage of 3% shows lightning efficacy on normal skin and reduction of pigmentation spots after 2 months of treatment. Furthermore, this effect was tested in vitro and showed the reduction of 49% melanin on pigmented epidermis after 7 days of treatment. This ingredient reduces the sensations of discomfort (tested in-vivo) and reduces the production of inflammatory mediators (tested in-vitro), it soothes in the evening for a fresh complexion in the morning.
BRETON SEAWEED
Codium tomentosum is an alga known for its soft, velvety coat, also known as "velvet horn", which is harvested in winter when the nights are longer. This alga has the ability to adapt to particularly dry environments with extreme fluctuations in salinity and temperature. Its velvety feel, which resembles plant fur, soothes and comforts the skin and protects it like a warm coat in winter.
CODIAVELANE™ BG PF (Butylene Glycol (vegetable) - Aqua/Water Codium Tomentosum Extract) is an extract of the alga Codium tomentosum that gives the skin a unique velvety texture and rapid and deep hydration (tested in-vivo). The neosynthesis of lipids (tested in-vitro compared to placebo) enables the reinforcement of the cohesion of the stratum corneum and retains water in the skin.
IMPORTANT MINERALS
Lithotherapy is one of the holistic energy therapies known to promote balance in the body. Minerals and crystals are used to balance certain imbalances, such as magnesium, which helps to find sleep thanks to its natural anti-stress properties, but also zinc, which helps to maintain skin quality (antioxidant).
SEPITONIC™ M3.0 (Magnesium Aspartate - Zinc Gluconate - Copper Gluconate) is a multi-mineral cocktail with chrono-energetic properties. At 1%, SEPITONIC™ M3.0 increases skin oxygenation by 14% (tested in-vivo compared to placebo) and smooths skin texture and wrinkles after 28 days compared to placebo. It also brings vitality thanks to its chronoenergetic action, promotion of communication between keratinocytes, anti-radical property and protection against indoor pollution (tested in vitro).
GREAT BURDOCK
Traditionally, great burdock has been used for more than 3,000 years to improve general health and is known for its use as an external remedy to treat skin diseases. According to certain folk customs, it was enough to decorate the home with a burdock root every evening to achieve a deep and restful sleep. This plant has so-called "velvet leaves" because it has long been used for its soothing and protective properties.
EQUIBIOME™ (Propylene Glycol - Aqua/Water - Arctium lappa Root Extract) is an extract from the great burdock. At a concentration of 1%, it provides protective, soothing effects for skin comfort (tested in-vivo after 14 days compared to placebo) and improves skin water content by increasing epidermal moisture by 58% after 7 days compared to placebo. EQUIBIOME™ balances the diversity of the skin microbiota for better skin barrier function (In vitro test on specific reconstructed epidermis.
The evening beauty routine
SEPPIC offers a night routine made up of ingredients and textures that combine efficiency and emotion. This creates a meditative experience that helps calm a busy mind and restore a sense of control. Pleasure and enjoyment are key elements.
First step: EU07495 I Evening Minimalist Makeup Remover
This convenient foam make-up remover is the first step in cleansing the face while respecting the skin's flora.
PROTEOL™ APL EF Forms a rich and dense foam that gently cleanses the skin. Inspired by apples, the anionic surfactant is gentle on skin and the environment, attracting impurities of the day like make-up.
FLUIDIPURE™ 8G participates in the preservation of the formula and EQUIBIOME™ balances reactive skin for perfect microbiome harmony.
Second step: EU07241A - Bye-Bye Shadow!
A minimalist formula with high efficacy. Good penetration without a sticky effect to a visible anti-dark circles action for a healthy looking eye contour.
SEPINOV™ EMT 10 forms a stable gel that leaves the skin feeling silky and fresh. ADIPOLESS™ ECO provides recovery under the eyes and reduces visible dark circles.
Third step: AS40042 - Sleeping bag Rose
This cream-gel mask refreshes your skin while making it feel very light and smooth. You will feel a pleasant sensation when using this product.
The combination of SIMULGEL™ INS 100, SEPIPLUS™ 400 and SOLAGUM™ AX thickens and stabilises the cream-gel texture. It gives a fresh and elegant skin feeling. AQUAXYL™ moisturises and restructures the skin by harmonising its water balance, SEPICALM™ VG WP achieves a unique brightening and soothing effect and OLIGOGELINE™ PF is a film-forming and sensory active ingredient. It protects, remineralises and moisturises the skin.
Fourth step: AS40142 Chronobio sleep mask
A moment of ritual at home for a perfect complexion that combines wellness and efficiency.
A combination of functional ingredients (SEPINOV™ EMT 10, SEPIMAX ZEN™, FLUIDIFEEL™ EASY, FLUIDANOV™ 20X, EMOGREEN™ L19, LANOL 2681) creates a fluid, slippery and light texture adapted to the packaging of the roll-on tube, ideal for a massage ritual at home. Active ingredients with scientifically proven efficacy for skin radiance (TALADVANCE™) and protection against pollution (SEPITONIC™ M3.0) complete the performance of this mask.
Fifth step: EU07436 Anhydrous sugar peeling
Body scrub for use in the shower or bath on wet skin. A real moment of relaxation to relieve all the stress of the day.
SEPINOV™ EMT 10 is a high performance polymer for emulsifying large amounts of glycerine at low dosage. This gives a viscosity of anhydrous gel.
SEPIMAX ZEN™ helps to strengthen stability that is challenged by stressful agents.
MONTANOV™ 82 is an emulsifier compatible with a high dosage of active ingredients. It has good water flushing properties.
EMOGREEN ™ (L15 & L19) are a new generation of non-polar oils of plant origin.
SEPICALM™ VG WP has a calming effect, while CODIAVELANE™ BG PF provides a moisturising effect.
This trend continues, even across other categories like hair care. That's why the next formula for hair care was chosen to create an extension of the skin care routine.
Last step: EU07581 Scalp serum Nightcap
Look good all the way to the ends of your hair thanks to this "pillow-proof" fluid. An intensive night serum that works overnight to cleanse the scalp. Shampoo in the morning to unleash its power!
The combination of functional ingredients enables SOLAGUM™ TARA, FLUIDIFEEL™ EASY and SIMULQUAT™ HC 305 to create and stabilise low viscosity without a heating process. EMOGREEN™ L15 is THE biodegradable alternative to silicone oils.
This routine helps to nourish the skin efficiently and to get a peaceful night's sleep.