How to Choose Aging Care

How to choose aging care. Read the ingredient label, and you can tell what actually works.

Takeshi Matsushita

May 2025

The packaging says "contains fullerene" or "contains human stem cell extract." So you bought it. And nothing changed.

I will explain exactly why today.

The basic rules of full ingredient disclosure

In Japan, cosmetics are required by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act to disclose all ingredients. However, there is no obligation to disclose the amount (what percentage) of each ingredient.

Full ingredient labels follow one rule: ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration. However, for ingredients at 1% or below, any order is permitted.

This matters. Ingredients in the latter part of the list — especially near the end — are likely at 1% or below. No matter how excellent an ingredient is, at 1% or less, expecting a noticeable effect is often unrealistic.

First, identify the base ingredients

The beginning of any ingredient list contains the base — ingredients that form the vehicle of the product, not the actives.

Common base ingredients: Water (purified water), Glycerin (humectant), BG / Butylene Glycol (humectant), Ethanol (alcohol), Squalane (emollient), Cyclopentasiloxane (silicone).

These appearing first is expected — they make up the majority of any product. The question is where the active ingredients appear afterward, and how much of them is present.

Effective concentrations of key aging care ingredients

A practical guide to the main aging care ingredients and the approximate effective concentrations confirmed in research.

Fullerene (C60) — antioxidant. Antioxidant activity exists even at 0.1%, but it has concentration dependence — higher is more effective. We achieve 10%, but most products on the market are below 0.1%. If it appears near the end of the list, it is a trace inclusion.

Niacinamide — brightening, barrier function strengthening. Research-confirmed effective concentration is 2–5% or above. Look for it appearing relatively early in the list, clearly written as "Niacinamide."

Retinol (Vitamin A) — anti-wrinkle. Effects confirmed from 0.025–0.1%. It can show results at relatively low concentrations, but appearing too far back still suggests a trace amount.

Vitamin C derivatives (Ascorbyl Glucoside, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, etc.) — antioxidant, brightening, collagen synthesis promotion. Effective concentration is 3–20%. Both the type of stable derivative and the concentration matter.

Ceramides (Ceramide EOP, NP, AP, EOS, NG, etc.) — barrier function repair. A combination of multiple types is important; a single type alone is insufficient. Check whether multiple ceramide types are listed.

Peptides (Palmitoyl Pentapeptide, Acetyl Hexapeptide, etc.) — collagen synthesis promotion, relaxation suppression. Generally active at lower concentrations, but appearing at the very end of the list still suggests a trace amount.

The trap of "additive-free" and "natural-derived"

"Paraben-free," "preservative-free" — many people feel reassured by these claims. But avoiding preservatives means either increasing other ingredients (alcohol or other antimicrobials) or sacrificing product stability.

"100% naturally derived" follows the same logic. Whether something is natural or synthetic and whether it has an effect on skin are different questions. The standard for judging effectiveness is not natural vs. synthetic — it is whether there is scientific evidence for the ingredient.

We do not think preservatives are unnecessary. Using necessary ingredients in the necessary amount to protect product safety and quality — that is the stance of honest formulation.

The relationship between price and formulation cost

Why are there so few products with active ingredients at sufficient concentrations? The answer is simple: it costs more.

The cost of stably formulating 10% fullerene is incomparable to including 0.01%. Putting in 5% niacinamide costs more in raw materials than 1%. If the product price is the same, diluting actives and spending on marketing sells better.

This is why we keep advertising spend at zero. Resources not spent on advertising go into ingredients. The result is 10% fullerene.

A practical checklist for choosing

1. Confirm where the featured ingredient appears in the full ingredient list. Near the back likely means a trace amount.

2. Check whether active ingredients follow after the base ingredients. Products with pages of base ingredients and only a tiny addition of actives at the end are common.

3. Trust the ingredient list over the packaging claims. The ingredient list is legally mandated disclosure; marketing claims face looser regulation.

4. Check whether the brand discloses what percentage they use. A brand that publishes concentration figures is confident in what they have formulated.

Which ingredients to prioritize depends on your skin

We have explained what concentrations are effective — but there is one more important point. Even the best ingredients are unlikely to be effective if they do not match your aging pattern.

Skin with strong oxidative damage should prioritize antioxidant ingredients first. Skin with a compromised barrier needs ceramides and barrier repair ingredients first. Skin with advancing glycation needs both topical care and dietary review.

Once you know how to read ingredients, the next step is knowing what your skin specifically needs. That is what CHROSNOF is for — analyzing your aging pattern from lifestyle data and showing which direction of care to prioritize.

The knowledge to choose ingredients correctly, combined with knowing what you specifically need. Both together are what make aging care actually work.