Inside the Lab: A Real Look at Our Moisturizer Development Process

Inside the Lab: A Real Look at Our Moisturizer Development Process

Behind the Scenes of Our First Moisturizer

If you’ve been following us on Instagram, you’ve probably caught glimpses of our upcoming skincare products — a few ingredients here, a blurred-out jar there. While we’re keeping the full reveal under wraps for now, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at one of them.

We’re developing a hydrating cream specifically designed to strengthen your skin barrier and calm irritation. Its key ingredients include Panthenol, Ceramide, Madecassoside, and Chaga Mushroom Extract. (We even wrote a full article on why Chaga Mushroom is the ultimate skin superfood — check it out here.)

As two former management consultants who routinely worked past midnight, we know the toll chronic stress takes. Stress is one of the biggest causes of breakouts, especially when combined with an unbalanced diet and inapt cleansing habits. When our skin was at its most sensitive, strong active ingredients like Niacinamide, Retinol or Vitamin C would trigger flare-ups.

That’s what inspired us to create our first product: An everyday moisturizer that you can apply without second-guessing. Something extremely gentle, deeply soothing, and barrier-repairing — for modern women like us, whose skin has taken a hit from overwork and overwhelm.

Step 1: Define Your Formula’s Function and Identity

Before anything, we asked ourselves what moisturizer we’d want to use everyday. We knew it had to be:

  • Dermatologist-tested: Safe for sensitive, reactive skin
  • No excess actives: Effective but non-irritating for daily use
  • Barrier-boosting: Ingredients that help repair, not strip
  • Lightweight & breathable: Designed for everyday comfort

We worked with one of the most established cosmetics manufacturers in Korea to match these goals with the right ingredients. After researching efficacy and safety, we finalized the following core lineup:

  • Panthenol (Vitamin B5): Hydrating, soothing, and repairing
  • Ceramide: Deep hydration and barrier repair
  • Squalane: Antioxidant-rich and skin-restoring
  • Chaga Mushroom Extract: Packed with Beta-Glucan to calm and protect
  • Madecassoside (from Centella Asiatica): Calms inflammation and reduces redness
  • …and more
skincare product samples, white background

Our cream product samples, April, 2025

Step 2: Test, Tweak, Repeat

Once the ingredients were chosen, it was time to bring the formula to life. We tested and reformulated for months — adjusting for texture, stability, absorption, and more.What we aimed for:

  • Fragrance-free: No allergens or artificial scents
  • Clean, natural tint: An ivory hue derived from the ingredients
  • Viscosity: Not too thick, not too runny — just right
  • Finishing texture: Glides on easily, leaves no greasy residue
  • Lasting hydration: Even after a long day, your skin still feels nourished

These might sound like obvious qualities of a “good moisturizer,” but achieving this balance took more than five months of rigorous testing. Every tiny detail — from how it feels on your fingertips to how it looks applied — mattered.

Step 3: Design Matters More Than You Think

Investigating a million skincare products out there in the market, we often noticed that good ones could go unnoticed because of the design.

Our belief is that a product’s design should be both beautiful and informative.

Here’s the checklist we used:

  • Can you identify our brand clearly and confidently?
  • Are the key ingredients and their percentages easy to find?
  • Is the ingredient list easy to read?
  • Is there clear guidance on when and how to use it?
  • Have we avoided clutter that compromises readability?

Design isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about trust and communication.

Step 4: From Lab to Line 

We’ve finalized our formula and packaging, and it’s now queued for manufacturing. This is the part where the product you’ve seen in slides and samples becomes real.

Our biggest challenge right now?

Coordinating production schedules and maintaining strict quality control. With sensitive-skin products, consistency matters.Every moisturizer must be of the highest quality — in performance, texture, and feel. That’s a promise we won’t compromise.

What we’ve just shared is the clean version — the production playbook. But behind each step were setbacks, flops, and last-minute pivots. There were formulations that looked great but didn’t hold up the hydration, and versions that felt amazing but irritated our skin. It wasn’t easy, and it still isn’t.

But through it all, we’ve found joy in the process. We’re building something we genuinely want to use and share. This journey is full of uncertainty — but we’re learning, growing, and having fun along the way. And that, to us, is the beauty of creating something real.

This is Part 1 of our product development series.

From lab trials to launch day, we’ll be sharing everything.

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