Relax rides active

Relax rides active at a glance

Relax rides active, also known as Relax'rides, is a natural expression line active from France. Its INCI is Alcohol, Water, Acmella Oleracea Extract. It is a clear liquid with a white to light beige color, water-soluble and used at 2 to 5% of the finished product. A small sediment can form at the bottom of the pack, which is normal for a plant extract; shake before use. The name plays on the French word rides, which means wrinkles: relaxed wrinkles.

Acmella oleracea

Acmella oleracea is a small flowering plant from South America, known as paracress, jambu or the toothache plant. Its yellow and red button shaped flowers have a famous tingling, numbing effect when chewed, and the plant is used in Brazilian cooking. This relaxing effect is what makes the extract interesting for skin care. On the face, it is used to help relax the look of lines that come from repeated muscle movement.

Expression lines

Every smile, frown and raised eyebrow folds the skin in the same places. Over years these folds turn into lasting lines: crow's feet at the corners of the eyes, vertical frown lines between the brows, horizontal forehead lines and the nasolabial folds from nose to mouth. These are called expression lines. Products with a relaxing active aim to soften them by helping the skin look more relaxed and smoother.

What the supplier describes

Thanks to its ability to relax the skin, the active has shown results on expression lines: crow's feet, nasolabial folds, forehead lines and frown lines. It suits first wrinkles as well as marked expression lines, around the eyes and around the lips.

How to formulate

Add the extract to the water phase at cool-down, below 40 °C. Shake the pack before weighing. It contains alcohol, so very clear gels may become slightly hazy; check the appearance at the planned dose. Keep the finished product at about pH 5.5 to 6.5. For a complete expression line serum, combine it with the peptide acetyl hexapeptide-8 and with GABA, both known for a relaxing story. More appearance-focused cosmetic actives are listed in the cosmetic actives section.

Dosing

Daily anti-wrinkle creams use 2 to 3%. Targeted expression line serums, eye contour products and line correctors use 4 to 5%.

Product ideas

Anti-wrinkle creams, expression line serums, eye contour creams, lip contour care, anti stress serums, targeted line correctors with a roll-on or brush tip and lifting style ampoules are the main uses.

Sample recipe: expression line serum, 100 g

Distilled water 84.10 g, Relax rides active 5.00 g, glycerin 3.00 g, propanediol 3.00 g, acetyl hexapeptide-8 solution 2.00 g, hydroxyethylcellulose 0.80 g, sodium hyaluronate 0.10 g, preservative 1.00 g, citric acid solution 1.00 g. Disperse the cellulose and hyaluronate in the water, add glycerin and propanediol, cool below 40 °C, add the shaken Relax rides active, the peptide and the preservative, and adjust to about pH 6.

The tingle

Acmella extracts are known for a light tingling feeling on the skin. At 2 to 5% in a finished product it is mild, and many consumers enjoy it as a sign that the product is working. Mention it in the usage text so it does not surprise users, and keep products away from the eyes.

Testing claims

Expression line claims are best supported with skin replicas or 3D imaging of the crow's feet area before and after four weeks, plus self assessment.

Claims

Speak of expression lines that look softer and more relaxed, a smoother eye and forehead area and skin that looks rested.

Storage

Store in a dry, dark place in a tightly closed container. A certificate of analysis comes with every lot.