Our standards
The unglamorous part,
written down.
A molecule on a carton is easy to print. What makes a formula worth trusting is everything that happens before the box is filled — where it is developed, who assessed it, what was measured, and what the brand is willing to put in writing.
01
Formulated at the source
The materials at the heart of this line — PDRN, copper peptides, biomimetic signal peptides — were refined for cosmetic use in the East long before they reached Western shelves. We develop where that expertise lives, with laboratories that have worked with these actives for decades rather than seasons.
02
Assessed, then released
Finished formulas undergo dermatological assessment under supervision, plus stability and challenge testing across the full 12-month period after opening. A batch that does not pass is destroyed rather than released.
03
Cruelty-free, without asterisks
No animal testing at any stage: not by us, not by our manufacturer, not by a third party on our behalf — and we do not sell into markets that would require it. The rabbit on the carton reflects that.
04
Full disclosure on pack
The complete INCI list is printed on every carton, in full, in order, where you can read it without a phone. If you would like a certificate of analysis for a specific batch, write to us and we will send it.
05
Built for real climates
Textures are adjusted for the conditions they will actually meet: Highveld dryness, coastal humidity, high UV year-round. Barrier lipids and humectants are balanced so that a cream which behaves in a humid Durban summer still behaves in Johannesburg in August.
06
Tested across phototypes
Our assessment panels include Fitzpatrick types I to VI. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation behaves differently on deeper skin, so a formula needs to be trialled across the range of skin that will actually use it.
From brief to counter
How a LilyDee formula happens
Roughly eighteen months from the first brief to the first carton. Most of it is spent saying no.
Evidence review
An active only reaches a shortlist if there is published, peer-reviewed work on the material itself — rather than on something merely related to it.
Formulation
Built at levels consistent with that research, then stress-tested for pH, stability and compatibility. Copper peptides in particular are unforgiving neighbours.
Assessment
Dermatological evaluation, patch testing, challenge testing and a full 12-month stability programme, in parallel.
Disclosure
The carton is written last, from the finished specification. The claim follows the formula — never the other way round.
What we owe you
The standard we hold ourselves to
Skincare asks for trust before it can offer proof. You buy the jar first and find out months later whether it was worth it. That imbalance is why we would rather over-explain than under-explain.
Our answer is disclosure. Name every active. Explain what it does and where the evidence comes from. Print the full list where you can read it without a phone. Then let the formula earn its place on your shelf.
At a glance
| Manufacture | ISO 22716 cosmetic GMP facility |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Dermatological evaluation on every finished formula |
| Animal testing | None, at any stage, in any market |
| Period after opening | 12 months, printed on every pack |
| Excluded | Parabens · sulfates · mineral oil · synthetic colourant |
| Disclosure | Full INCI on carton; certificate of analysis on request |
| Distribution | South Africa — pharmacy, clinic and independent retail |
Questions we welcome
Ask us anything about a formula
Percentages, sourcing, batch documentation, suitability during pregnancy — if you want to know, we would rather you asked than guessed.
Get in touch