C like Criste Marine

Criste Marine (Crithmum maritimum), also known as Sea Fennel. Often referred to as the “plant-based retinol”, Criste marine is particularly active in stimulating skin cell renewal, refining skin texture, and minimizing pores, delivering the efficacy of retinol without its usual drawbacks such as irritation.

Where is it found?
It grows naturally along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. In cosmetics, it is most often obtained through a supercritical CO₂ extraction process*.

*The supercritical CO₂ extraction process ensures both purity and optimal concentration of active compounds.

What are its cosmetic benefits?

• Retinoid-like & smoothing: acts on the same targets as retinol, boosting cell turnover and softening fine lines.

• Resurfacing & pore-minimizing: accelerates natural exfoliation to refine skin texture and visibly reduce pore size.

• High tolerance: unlike retinol, it causes no irritation and even delivers a soothing effect by reducing pro-inflammatory factors.

Does it have other known uses?
Yes — it is commonly eaten as pickles, valued for its slightly salty taste with hints of celery, fennel, and lime peel.

References

[1] Laboratory studies (in vitro) and real-life tests on volunteers (in vivo) carried out on Samphira Oil Bioactive extract (0.25%), compared with stabilized retinol (0.05%) and retinoic acid (0.05%).

[2] Clinical test on 30 volunteers: after 42 days of use (twice daily), visible improvements were observed on wrinkles, pore size, and overall skin tone homogeneity.