I’ve been noticing a lot of hyperpigmentation on my skin lately: a combination of new acne scars from a recent weeks-long breakout, and some persistent scarring, like around my smile lines and chin. I’ve also wanted to try a new solution for lightening my spots since, while I love my Vitamin C, I sometimes need a gentler option that is equally if not more effective. Cut to: Mother Science Molecular Hero Serum.
I’d been thinking about trying Mother Science Hero Serum since it launched this Spring for two key reasons:
1: I’m passionate about lightening hyperpigmentation with products that are gentle, sustainable, and good for the skin barrier.
2: I’ve been a fan of the band Incubus for years, so my ears perked when I learned founding guitarist Mike Einziger and his wife Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger had developed such an innovative brightening serum.
The star of the Molecular Hero Serum is Malassezin, a molecular compound produced by a yeast called Malassezia furfur. Malassezia furfur is common on skin, and while this flora can lead to common conditions like dandruff patchiness on the skin, the Malassezin it produces regulates melanin production, and has been shown in clinical trials to reduce hyperpigmentation. Long story short, it seems we’ve been carrying the secret to brighter skin in our microbiome all along.
Mother Science utilizes biotechnology to synthesize and sustainably scale a highly pure form of Malassezin to power their groundbreaking serum. The result is a topical that brightens and evens skin tone, reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation, helps prevent future dark spots, improves skin’s moisture barrier, and improves the look of fine lines and wrinkles. If you’re thinking “this sounds like what you get when you use Vitamin C” you’re not wrong. However, Malassezin is a 10x more powerful antioxidant than Vitamin C, it remains stable longer, and it’s non-sensitizing. It can even be used in tandem with other actives.
Mother Science is really breaking the mold. After 6 years of research and development, they are the first to activate Malassezin in skincare, and they’ve patented it globally. In partnership with a team of scientists and dermatologists – including globally recognized expert and hyperpigmentation specialist Dr. Pearl Grimes – they seem to have created a truly gentle and effective option for reducing and preventing hyperpigmentation and improving skin tone. If you’re like me and you get a little skeptical with new ingredients, check out the papers from their clinical studies in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
I’m on week one of my first bottle of Mother Science, and so far I’m really enjoying it. The serum itself isn’t sticky – though it can make my ferment serums a bit tacky when applied immediately after – and it’s gentle on my skin. It’s only been a few days but I actually think I’m seeing some lightening already. I’ll be reporting the results here and on my TikTok over the next few weeks.