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Chromocare™
What Is Chromocare in Skincare?
Chromocare is a botanical cosmetic active from Sederma, part of Croda Beauty, made from two plant extracts: Sigesbeckia orientalis and Rabdosia rubescens. It is used in serums and creams for a more even-looking skin tone and a brighter, more luminous complexion, and the supplier positions it as working against oxidative stress.
EWG Skin Deep rating for Sigesbeckia EWG Skin Deep rating for Rabdosia
According to the supplier's marketing, Chromocare is designed to act on the skin's three visible "chromophores", the components that give skin its color: melanin (brown tones), hemoglobin (red tones), and collagen (the clarity and light reflection of the skin).
Quick Facts
| INCI | Butylene Glycol, Aqua, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Rabdosia Rubescens Extract |
|---|---|
| Trade name and supplier | Chromocare, Sederma (Croda Beauty) |
| Source | Sigesbeckia orientalis (St. Paul's wort, a daisy-family plant) and Rabdosia rubescens (a mint-family herb used in traditional Chinese practice) |
| Form | Liquid extract in butylene glycol and water |
| Solubility | Water soluble; add to the water phase or cool-down phase |
| Typical usage rate | Not verified. The supplier's product overview sheet is not publicly available, so follow the rate on the technical data sheet that comes with your material |
| Skin types | Normal, dry, combination, and mature skin with an uneven-looking tone |
How Chromocare Works on the Skin
Three sources of uneven color
Uneven-looking skin rarely comes from one thing. Brown spots come from clusters of melanin, often after years of sun exposure. A red or blotchy look comes from hemoglobin in small surface blood vessels. And as collagen thins with age, skin reflects less light and looks dull. Chromocare's concept is to address all three at once rather than only melanin, which is the focus of most brightening ingredients.
Antioxidant protection
UV light creates oxidative stress in the skin, which is one of the triggers for extra melanin and for collagen breakdown. Croda describes Chromocare as evening and rejuvenating the complexion by fighting oxidative stress.
What the research measured
No independent, published study on Chromocare itself was found, and the supplier's own test data are behind a login. Research on its plant family is limited and mostly in the lab. In a 2017 study in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (Kim and colleagues), a standardized extract of a related species, Siegesbeckia glabrescens, was given orally to hairless mice exposed to UVB and reduced measured wrinkle formation, and its main compound, kirenol, increased collagen gene activity in human skin cells in the lab. That was a different species, taken by mouth, in animals, so it does not show what Chromocare does on human skin.
Because of that gap, think of Chromocare as a promising supplier-backed botanical and pair it with brightening ingredients that have more published human data, such as vitamin C, niacinamide, and alpha arbutin.
How to Use Chromocare in Formulas
- Follow the data sheet. Use the supplier's recommended rate for your lot. Do not guess a percentage.
- Add it cool. Stir it into the water phase or the cool-down phase below 40°C (104°F) to protect the plant compounds.
- Best formats. Lightweight serums, gels, and lotions spread it evenly over the face, neck, and backs of the hands.
- Pairings. Combine it with vitamin C, niacinamide, licorice, or alpha arbutin for a multi-route approach to an even look, and use sunscreen every day, since UV exposure is the main driver of new spots.
- Preserve. Use a broad-spectrum preservative in any water-based formula.
Who Chromocare Suits
Chromocare suits skin with an uneven-looking tone, brown spots from sun exposure, a dull complexion, or a blotchy red look, and it is aimed especially at mature skin. Because Sigesbeckia is in the daisy family, people allergic to daisy-family plants such as ragweed or chamomile should be cautious. If you have sensitive skin, patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours first and start at the lowest rate on the supplier's data sheet, then work up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chromocare?
Chromocare is a Sederma botanical active made from Sigesbeckia orientalis and Rabdosia rubescens extracts. It is used in serums and creams for a more even-looking, more luminous skin tone. It is a formulation ingredient, not a finished product.
What does Chromocare do for skin?
It is designed to even out the look of brown spots, redness, and dullness by acting on melanin, hemoglobin, and collagen, the three components that shape skin color. The supplier also describes antioxidant activity. Independent published studies on the blend were not found.
Is Chromocare natural?
Its actives are plant extracts, supplied in butylene glycol and water. Whether a product counts as natural depends on the standard used, so check the supplier's certification documents if that matters to you.
How does Chromocare compare with alpha arbutin?
Alpha arbutin targets melanin production, while Chromocare is positioned to address melanin, redness, and dullness together. Older claims comparing the two directly could not be traced to an accessible study, so they have been removed from this page. Many formulas use both.
How long does it take to see a more even skin tone?
Skin renews its surface over several weeks, so any tone-evening ingredient needs consistent daily use for at least a couple of months. Daily sunscreen is essential, or new spots will keep forming.
Is Chromocare safe for sensitive skin?
Botanical extracts are generally well tolerated, but anyone allergic to daisy-family plants should be careful. Patch test first and start at the lowest recommended rate.
Shop and Learn More
Skin Perfection does not currently sell Chromocare. For tone-evening ingredients in finished products, the Uplift Eye Cream lists alpha arbutin and licorice, and the Watermelon Brightening Tonic lists licorice and reishi. Read our alpha arbutin glossary entry and the guide 8 Natural Ingredients for the Look of Dark Spots.
Sources
- Croda Beauty, Chromocare technical library page (supplier data: "evens and rejuvenates skin complexion by fighting against oxidative stress"). Supplier page
- Sederma, Cosmetic Solutions for Perfect Selfies, GCI Magazine (sponsored supplier content: three chromophores concept). GCI Magazine
- Kim J, Kim MB, Yun JG, Hwang JK. Protective Effects of Standardized Siegesbeckia glabrescens Extract and Its Active Compound Kirenol against UVB-Induced Photoaging through Inhibition of MAPK/NF-κB Pathways. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2017;27(2):242-250. doi:10.4014/jmb.1610.10050. DOI
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.