Finding an effective active ingredient is one thing. Finding the optimal way to make it available to skin, all whilst regarding the needs of specific skin conditions and adhering to our approach to healthy, radiant skin is another. Eucerin will go to great lengths in their laboratories to ensure both. Because even if a cream may sometimes do its work over night, it takes a bit longer to develop it.

What is essential for Eucerin´s search and development process?

Every Eucerin product

is medically relevant: developed out of a dermatological background.
is developed with the utmost dedication to key actives with a dermatologically relevant efficacy profile and only a limited number of ingredients.
is proven for efficacy and safety in clinical and dermatological studies.
is pleasant to use.

Woman´s face gets tested by scientist — Eucerin's dedication to your skin's needs is essential.

Designing the ideal product

Based on a 100-year expert knowledge Eucerin became one of the most recommended skin care brands by dermatologists and pharmacists worldwide.

Eucerin skin research experts make no compromises in researching, developing and testing the products. That includes the abandonment of animal tests. This has been the brand´s policy since long before the directives regulating animal testing in cosmetics went into effect in the European Union in 2004.

Read more about the abandonment of animal tests in Eucerin products are safe and efficient - Providing those high standards.

Female scientist in laboratory — Researching, developing and testing are the pillars of Eucerin´s work for your skin.

The dedicated process of the product development

Finding the most effective active ingredient is always a breakthrough, but never the end of the story.
From here on, another essential step remains to be done: to make available these active ingredients to the skin cells in sufficient, dermatologically relevant quantity, so that they can do their work. “Building” an ideal formula around the key ingredient is just as demanding as finding the latter, and involves extensive processes and technologies. To dissolve the “key active” as it is called in a suitable emulsion phase is the next step. The emulsion phase will be either aqueous (based on water) or oily (mainly composed of oil). Different oil/water or water/oil phases are tried and tested for stabilisation and transporting the active ingredients, depending on the intended use: Is the new formula intended for dry skin? For face or body? Should it be a serum or rather a cream? Finding the right viscosity and delivering the best sensory experience for the consumer are also a must, all whilst maintaining the medical and dermatological relevance and the benefits for the skin.
To guarantee the stability of a formula, Eucerin is constantly and interminably testing it. Only thoroughly and correctly tested products will find their way on the market.

Testing for photostability, i.e. stability against sun or daylight.
Testing for temperature stability This is also a relevant criterion. The samples are exposed to different temperatures for a certain time.
Testing microbiological stability is next in line, which will ensure that the skin care products will show no mircobiological contamination.
Finally having passed this row of extensive tests, the formula’s way from test petri dishes or containers into an actual pot of cream is the next step: its successful reproduction for the manufacturing process must be ensured. The product must possess identical characteristics to the lab sample: viscosity, pH, application, feel, color, consistency – all need to be absolutely the same. Testing this is achieved through a process called “scale-up”, a step, which is essential in the product development chain.

Scientist holding test glass — Finding the right ingredient is the first step.

Mixing formulas — Eucerin „builds“ the right formula around the key ingredient.

Photostability test — The photostability tests show the formula's texture stability after being exposed to daylight.

Microscopic stability testing after storage at different temperatures.

Male scientist holding Eucerin cream pot — Formulas will be checked thoroughly after being produced.

Good to know: The specified stable period after opening (PAO, expressed in months) is found on the back of your Eucerin product.

In our entire development process, Eucerin scientists will make sure that only a limited number of ingredients are used, and that the concentration of the key active around which the cream was built will still be as high and dermatologically relevant as possible.

Rainer Wolber, PhD, Head of Research & Development Eucerin

Our Research

Understanding skin: We want to keep your skin healthy and radiant – Learn about this dedication and passion. Learn more
Finding solutions: We search for the optimal and best – because your skin is worth it. Learn more
Development of a product: Find out about the formula´s way into a product.
Safety and efficacy: How can Eucerin guarantee a safe and tolerable product? Learn more