The Skin We're In: Lessons from the True Skin Alchemy Inner Circle Study

At Ancient + Brave, knowing that our formula was built from seven clinically studied ingredients. Tested as one finished formula is not enough. That’s why we listen before we launch.

Before they go on sale, our rituals must show that they fit seamlessly into the rhythm of real life so that they can be consumed with the regularity required to deliver meaningful results.

That’s where the Inner Circle comes in. Crucial to our product development process, this cohort of female customers helps shape every product we make through a series of citizen-science studies.

In the spring of 2026, we invited 55 women from our Inner Circle to participate in a product-blind at-home user study for our latest launch, True Skin Alchemy.

For 8 weeks, they took True Skin Alchemy daily, feeding back what they noticed, felt and reported. Some of what they told us echoed what we hoped to see. Some of what they said surprised us. But more than anything, this study deepened our understanding of the relationship women have with their skin.

At a glance:

In the spring of 2026, our Inner Circle community participated in a product-blind at-home study of our new True Skin Alchemy ingestible skincare supplement.

For 8 weeks, 55 women took True Skin Alchemy daily

By the end of the study:

+ Skin satisfaction reports increased by 80%

+ Skin firmness reports increased by 88%

+ Skin resilience reports increased by 74%

+ Skin barrier strength reports increased 67%

+ Skin dryness reports decreased by 74%

This study, conducted by real women and reported in their own words, reveals the results you could enjoy when you care for skin from within

What did this study test? Introducing True Skin Alchemy

Before we dive into the results of this study, let’s first familiarise ourselves with the subject - True Skin Alchemy , our intelligent skin ingestible.

Created using the understanding that resilient, hydrated, visibly healthy skin is built from within, not just maintained from the outside, this daily ritual delivers the building blocks the skin needs to build a strong, effective barrier through seven clinically supported ingredients:

Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid: Helps support deep skin hydration, elasticity and moisture retention

Ceramosides™ Plant-derived ceramides: Help restore the skin’s lipid barrier, supporting skin hydration and smoothness

Mesoporosil®  Bioavailable silica: A naturally occurring mineral supporting the structural framework of the skin

Polypodium leucotomos (an ancient fern extract): Provides antioxidant and botanical photoprotection to help defend against UV exposure and pollution

Grape seed extract: Provides antioxidant support, helping defend skin cells against environmental stress

Vitamin C as magnesium ascorbate: Supports normal collagen formation and provides antioxidant protection against oxidative stress*

Biotin Vitamin B7: Supports healthy skin and hair, helping maintain strength and vitality*

Each woman involved in the trial took True Skin Alchemy daily for 8 weeks. Almost all were non-smokers with a low history of sun bed use and no diagnosed medical skin conditions. 89% said their top skin concern was ageing, and just 39% reported mildly sensitive skin.

What surprised us about this cohort was that only 14% considered skin health as both face and body at the beginning of the study. After all, skin is not only a facial concern. It is an organ that wraps and protects the entire body

The second surprise was educational. Even within this highly engaged cohort, only 37% believed the best approach to dry, irritated or sensitive skin involved supporting it both internally and externally. Most still instinctively reached for topical skincare products alone.

And thirdly, despite growing public awareness around menopause, around half of participants did not initially connect hormonal changes with shifts in their skin health. This matters because skin is deeply hormone-responsive.

Headline study results

By the end of the study:

+ Almost 8 in 10 (79%) women reported feeling satisfied with the condition of their skin after 8 weeks of taking True Skin Alchemy, compared with fewer than 1 in 6 (16%) at the start of the study.

+ 3 in 4 participants (76%) felt their skin was strong and resilient by Week 8 — almost four times the proportion at baseline (1 in 5, 20%).

+  At baseline, 2 in 3 women (65%) reported their skin felt dry. By Week 8, fewer than 1 in 5 (17%) did.

+ By Week 8, more than half of participants (55%) agreed their skin felt and looked hydrated, up from around 1 in 5 (22%) at baseline.

These impressive results are all the more compelling when you consider that our study group's baseline perceptions of skin health were relatively high compared to the general population - it is often harder to create noticeable change when people already feel they are doing many things well.

Let’s dive into the results in more detail.

Diving deeper into the results

Overall Skin Health

By the end of the study,

+ 71% reported feeling comfortable in their skin, compared with around 27% at baseline.

+ 79% of participants rated their skin as healthy-looking, compared with around 31% at baseline.

+ 88% of women rated their overall skin health as good or very good, compared with 31% at baseline.

“ My skin felt more hydrated and less tight. I also noticed it felt much softer to the touch, fewer with less bumps. ” - Inner Circle participant

Skin hydration

+ At baseline, 65% reported their skin felt dry. By the end of the study, fewer than 7% did.

+ 71% of women rated their skin as smooth at the end of the study period, compared with around 35% at baseline.

+ By the time the study had ended, more than half of participants (55%) agreed their skin felt and looked hydrated, up from around 22% at baseline.

“ I usually suffer from very dry skin on my legs as the seasons change — that has been less noticeable so far this year .” - Inner Circle participant.

Questions we asked	Baseline	Week 8	Statistical difference
Over the last week, my skin has been dry (results based on agreement)			74% reduction in reported skin dryness
Over the last week, my skin has felt smooth (results based on agreement)			51% increase in reported skin smoothness
Over the last week, my skin has felt and looked hydrated (results based on agreement)			60% increase in reported skin hydration

Skin firmness and fine lines

+ Self-reported firmness of skin rose from fewer than 8% of participants agreeing at baseline to almost 64% by the study end date.

+ At baseline, 71% of participants noticed fine lines on their skin. By the end of the study, fewer than 19% did.

“ I am now starting to notice what I can describe as a glow and a lovely smoothing of my skin when I look at myself in the mirror — and in the little thumbnail on virtual meetings .” - Inner Circle participant.

Skin resilience

By the end of the study:

+ 76% felt their skin was strong and resilient by week 8, compared to 20% of participants at baseline.

+ 76% reported feeling their skin barrier was stronger compared with 25% at baseline.

+ Participants describing their skin as sensitive or reactive dropped from around 31% to roughly 12% by week 8.

Furthermore

+ At baseline, 33% felt their skin was slow to recover after irritation. By the time the study had ended, this had fallen to around 21%.

+ At baseline, just over half of participants (53%) felt their skin reacted to environmental factors. When we asked the participants the same question at the end of the study, this had fallen to around 31%.

“ The inside of my skin on my face felt more alive, more nourished, thicker and healthier. It felt nicer to be inside my skin .” - Inner Circle participant.

*Self-reported feedback from 8-week True Skin Alchemy Inner Circle study. Individual experiences vary.

Closing thoughts:

For too long, skin has been treated primarily as an aesthetic project, something to correct, smooth, tighten or conceal.

But skin is not simply appearance. It is biology. It is a barrier. It is communication. It is one of the body’s most intelligent interfaces with the outside world, and every day it rebuilds itself using the materials available to it.

Our skin, therefore, deserves so much more than surface care. And it deserves research that meets it where it actually lives: in real mornings, real routines, real bodies navigating real life.

That is what this study represents. Not a controlled environment, but a community. 55 women sharing, in their own words, what they noticed, what shifted.

We hope that you found the results of this study as interesting as we did. Now’s your turn to put True Skin Alchemy through your own tests. Discover how True Skin Alchemy can complete your skincare routine and support your skin from within.

FAQs

What is the Ancient + Brave True Skin Alchemy Inner Circle study?

As part of our Evidence Ecosystem , we follow a three-step research process: clinical trials, consumer studies and Inner Circle citizen science studies. The True Skin Alchemy study sits in the third category and is a product-blind at-home citizen science study that saw customers test and provide feedback on True Skin Alchemy, helping us to understand how a product is experienced in everyday lives.

How was the True Skin Alchemy study conducted?

The True Skin Alchemy Inner Circle study is one of our citizen science research initiatives, which relies on feedback from self-perception surveys. This particular study was a product-blind at-home user study, not a double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. 55 women aged 34–55 were selected to participate. They received True Skin Alchemy,  about which participants had no prior knowledge. Self-perception surveys were then sent at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8, encouraging participants to share their experiences with the product.

What is the difference between a user study and a clinical trial?

A user study is based on self-perception from participants. The product is typically blinded so that participants are unaware of its specific purpose. The study involves surveys in which participants share what they have noticed, how they feel and their day-to-day experience.

Clinical trials are more scientifically robust. At Ancient + Brave, we conduct these in partnership with third-party researchers and universities. They typically include a placebo group for comparison; the product is blinded so that individuals do not know what they are taking, and we measure objective outcomes such as blood biomarkers.

Together, these different approaches form the layers of our Evidence Ecosystem.

Can I expect the same results by taking True Skin Alchemy?

True Skin Alchemy has been carefully crafted to support all skin types. While individual results may vary, it is encouraging to see so many of our study group reporting positive changes to their skin. With consistent use , you may notice improvements in hydration, smoothness and overall improved skin health, supporting your skin from the inside out.

*Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin and contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress (EFSA authorised health claim)
*Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and the maintenance of normal hair (EFSA authorised health claim)