Read the Label
Most skincare labels are written to comply, not to communicate.
The INCI names — the standardized International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients required on every product sold in Europe and the United States — were designed for regulatory clarity. They were not designed for the person standing in front of a shelf, turning a bottle over, trying to understand what they are putting on their skin.
We think that needs to change.
At IMEAN, we believe you deserve to know exactly what is in your formula, why it is there, and what it is doing. This is not a marketing position. It is the logical consequence of being truthful — one of the three principles IMEAN was built on.
So today, we are opening the formula.
What Is Actually in the IMEAN Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule?
The IMEAN Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule contains six essential vitamins, a German-sourced vegan collagen peptide, and Tranexamic Acid, each selected for a specific, verifiable function. Nothing in this formula is there by convention, by trend, or because it tested well in a focus group. Every ingredient passed a single standard: does this do something meaningful for the skin, at a concentration that actually works?
What follows is not a glossary. It is an explanation, the kind you deserve before you put something on your skin every day.
Pisum Sativum Peptide
What it is: A vegan peptide derived from pea protein, sourced from Germany, and the signature active that defines every IMEAN formula.
What it does: Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. When applied topically, Pisum Sativum Peptide functions as a cellular messenger, signaling the skin to produce more collagen and elastin: the structural proteins responsible for firmness, resilience, and the quality of skin that holds its shape over time. It does not sit on the surface. It communicates with the skin's deeper structure, encouraging regeneration from within.
In independent testing, the Pisum Sativum Peptide in the Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule contributed to a 35% increase in firmness and 24% increase in elasticity within 28 days.
Why it earned its place: This is the distinction between skincare that decorates and skincare that builds. IMEAN sources this peptide from Germany specifically for its purity, clinical profile, and compatibility with European formulation standards. Learn more about IMEAN's ingredient sourcing on the Active Ingredients page.
Tranexamic Acid
What it is: A clinically recognized skin-brightening active, well-established in European dermatology for its role in reducing hyperpigmentation.
What it does: Tranexamic Acid works by interrupting the communication pathway between keratinocytes (skin cells) and melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), reducing the overproduction of melanin that causes dark spots, sun spots, and uneven tone. Unlike some brightening actives, it is gentle enough for daily use and does not compromise barrier integrity.
Why it earned its place: Many brightening actives are effective but unstable, irritating, or unsuitable for daily application. Tranexamic Acid is precise, evidence-backed, and well-tolerated, which is exactly the standard IMEAN formulates to.
Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate)
What it is: A stabilized, skin-compatible form of Vitamin C and one of the most studied antioxidants in dermatological skincare.
What it does: Vitamin C neutralizes free radicals, the unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and environmental stress that break down collagen and cause uneven pigmentation over time. Topically, it supports a brighter, more even skin tone by interrupting the enzyme pathway (tyrosinase) that leads to excess melanin production. It also works in parallel with the Pisum Sativum Peptide to support the skin's natural collagen synthesis.
Why it earned its place: Vitamin C is common in skincare. Stable, non-irritating Vitamin C delivered effectively is less common. The form used here, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, converts to active ascorbic acid on contact with skin and remains stable in formulation, which means it reaches the skin intact and active.
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)
What it is: One of the most extensively researched actives in contemporary skincare, with a strong body of published clinical literature supporting its efficacy across multiple skin concerns.
What it does: Niacinamide addresses the skin as a system rather than targeting a single concern. It inhibits the transfer of melanosomes, the pigment-carrying organelles between cells, visibly reducing dark spots over time. It supports ceramide synthesis, reinforcing the barrier's ability to retain moisture and resist irritation. It also regulates sebum production, making it particularly effective for skin that fluctuates between oiliness and dehydration.
Why it earned its place: In a formula designed for daily use across diverse skin types and climates, including the colder, drier environments of Northern Europe and Scandinavia, Niacinamide's multi-function profile and exceptional tolerability made it an essential inclusion.
Vitamin B5 (Panthenol)
What it is: A provitamin of B5 that converts to pantothenic acid on contact with skin, acting as both a humectant and a skin-repair active.
What it does: Panthenol draws moisture toward the skin surface and reduces transepidermal water loss, the process by which moisture escapes through the skin barrier into the environment. It also accelerates the regeneration of damaged skin tissue, making it particularly valuable for skin compromised by environmental stress, over-exfoliation, or sensitivity. It is both gentle and effective across all skin types.
Why it earned its place: You will find Panthenol in the formulas of high-performance dermatological skincare specifically because it works, without irritation, without complexity, without the need to be managed carefully around other actives. That is exactly the profile IMEAN formulates around.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
What it is: A water-soluble vitamin with a specific regulatory role in sebum production and skin-level inflammation.
What it does: Vitamin B6 helps regulate the activity of sebaceous glands, making it effective for skin that produces excess oil, particularly in combination with the barrier-supporting properties of B3 and B5. It also contributes to anti-inflammatory processes at the skin level, supporting a calmer, more even complexion over time.
Why it earned its place: Combination and fluctuating skin types are the norm, not the exception, particularly in European climates where seasonal changes affect how skin behaves. Pyridoxine addresses this quietly and effectively.
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
What it is: The skin's primary fat-soluble antioxidant, present naturally in the skin's lipid layer.
What it does: Vitamin E works within the fatty component of the skin barrier, the lipid layer that prevents moisture loss and shields against environmental damage. In partnership with Vitamin C, it creates a more complete antioxidant defense: Vitamin C neutralizes water-soluble free radicals, Vitamin E addresses lipid-soluble ones. Together, they provide significantly broader protection than either active alone. Vitamin E also supports recovery, reducing the visible effects of inflammation and helping maintain barrier integrity.
Why it earned its place: Antioxidant protection is most effective when it is comprehensive. The combination of Vitamin C and E in this formula is intentional, it is how they perform best.
CoQ10 (Ubiquinone)
What it is: A naturally occurring antioxidant found in every cell of the human body, with a specific role in cellular energy production and repair.
What it does: CoQ10 supports the mitochondrial processes that enable skin cells to repair and renew themselves efficiently. Topically, it reduces oxidative stress and supports the skin's natural defense mechanisms against the environmental aging process. The body's natural levels of CoQ10 decline with age, which is part of why cellular repair slows over time, and part of why its presence in this formula is deliberate.
Why it earned its place: We are not treating the surface. We are supporting the process that keeps the surface healthy.
What the Full Formula Means Together
Each of these ingredients was selected because it does something the others do not. Together, they address the skin as an interconnected system:
- Structure: Pisum Sativum Peptide (collagen and elastin signaling)
- Tone: Tranexamic Acid, Vitamin C, and Niacinamide (brightening, melanin regulation)
- Defense: Vitamins C and E (antioxidant protection)
- Hydration: Vitamin B5 (moisture retention and barrier repair)
- Regulation: Vitamins B3 and B6 (sebum balance, ceramide synthesis)
- Cellular repair: CoQ10 (mitochondrial energy and recovery)
This is what formulated with intention means. Not a list assembled to impress. A system designed to work together.
A Note on What You Will Not Find
IMEAN formulas are developed to meet the world's strictest cosmetic standards. You will not find ingredients in our products that have been restricted or flagged by European regulatory authorities. Every formula is clean, not as a trend, but as a standard we held before clean beauty became a category.
For full transparency, the complete ingredient list for the Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule is:
Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Tripropylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Allantoin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cyclodextrin, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Ubiquinone, Sodium Phytate, Fragrance, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Pentylene Glycol, Calcium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Biotin, Pyridoxine, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Tocopherol, Thiamine HCl, Beta-Carotene, Linoleic Acid, Riboflavin, Limonene, Linalool.
This is what the label says. This is what is in the bottle. Nothing hidden. Nothing marketed under a name that obscures what it is.
That is what truthful looks like in practice.
FAQ
What makes IMEAN different from other luxury skincare brands in Europe?
IMEAN is a luxury skincare brand that blends Korean beauty philosophy with German peptide science. Every formula is built around Pisum Sativum Peptide, a vegan collagen peptide sourced from Germany, combined with clinically recognized actives including Tranexamic Acid, Niacinamide, and a full vitamin complex. IMEAN formulas contain no unnecessary ingredients, meet the world's strictest cosmetic standards, and are available in Germany, Scandinavia, the UK, and the United States. The brand was founded on three principles: worthy, truthful, and powerful.
Is the IMEAN Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule formulated to European skincare standards?
Yes. The Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule is formulated to European stability and safety standards, inspired by Munich's clinical skincare culture. All IMEAN products meet the regulatory requirements of the EU cosmetics framework and are developed without restricted or flagged ingredients. You can review IMEAN's active ingredient philosophy at imeanbeauty.com/pages/active-ingredients.
What does the IMEAN Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule actually do for the skin?
The Multivitamin Peptide Ampoule is a concentrated treatment serum that addresses firmness, tone, hydration, and barrier resilience simultaneously. In independent testing, it delivered a 35% increase in firmness and 24% increase in elasticity within 28 days, and 95% of volunteers reported smoother skin within 56 days. It is applied morning and evening to clean skin, followed by the IMEAN Restorative Peptide Cream.
What is Pisum Sativum Peptide and why does IMEAN use it?
Pisum Sativum Peptide is a vegan peptide derived from pea protein, sourced from Germany. It functions as a cellular messenger, signaling the skin to produce collagen and elastin, the structural proteins responsible for firmness and resilience. IMEAN selected this ingredient for its purity, clinical performance, and alignment with European formulation standards. It is the defining active across all IMEAN formulas and the reason the brand is rooted in German skincare science. Learn more on the IMEAN Active Ingredients page.