AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence

AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence
5.5
/ 10
Moisturizing
10.0 Humectancy icon Humectancy
1.0 Occlusivity icon Occlusivity
5.4Anti-wrinkle icon/ 10
Anti-wrinkle

Review

Does AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence work?

Based on the ingredient list analysis by CreamScan AI, these are the key benefits you can expect from using AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence:

  • Strong humectant moisturizing. This lightweight, humectant-rich product, ideal for oily skin, has a moisturizing rating of 5.5 out of 10.
  • Considerable anti-wrinkle efficacy: AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence has an anti-wrinkle rating of 5.4 out of 10, indicating a moderate ability to reduce wrinkles.

Lightweight moisturizer ideal for oily skin and a humectant boost for any skincare routine

According to CreamScan analysis, AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence is quite moisturizing, with a moisturizing rating of 5.5 out of 10.

Is it more humectant or occlusive? Significantly more humectant. It has a low occlusivity of 1.0 out of 10 and a maximum humectancy of 10 out of 10, primarily due to the high content of Glycerin (est. ≈6.0%) and Methylpropanediol (est. ≈2.0%).

This humectant-rich product, when used alone as a moisturizer, is ideal for oily skin, offering significant hydration in a lightweight, fast-absorbing formula with a minimal amount of occlusive ingredients. It’s also a great choice for people with normal skin who prefer lightweight moisturizers.

Such a humectant boost will also positively contribute to the moisturizing efficacy of any skincare routine when used as a step before applying the main moisturizer. This type of formulation is typically used in serums, where a light, fast-absorbing texture is key.

Please refer to the Ratings section below for details of the moisturizing rating calculation.

Considerable anti-wrinkle efficacy

According to CreamScan analysis, AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence has a moderate anti-wrinkle rating of 5.4 out of 10.

It contains 2 active ingredients with proven anti-wrinkle efficacy:

  • Retinal (est. ≈0.05%),
     also known as retinaldehyde, is a potent retinoid with anti-wrinkle efficacy confirmed by a single clinical study involving 125 participants (Creidi et al.). This study demonstrated that a cream containing 0.05% retinal reduced the average wrinkle depth by 8% after 18 weeks of use, compared to a vehicle (the same formulation without retinal).
  • Niacinamide (est. ≈0.3%),
     one of the most effective and well-researched anti-wrinkle ingredients. A clinical study involving 30 participants (Kawada et al.) confirmed that a cream with 4% niacinamide reduced the average depth of wrinkles around the eyes by 9% after 8 weeks of use, compared to a vehicle (the same formulation without niacinamide).
Among others, AHC Beauty Youth Focus Essence also contains some ingredients often marketed as effective in reducing wrinkles, specifically Centella Asiatica Extract, Adenosine, Beta-Glucan, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4. However, the studies supporting the anti-wrinkle claims of these ingredients provide insufficient evidence of efficacy according to CreamScan Research Evaluation Standards. Therefore, these ingredients do not contribute to the anti-wrinkle rating.
 
Moisturizers, when used regularly, are proven to prevent wrinkle formation and even reduce existing wrinkles. Therefore, this product, like any other moisturizer, can deliver some anti-wrinkle effects through its moisturizing action.
 

Please refer to the Ratings section below for details of the anti-wrinkle rating calculation.

Ingredients

Est. % Ingredient Origin Functions
65
6
4
3
2
1.5
1.3
1
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.05
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
Est. %
Water
Function:
Origin:
Glycerin
Function:
Origin:
Cyclohexasiloxane
Function:
Origin:
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Function:
Origin:
Methylpropanediol
Function:
Origin:
1,2-Hexanediol
Function:
Origin:
Betaine
Function:
Origin:
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Function:
Origin:
Tocopheryl Acetate
Function:
Origin:
Butylene Glycol
Function:
Origin:
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Function:
Origin:
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
Function:
Origin:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Function:
Origin:
PEG-100 Stearate
Function:
Origin:
Glyceryl Stearate
Function:
Origin:
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Function:
Origin:
Sodium Polyacrylate
Function:
Origin:
Bisabolol
Function:
Origin:
Palmitic Acid
Function:
Origin:
Stearic Acid
Function:
Origin:
Xanthan Gum
Function:
Origin:
Allantoin
Function:
Origin:
Tromethamine
Function:
Origin:
Ethylhexylglycerin
Function:
Origin:
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Function:
Origin:
Cholesterol
Function:
Origin:
Dimethicone
Function:
Origin:
Centella Asiatica Extract
Function:
Origin:
Retinal
Function:
Origin:
Silica
Function:
Origin:
Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols
Function:
Origin:
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Function:
Origin:
PEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol
Function:
Origin:
Adenosine
Function:
Origin:
Polyquaternium-51
Function:
Origin:
Ceteth-5
Function:
Origin:
Ceteth-3
Function:
Origin:
Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract
Function:
Origin:
Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
Function:
Origin:
Beta-Glucan
Function:
Origin:
Cyclopentasiloxane
Function:
Origin:
Tocopherol
Function:
Origin:
Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate
Function:
Origin:
Sucrose Distearate
Function:
Origin:
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract
Function:
Origin:
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Function:
Origin:
Trideceth-6
Function:
Origin:
Cetyl Alcohol
Function:
Origin:
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
Function:
Origin:
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Function:
Origin:
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Function:
Origin:
Carbomer
Function:
Origin:
Carnosine
Function:
Origin:
Ceramide NP
Function:
Origin:
Caprylyl Glycol
Function:
Origin:
Polysorbate 20
Function:
Origin:
Myristic Acid
Function:
Origin:
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Function:
Origin:
Niacinamide
Function:
Origin:
Disodium EDTA
Function:
Origin:
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Function:
Origin:
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Function:
Origin:

Ratings

All humectants
12.6
6
2
1.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
Benchmark
10
All occlusives
2.1
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
Benchmark
20
Moisturizing rating
5.5
Ingredient Est. % Benchmark Raiting
Humectancy All humectants 12.6 10
10.0
6
2
1.3
0.3