Id
Idebenone
IdebenoneAntioxidant
Synthetic CoQ10 analog. Strong antioxidant in lab assays; occasional contact-allergy reports.
What it does
Idebenone is a synthetic analog of CoQ10 with stronger lab-measured antioxidant capacity. It's been studied in topical formulations for photoaging support, with results comparable to other strong-antioxidant ingredients. Contact allergy reports exist at higher rates than for vitamin E or vitamin C — patch-test before regular use. Less common than CoQ10 in modern formulations.
The evidence, graded
moderateAntioxidants neutralize free radicals generated by the UV that gets through sunscreen. Layering an antioxidant serum under SPF compounds photoprotection.Wu 2011 · Clinical and Experimental Dermatology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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