Our ingredients

Our high quality ingredients are at the core of everything we do. They are our obsession, our passion and our specialty.

Ingredient integrity is why we choose to small batch and handcraft all of our products in house at Aven. Our fresh materials are selectively sourced from a very small selection of suppliers that care for quality as much as we do.

The ingredients that we choose to use are my favorite in the world. I will only create products that I personally use and love, formulated with ingredients that I trust, and achieve results that I am confident in sharing with you.

I hope that you can feel the love and intention in every drop.

XO Stephanie

Our Oils

All carrier oils used in Aven products are 100% certified organic, cold pressed and unrefined. They are all also 100% non-comedogenic - we will never use any oil rated higher than a 1 on the comedogenic scale. The oils we will use are:

  • Abyssinian Seed Oil

  • Argan Oil

  • Blackberry Seed Oil

  • Bilberry Seed Oil

  • Castor Oil

  • Cloudberry Seed Oil

  • Cucumber Seed Oil

  • Goji Seed Oil

  • Kiwi Seed Oil

  • Meadowfoam Seed Oil

  • Pomegranate Seed Oil

  • Raspberry Seed Oil

  • Rosehip Seed Oil

  • Safflower Seed Oil

  • Seabuckthorn Seed & Fruit Oil

  • Strawberry Seed Oil

  • Sunflower Seed Oil

  • Watermelon Seed Oil

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  • OUR EXTRACTS

    We use two types of extracts in our products: powdered and CO2.

    Our powdered extracts are 100% pure, nutrient-rich, botanical extracts containing their full range of vitamins, minerals & antioxidants. They are used in our formulas at 0.5% - 1%.

    Our supercritical CO2 extracts are extremely potent, effective, pure and safe - providing maximum skin benefits without use of solvents or toxic residue. They are used in our formulas at 1% - 2%.

  • OUR ESSENTIAL OILS

    All of our essential oils are sourced from a single eco-friendly & certified organic distillery in Provence. Every essential oil used is 100% pure, natural and certified organic, in addition to having skin benefits. We will never use essential oils that are phototoxic, known irritants, endocrine disrupting, or in excess. We limit our use of essential oils to: rose, frankincense, lavendar, blue tansy, and scots pine.

Our Actives

As with all of our ingredients, we are very selective with the actives that we use in our products. Actives are powerful ingredients designed to directly improve skin concerns and deliver effective results. They are needed in smaller amounts than "inactive" ingredients, and when formulated correctly with companion ingredients, they create the perfect synergy.

  • Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

    Addresses: Dehydration, Aging, Acne, Hyperpigmentation, Sensitive Skin

    *Used in our formulas at 5%

    Its benefits are among the best-validated of any topical cosmetic ingredient

  • Backuchiol (Natural Retinol Alternative)

    Addresses: Aging, Acne, Hyperpigmentation

    *Used in our formulas at 0.5%

    Studies demonstrating improvement in wrinkles and pigmentation, with similar efficacy to low-dose retinol without the downtime or irritation.

  • Sodium Hyaluronate (salt form of hyaluronic acid)

    Addresses: Dehydration, Aging

    *Used in our formulas at 1%

    Strong clinical evidence, particularly for hydration, improved skin elasticity, and short-term wrinkle reduction

  • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

    Addresses: Aging, Acne, Hyperpigmentation

    *Used in our formulas at 5%

    Stable oil-soluble vitamin C ester with proven skin penetration and some evidence for pigment reduction and collagen enhancement

Our "Waters"

At Aven, we uniquely have "waterless" formulas. Meaning, we do not use traditional water as the base of our formulas or as filler. We are passionate about every single ingredient having multiple purposes and skin benefits, so, we only use Aloe and Hydrosols as our "water" in our formulas. Our Aloe leaf juice is 100% certified organic.

Hydrosols are produced by steam distillation of entire plants. The result is a beautiful water containing all the natural essences of the plants. All of our hydrosols are 100% certified organic and contain maximum levels of aromatic molecules and active ingredients thanks to a high extraction rate.

  • Aloe Vera Leaf Juice

  • Damask Rose Hydrosol

  • Cucumber Hydrosol

  • Rock Rose Hydrosol

Our use of synthetics

At our core, Aven is a brand rooted in nature. We strongly believe in the power and performance of our natural ingredients and formulas. However, there are some cases in which we will use synthetic ingredients because the skincare benefits are far too great to not include them.

  • Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

    Numerous large, well-controlled clinical trials show that niacinamide is effective for brightening, barrier repair, improving skin texture, reducing fine lines, and regulating sebum. It is one of the best skincare ingredients, and we just had to include it. We use Niaciamide in our Morning Silk & Cashmere Dream moisturizers at 5%.

  • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

    This is an incredibly stable and oil-soluble form of vitamin C. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is produced by the esterification of ascorbic acid with 2-hexyldecanoyl chloride (only during manufacturing, not in the final product), which is needed. to form this lipid soluble derivative of Vitamin C. THDC has unique penetration abilities and is incredibly stable. We use THDC in our Antioxidant Barrier Oil.


    We choose to use THDC as our oil-soluble Vitamin C because the natural alternatives are not potent enough to aid in the results that we are looking for unless used in very large amounts. For example at 5% THDC, you would need your formula to use ~33.3% Kakadu plum extract to achieve the same results.

  • Dehydroacetic Acid/ Benzyl Alcohol

    The preservative system we use in our formulas is broad spectrum, ensuring maximum safety and stability. We wanted to find a system that would provide this while also staying true to who we are. A component of this system is Geogard 221 and while it is considered a synthetic preservative, it is ECOCERT and COSMOS certified & permitted for use in natural / certified organic cosmetics. It is used at 1% in our moisturizers.

Rooted in transparency and real results, our brand is more than just skincare; it’s a trusted community for those who refuse to choose between clean beauty and clear skin.