INCI: Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract / Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil - Also known as: Cranberry Extract, American Cranberry

QUICK FACTS

What is cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)?

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) contributes to the Sweet Chemistry formulas in two complementary forms, just as raspberry does - as a polyphenol-rich fruit extract and as a seed oil with a distinctive essential fatty acid profile. Together these two forms appear across all four formulas, making cranberry one of the most pervasive botanical contributors in the entire Max Repair System.

The cranberry fruit extract is rich in proanthocyanidins (PACs), anthocyanins, quercetin, ellagic acid, and ursolic acid - a polyphenol profile that is among the most studied of any berry in both nutritional and topical research. Proanthocyanidins in particular - the oligomeric flavonoids also known as OPCs - are studied in connection with antioxidant activity and their association with a more even-looking, comfortable skin surface.

Cranberry seed oil is cold-pressed from the seeds remaining after juice production, making it a zero-waste by-product of the cranberry industry. Its fatty acid profile is distinctive in containing approximately equal proportions of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (roughly 33-35% alpha-linolenic acid and 36-40% linoleic acid), alongside a meaningful concentration of omega-9 oleic acid and naturally occurring tocopherols. This balanced essential fatty acid ratio - a 1:1 omega-3 to omega-6 ratio that mirrors the ratio considered optimal for skin barrier support in the research literature - makes it one of the more formulation-relevant seed oils in the botanical panel.

What does it do for skin?

Cranberry fruit extract's antioxidant character operates primarily through its proanthocyanidin, anthocyanin, and ellagic acid content. Proanthocyanidins are among the most potent water-soluble antioxidants studied in research settings, with free radical scavenging capacity significantly higher than many individual polyphenols. In the context of Sweet Chemistry's water-based formulas, cranberry extract contributes botanical polyphenol antioxidant coverage alongside the other berry extracts in the superfood blend - blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, apple, açaí, and amla - creating a comprehensive multi-source botanical antioxidant system that complements the isolated enzymatic antioxidants (CoQ10, alpha-lipoic acid, resveratrol) in the same formulas.

Cranberry seed oil's balanced omega-3 and omega-6 ratio is its most studied characteristic in a topical skincare context. Research exploring ideal skin fatty acid ratios for barrier maintenance and surface comfort has associated a more balanced omega-3 to omega-6 profile with a more settled, resilient-looking skin surface - making cranberry seed oil's approximately 1:1 ratio a notable formulation feature. In the Oil-Serum at greater than 5%, it contributes to the essential fatty acid diversity of the botanical panel alongside rosehip, raspberry, sea buckthorn, and evening primrose seed oils.

Ellagic acid from the fruit extract has also been researched in connection with the appearance of a more even skin tone - a relevant property in a system that already includes niacinamide, THD ascorbate, and bisabolol as studied brightening-associated actives.

FOUND IN

In All 4 Formulas

Cranberry is present in every Sweet Chemistry formula - as a polyphenol fruit extract in all three water-based products, as a seed oil in the Lipid-Cream, and as an organic seed oil at greater than 5% in the Oil-Serum.

Nourishment - All Skin Types

Barrier Repairing Hydra-Serum Cranberry Fruit Extract (Organic, above 1%) - 1.0 oz / 30 ml

The Hydra-Serum delivers cranberry fruit extract as part of the antioxidant superfood complex alongside seven other organic botanical extracts, all above 1%, in a 40%-active emulsion for all skin types.

Hydration - Dry to Normal

Elasticity Reinforcing Hydra-Cream Cranberry Fruit Extract (Organic, above 1%) - 1.7 oz / 50 ml

The Hydra-Cream delivers organic cranberry fruit extract within the antioxidant superfood blend, co-formulated with 3% Matrikynes® peptides, 2% THD ascorbate, and the full ceramide barrier complex.

Hydration - Dry to Dehydrated

Elasticity Reinforcing Lipid-Cream Cranberry Fruit Extract (above 1%) + Cranberry Seed Oil (above 1%) - 1.7 oz / 50 ml

The Lipid-Cream is the only water-based formula delivering both cranberry forms - fruit extract as part of the antioxidant superfood blend and seed oil as part of the nourishing botanical lipid complex alongside shea butter, jojoba, rosehip, and sea buckthorn.

Nourishment - Dry to Combination

Barrier Repairing Oil-Serum Cranberry Seed Oil (Organic, >5%) - 1.0 oz / 30 ml

In the Oil-Serum, organic cranberry seed oil is one of eleven organic botanicals each present at greater than 5% - contributing its balanced 1:1 omega-3 to omega-6 essential fatty acid profile to the most comprehensive botanical lipid system in the Sweet Chemistry lineup.

WORKS TOGETHER WITH

Polyphenol Antioxidant Resveratrol

INCI: Resveratrol.

Present in all three water-based formulas as part of the enzymatic antioxidant trio. Synergy Note: Cranberry's proanthocyanidins and ellagic acid are polyphenol antioxidants studied through flavonoid and ellagitannin pathways; resveratrol's stilbene character operates through a different polyphenol mechanism - their co-presence creates a broader multi-class polyphenol antioxidant approach.

Essential Fatty Acid Linoleic Acid

INCI: Linoleic Acid.

Present as a free fatty acid in the Hydra-Serum and Oil-Serum alongside cranberry seed oil's linoleic acid delivery. Synergy Note: Cranberry seed oil's balanced omega-3 and omega-6 profile complements the broader essential fatty acid system in the Oil-Serum - contributing both linoleic (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic (omega-3) in an approximately 1:1 ratio that is considered optimal in the barrier fatty acid research literature.

Botanical Seed Oil Rosehip Seed Oil

INCI: Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil.

Present in all four formulas as another high-polyunsaturated essential fatty acid botanical oil. Synergy Note: Cranberry and rosehip seed oils together provide complementary fatty acid profiles - rosehip is heavier in omega-3 with a balanced omega-6, cranberry offers the distinctive near-equal omega-3/omega-6 balance. Together they expand the essential fatty acid diversity of the botanical panel.

ECM Peptide Complex Matrikynes® Bone Peptides

INCI: Hydrolyzed Cow Bone Extract.

At 3% in all four formulas, associated with improvements in the appearance of skin density and aging signs. Synergy Note: Cranberry fruit extract's polyphenol antioxidant layer contributes to the low-oxidative surface environment associated with optimal conditions for the dermal-targeting activity of Matrikynes® peptides.