Skincare Guides & Ingredient Science
Everything we've published on methylene blue, mitochondrial skincare and the actives in our formula — written to be useful whether or not you ever buy from us.
Skintervene publishes open reference material on the ingredients it formulates with, including where the evidence is strong and where it is still early. Start with the category explainer if the term “mitochondrial skincare” is new, or the methylene blue guide if you want the ingredient science directly.
Start here
What is mitochondrial skincare?
The category defined in plain English — why mitochondria matter for skin, where the idea came from, which ingredients genuinely belong in it, and how to tell a real formulation from borrowed vocabulary.
Mitochondrial skincare products: what actually counts
The ingredients that earn the label, the strength of evidence for each, and five signs a product is borrowing the vocabulary.
Methylene blue in skincare: the complete guide
The hero ingredient in full — its redox chemistry, what the 2017 fibroblast research actually showed and what it didn't, why concentration decides everything, staining, layering and safety cautions.
Choosing a methylene blue serum
Does methylene blue skincare work?
An honest answer: what the research shows, what it doesn't, realistic results week by week, and who it suits.
Best methylene blue serum UK: how to choose
The six things that separate a good methylene blue serum from a weak one, with a dated, sourced comparison of the main options available to UK buyers.
Using methylene blue for your skin
Morning or night?
When to apply it, where it goes in your routine, and how to fit it around vitamin C, retinoids and acids.
What to use with methylene blue
A layering chart for niacinamide, vitamin C, retinol, hyaluronic acid, peptides, acids and more, with the order of application.
For sensitive skin
What matters in the formula, how to patch test, how to introduce it, and when to check with a pharmacist first.
For oily and blemish-prone skin
What a methylene blue serum can and can't do, what to pair it with, and when to see a professional.
For men
A two-minute routine, using it around shaving, and why a serum is not the same as the supplement.
Ingredient references
Ingredient glossary
Every active in the Skintervene formula with its INCI name, what it does, and an honest grading of the evidence behind it — plus what we deliberately leave out and how to read any skincare label.
Niacinamide: what the evidence supports
Vitamin B3 and NAD+ precursor. One of the best-evidenced actives in cosmetics — what it does at which concentrations, and the myths worth ignoring.
Ectoin: the extremolyte explained
A molecule from salt-lake bacteria that forms a hydration shell around cells. Why it appears in formulas built for environmental stress and sensitive skin.
Comparisons and safety
Methylene blue vs retinol
The newest active against the most proven one: how each works, strength of evidence, side effects, and a simple routine for using both.
Methylene blue vs NAD+ skincare
The two headline “longevity” skincare ingredients compared, why molecule size matters for skin, and where niacinamide fits.
Methylene blue vs vitamin C
Two antioxidants with fundamentally different mechanisms — catalytic versus sacrificial. Which does what, whether you can use both, and how to sequence them.
Is methylene blue safe in skincare?
The safety picture in detail: cosmetic concentrations, medication cautions, G6PD deficiency, pregnancy, patch testing, and why DIY dilution is a genuinely bad idea.
The skin barrier, explained
What the stratum corneum actually does, what damages it, what repairs it, and why barrier health determines whether any other active works for you.
Using the product
How to use Skintervene
Routine placement, dosage, layering compatibility with retinoids, acids and vitamin C, a realistic results timeline, and storage.
Frequently asked questions
Product, ingredient, ordering and delivery questions in one place.
About Skintervene
Who we are, how we formulate, our position on the evidence, and how to reach us.
Journal
Short, dated notes on new research and regulation relevant to methylene blue and mitochondrial skincare.
How we write these
- We name the evidence level. Every ingredient claim is graded — strong, good, moderate, or early — rather than presented uniformly.
- We state limitations. Where research is laboratory-only or model-based, we say so on the page.
- No medicinal claims. These are cosmetic products, described in cosmetic terms.
- No invented authority. We don't attribute pages to fictional experts or publish ratings we can't evidence.
- We disclose comparisons. Where we compare our serum with others, we say we make it, use only each brand's own published information, and date every figure.
- We update and date. Every guide shows when it was last revised.
Formulated on what the evidence supports
One serum. Nine actives. Methylene blue at cosmetic concentration. Made in London.
Shop the serumThis page is general information about cosmetic ingredients and is not medical advice.