Idebenone

Idebenone is a synthetic antioxidant similar to coenzyme Q10. The INCI name for idebenone is hydroxydecyl ubiquinone. Research for idebenone has not compared its effects to many of the hundreds of other potent antioxidants that commonly appear in other skin care products, nor did it compare the effects of idebenone with the effects of a combination of antioxidants. Perhaps a cocktail of antioxidants would far surpass idebenone - we don’t know. Other published studies compared the red grape antioxidant compound reseveratrol and L-ergothioneine to idebenone and found both superior to idebenone.

To date, there are still no published, peer-reviewed studies that support idebenone’s alleged superiority. This does not mean idebenone is not a valid antioxidant for skin. Given what we know about how ubiquinone performs in the body, it is definitely not a throwaway ingredient. What is fairly certain, however, is that it is neither the best nor most potent antioxidant around.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, in a final report on four ubiquinone ingredients published in 2022, concluded that these ingredients are safe for us in current cosmetic preparations.