CeraKnight®

16 Jul

Rebuild the Skin Barrier & Restore Deep Hydration

Read Time: 5 minutes

Hello all

Today, we finish off the introduction to the Transactiva range which we are now pleased to distribute throughout the UK. Today we are introducing CeraKnight.

For years, many have assumed that fixing a damaged skin barrier means slathering on heavy occlusive creams or animal-derived ceramides. These methods can help temporarily, but they don’t actively teach your skin to defend itself.

What if instead of simply coating the skin, we could actually reactivate the skin’s own defence system? Imagine helping skin generate its own ceramides and lipids – the materials it naturally uses to stay strong and hydrated – rather than always applying them from a jar.

That’s exactly the new approach CeraKnight® is introducing. Barrier repair doesn’t have to come from outside only. With plant-made peptides that work from within, we have a smarter way to rebuild the barrier from the inside out.

“Nature does nothing uselessly.”
– Aristotle

CeraKnight® is a recombinant human skin enzyme grown in rice seeds using an ingenious biotech method called Plant Molecular Farming. (In simple terms, the enzyme is a lab-crafted copy of a natural skin enzyme, and plants act as its eco-friendly “factory” to produce it.) This enzyme’s job in skin is to boost ceramide production – ceramides are the lipids that form the glue of a skin barrier. By reactivating the skin’s own ceramide-making process, CeraKnight helps skin rebuild its protective shield from within.

What does this mean for results? In tests, CeraKnight showed impressive improvements in skin’s barrier and hydration:

+93% increase in ceramide synthesis (lab assay on skin cells, at 1% dose) – a big jump in the skin’s natural barrier lipids.
+26% increase in surface hydration (in vivo study) – significantly more moisture on the skin’s surface.
+17.6% increase in deep hydration (in vivo) – better hydration in the deeper skin layers, not just the top.
–10.5% reduction in TEWL (trans epidermal water loss) – less moisture escaping means a stronger barrier.
Visible skin improvements: Test users noted firmer, smoother, brighter skin and overall healthier appearance.
100% plant-based origin – non-GMO, vegan, and Cosmos-compatible for natural cosmetics.
Easy to formulate – works at just 0.1–1% in a formula, and it’s supplied as a stable aqueous solution for simple mixing.

In short, CeraKnight delivers the kind of efficacy you’d expect from a high-performance active (it’s backed by lab and clinical data), yet it’s wholly plant-derived and gentle. No animal inputs, no harsh solvents – just a clean, green enzyme that empowers the skin to heal itself.

Ideal Uses

With its unique mechanism, CeraKnight is an excellent choice for any product aimed at repairing or strengthening the skin barrier.

Here are some ideas where it can shine:

Barrier-repair creams and moisturisers – Give daily moisturisers a boost to help dry or compromised skin restore its protective lipid layer. This is especially useful for dry, sensitive or irritated skin that needs barrier reinforcement. CeraKnight doesn’t just add moisture; it helps skin retain moisture by building a better barrier.
Anti-ageing serums – As skin ages, it naturally loses ceramides and becomes drier and less firm. Incorporating CeraKnight into an ageing-skin serum can help older skin regenerate those lost lipids, leading to plumper, more resilient skin. It’s a smart way to combat the thinning barrier that comes with age.
Winter skincare – Cold, dry winter air and indoor heating can wreak havoc on the skin barrier. CeraKnight can be the knight in shining armour for winter balms or creams, fortifying the barrier so skin stays hydrated and comfortable even in harsh climates.
Post-procedure creams – After treatments like peels, laser, or micro-needling, the skin barrier is often fragile. A recovery cream with CeraKnight can support faster restoration of the barrier, soothing and protecting vulnerable post-procedure skin. Because it works with the skin’s own biology, it’s gentle yet effective for helping stressed skin bounce back.
Any “skin defense” formula – CeraKnight pairs well with other barrier-friendly ingredients (like niacinamide, panthenol, or hyaluronic acid). It can elevate a formula intended for skin defense or intense hydration by adding that bio-active dimension of teaching the skin to help itself. In essence, use it wherever you want a product to not just moisturise but truly strengthen the skin from within.

By formulating with CeraKnight, you’re giving a long-term solution that makes skin more self-sufficient.

Addressing Concerns

It’s normal to ask questions about a new technology. A couple of common ones may be:

“Is this really more effective than just using ceramides or occlusives directly?”

Yes, applying ceramide creams or heavy balms can help, but they only supply what’s missing on the surface. CeraKnight works deeper by kick-starting the skin’s own ceramide production, which means the skin can replenish a broad spectrum of its natural barrier lipids in the right balance. In fact, in trials, a Transactiva peptide (the same family as CeraKnight) restored depleted skin ceramides to near-normal levels within 24 hours. This leads to a measurably stronger barrier and better hydration than you’d get from a basic moisturiser. In other words, CeraKnight helps build the barrier from the inside out, not just patch it on the outside. The efficacy has been shown to be comparable or even superior to conventional barrier ingredients – you get real, quantifiable improvements, because it’s leveraging the skin’s own biology.

“Recombinant enzyme… is that safe to put on skin?”

Absolutely. The word “recombinant” simply means the enzyme is produced via biotechnology (in this case, by plants) rather than extracted from, say, animal tissue. The final CeraKnight ingredient is a purified protein solution – there are no live plant cells or GMOs in your cream at all. Transactiva’s Plant Molecular Farming method has a strong safety profile; it’s been used in pharmaceutical research for years, and every batch of CeraKnight is made to cosmetic-grade standards with rigorous quality control. The enzyme itself is modelled after a human skin enzyme, so it’s designed to be biocompatible. All the safety and regulatory boxes are ticked: CeraKnight is non-GMO, vegan, and Cosmos-approved, and it meets EU cosmetic regulations just like any other ingredient. So, you can formulate with confidence – this is cutting-edge biotech applied responsibly to skincare, not some untested exotic extract.

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So, there you have it…

CeraKnight® is truly unique. Rather than simply adding moisture or fats, CeraKnight prompts the skin to build its own protective shield. This means stronger, healthier skin that is better at holding hydration on its own. It’s the embodiment of “green biotech meets real results” – you get the best of both worlds. On one hand, it’s 100% plant-derived and fits perfectly into modern clean beauty trends. On the other, it delivers clinically proven performance, the kind that today’s savvy consumers and formulators demand.

It’s a fresh fusion of science and nature: an active grown in rice that can visibly improve skin’s condition. By formulating with CeraKnight, you position your product at the forefront of innovation – where natural credibility and high-tech efficacy go hand in hand.

In a crowded market of barrier creams and hydrators, CeraKnight gives you a standout story. It says, “we don’t just moisturise your skin – we help your skin moisturise itself.” That’s a powerful promise backed by evidence.

We’re excited about what CeraKnight can do, and we hope you are too. If you’re interested in formulating with a truly smart barrier-support ingredient, please reach out.

Whether you want technical info, formulation guidance, or a sample of CeraKnight to test in your lab, we are ready to help.

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Thanks for reading, and see you next week.

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