Resurrection Cell Recovery Serum

African Botanics

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The African Botanics Resurrection Cell Recovery Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 32 ingredients (16 low-risk) rates it Excellent (93/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Serums, Essence, Ampoules
Ingredients
32
Low-risk
16
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
South Africa
Data updated
May 2026

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 6/4
Good for dry skin
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 Glycerin Hyaluronic Acid Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Extract Lecithin
Caution for dry skin
Centella Asiatica Extract Glycerin Sodium Hydroxide Lecithin
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 2/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Retinol
Sensitive Skin 5/6
Good for sensitive skin
Centella Asiatica Extract Fucus Vesiculosus Extract Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Glycerin Tocopheryl Acetate
Caution for sensitive skin
Glycerin Eriocephalus Punctulatus Oil Phenoxyethanol Linalool Limonene Retinol

Ingredients list

32 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All32 Skin Conditioning24 Soothing5 Perfuming4 Humectant4 Fragrance4 Deodorant3 Emollient3 Antistatic Agent3
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
(Astringent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Soothing)
Sida Cordifolia Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
Cucumis Sativus Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
Sambucus Nigra Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
MALVA SYLVESTRIS EXTRACT
(Astringent, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient, Smoothing, Soothing)
Hedera Helix Extract
(Anticaking, Antimicrobial, Astringent, Skin Conditioning, Soothing, Tonic)
Pyrus Malus Peel Extract
(Antioxidant)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
(Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
1
Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
2
3
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
1
Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Extract
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
9
A
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
B
Centella Asiatica Extract
(Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
A
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant)
1
A
Panthenol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Hyaluronic Acid
(Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Antistatic Agent, Humectant, Moisturising)
1
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing)
Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
Citrus Aurantium Flower Extract
(Perfuming)
1
Eriocephalus Punctulatus Oil
(Masking)
1
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
(Chelating Agent)
rosmarinus officinalis extract
(Antimicrobial, Refreshing, Tonic)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
5
Linalool
(Fragrance, Deodorant, Masking)
Allergens
Allergens
6
Limonene
(Deodorant, Perfuming, Solvent)
Allergens
Allergens
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

Antioxidants
Shields skin from free radical damage.
Retinoid
Visibly reduces the signs of aging.
Vitamin C
Brightens, evens tone, and supports collagen.
Vitamin E
Protects skin and soothes irritation.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrates by attracting and holding water.
Peptides
Supports skin hydration and improves firmness.
Show all 6 key ingredients

Benefits

Scar HealingImproves the look of marks and scars.
HydratingBoosts hydration and relieves dry, tight skin.
Barrier RepairStrengthen and restore your skin's natural barrier.
Anti-AgingSoftens lines and helps skin look youthful.
BrighteningRestores radiance to dull, tired skin.
Redness ReducingSoothes visible redness and calms irritation.
Reduces IrritationEases discomfort and supports skin resilience.
Skin TextureSmooths rough patches and refines texture.

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains eu allergen
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinol — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent, Hair conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AstringentHair conditioningSkin conditioningSoothing
Sida Cordifolia Extract
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Extract
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Sambucus Nigra Extract
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
MALVA SYLVESTRIS EXTRACT
Astringent, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AstringentSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollientSmoothingSoothing
Hedera Helix Extract
Anticaking, Antimicrobial
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AnticakingAntimicrobialAstringentSkin conditioningSoothingTonic
Pyrus Malus Peel Extract
Antioxidant
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 HumectantSkin conditioning
Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Lecithin
Skin conditioning, Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 2–3 Skin conditioningEmulsifyingSurfactantAntistatic agentEmollient
Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Extract
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioningEmollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning miscellaneous
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning miscellaneous
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B CleansingSkin conditioningSmoothingSoothingTonic
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antioxidant
+ 10 more — see the full ingredients list above
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Retinol
Skin conditioning
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 9 CIR A Skin conditioning Bad for Sensitive Skin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Panthenol
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Linalool
Fragrance, Deodorant
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 5 FragranceDeodorantMasking Allergens
Limonene
Deodorant, Perfuming
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6 DeodorantPerfumingSolvent Allergens

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply after toner and before moisturiser — thinnest to thickest.
  • 2 Evening: Use at night — start 2–3× a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol

Vitamin C (ascorbic) 5–20%

L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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