Rescue Serum

EMK Skincare

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The EMK Skincare Rescue Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 21 ingredients (15 low-risk) rates it Excellent (91/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and sensitive skin.

Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Serums, Essence, Ampoules
Ingredients
21
Low-risk
15
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States
Data updated
Jun 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 4/5
Good for dry skin
Glycosaminoglycans Glycerin Placental Extract Lecithin
Caution for dry skin
Glycerin PVP Polysorbate 80 SD Alcohol 40 Lecithin
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 2/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate SD Alcohol 40
Sensitive Skin 5/4
Good for sensitive skin
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Superoxide Dismutase Glycerin Tocopheryl Acetate Placental Extract
Caution for sensitive skin
Algin Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract Glycerin DMDM Hydantoin

Ingredients list

21 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (7)
All21 Skin Conditioning15 Film Forming6 Antioxidant4 Perfuming4 Viscosity Controlling4 Emulsion Stabilising4 Antistatic Agent3 Binding Agent3
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
5
Placental Extract
(Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting)
1
A
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
(Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning)
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
(Bleaching, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient, Smoothing, Soothing)
1
Lentinus Edodes Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
(Viscosity Controlling)
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
(Antioxidant, Perfuming)
1
Glycosaminoglycans
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Film Forming)
1
Superoxide Dismutase
(Reducing, Skin Conditioning, Antioxidant)
1
A
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
2
3
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
1
A
Algin
(Binding Agent, Fragrance, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
A
PVP
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Antistatic Agent, Binding, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Hydroxyethylcellulose
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
7
A
DMDM Hydantoin
(Preservative)
5
SD Alcohol 40
(Cosmetic Astringent, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent)
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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
3
B
Polysorbate 80
(Denaturant, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
B
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
(Film Forming, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent)

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.
Vitamin C
Brightens, evens tone, and supports collagen.
Vitamin E
Protects skin and soothes irritation.

Benefits

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.
Dark SpotsFades dark spots for even skin tone.

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
DMDM Hydantoin — higher EWG
May not suit dry 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
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking, Perfuming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A MaskingPerfumingSkin conditioning
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
Bleaching, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A BleachingPerfumingSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollientSmoothingSoothing
Lentinus Edodes Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Viscosity controlling
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntioxidantPerfuming
Glycosaminoglycans
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioningEmollientFilm forming
Superoxide Dismutase
Reducing, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 ReducingSkin conditioningAntioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning miscellaneous
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning miscellaneous
Lecithin
Skin conditioning, Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 2–3 Skin conditioningEmulsifyingSurfactantAntistatic agentEmollient
PVP
Binding agent, Emulsion stabilising
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentEmulsion stabilisingFilm formingHair fixingSuspending agent - nonsurfactantAntistatic agentBindingViscosity controlling
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Binding agent, Emulsion stabilising
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentEmulsion stabilisingFilm formingViscosity increasing agentBindingStabilisingViscosity controlling
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Film forming, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Film formingHair conditioningSkin conditioningAntistatic agent
Placental Extract
Humectant, Skin conditioning
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 5 HumectantSkin conditioningSkin protecting
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Algin
Binding agent, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentFragranceViscosity increasing agentBindingMaskingViscosity controlling Bad for Sensitive SkinBad for Oily Skin
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 7 CIR A Preservative
SD Alcohol 40
Cosmetic astringent, Solvent
Causes moisture evaporation - prone to dry out skinRead moreShow less
EWG 5 Cosmetic astringentSolventViscosity decreasing agent Bad for Dry SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
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
Polysorbate 80
Denaturant, Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantEmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger

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)

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

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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