StackedSkincare EGF Activating Serum 30 mL dropper bottle on a white background

Acne before and after: inflamed breakouts on cheek and jaw cleared with the StackedSkincare acne routine of High Frequency, TCA Face Peel and EGF Activating Serum.

EGF Activating Serum is made for adult breakouts and the marks they leave: heals breakouts faster, fades post-breakout marks, calms skin after treatments.

410+ customer reviews of EGF Activating Serum about clearer skin, healing red marks, and lightening dark spots.

Acne before and after: less redness and fewer breakouts with High Frequency, TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel and EGF Activating Serum.

How to use EGF Activating Serum morning and night: cleanse, apply EGF, add a thicker serum, then moisturize.

EGF Activating Serum with the 0.2mm microneedling roller: apply EGF, roll, then moisturize.

Amber EGF serum dropper above the StackedSkincare bottle

EGF Activating Serum for Adult Breakouts & Post-Breakout Marks

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developed by kerry founder + aesthetician

Growth Factors That Heal Breakouts Faster

A plant-based EGF serum for adult acne and the dark marks it leaves behind. Breakouts clear faster. Marks fade quicker.

This is your repair step. Your skin turns over slower as you get older. Breakouts take longer to clear, and the marks they leave stick around longer than they used to.

It's called an Activating Serum because that's what it does. It activates your skin's own repair process.

What it helps with

Adult and hormonal breakouts
Post-breakout marks, also called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH — the red and brown spots left after a blemish heals
Dark spots, including melasma and sun damage
Slowed cell turnover and dull, uneven skin
Recovery after dermaplaning, microneedling, peels, and high frequency
Congestion and rough texture

How does EGF work on breakouts?

Plant-Based EGF

EGF — Epidermal Growth Factor — is a protein your skin makes. It tells your skin cells to multiply and rebuild damaged tissue.

Your skin makes less of it as you age, so repair slows down. This serum delivers more of the same protein, grown in plants.

Turnover is what clears the pore. Repair is what clears the mark.

Saccharomyces Lysate Extract

Speeds wound healing and calms inflammation.

That's why this works on skin that's already broken out, instead of making it worse the way retinol and benzoyl peroxide can.

Ethoxydiglycol

A penetration enhancer. It drives the EGF and yeast extract deeper into the skin instead of leaving them on the surface — and it's why the serum absorbs in seconds.

Why stripping your skin backfires

Your barrier is thinner than it was at 25. Products that dry a breakout out strip skin that's already fragile — and that means more inflammation.

Inflammation is what leaves the dark mark behind.

The pimple clears in a week. The mark stays for four months. Most people blame the breakout.

Why this is different

Three key ingredients, three jobs. EGF restarts repair. Yeast extract speeds healing. Ethoxydiglycol drives both deeper into the skin.
Doesn't sting or peel. Safe on skin that's actively broken out.
Layers under everything. Thin, fast-absorbing, no pilling.
No fragrance. Nothing in the bottle that isn't working.

This works best if

You still break out, and you're past the age you expected to
Your breakouts leave marks that last for months
You dermaplane, microneedle, peel, or use high frequency
Your skin stays red for days after you exfoliate or use tools
You can't tolerate retinoids
You've tried spot treatments that dry out the pimple but do nothing about the mark

How to Use EGF Serum With Your Tools

Use it morning and night. If you use tools, here's where EGF goes:

Microneedling: Apply EGF first, then roll. Or roll on clean, dry skin and apply EGF right after. Both work. How to microneedle at home.
Dermaplaning: Dermaplane, apply the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel, then EGF, then moisturizer. A small nick while you're learning? EGF helps it heal. How to dermaplane at home.
High frequency: Use your high frequency device first, then your peel, then EGF. High frequency treats the breakout. EGF heals it and fades the mark it leaves.
Peels: Apply EGF after your peel.

How long until you see results?

Weeks 1–3

Skin feels calmer
Less redness after tools and exfoliation
Some skin purges during this window — see How To Use

Weeks 4–8

Breakouts clear faster and stay smaller
Texture smooths and skin looks brighter

Weeks 8–12

Post-breakout marks visibly fade

Month 3 and beyond

Calmer, more resilient skin
Continued cell turnover support

Want marks to fade faster? Pair EGF with the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel. Together, post-breakout marks often fade in about 4 weeks.

Can this help melasma or sun damage?

Yes, it can help. For stubborn spots, pair it with our TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel for faster results.

For lines and wrinkles, use our Retinol. Retinol is clinically proven to stimulate collagen and to prevent, slow down and reverse the visible signs of aging. This serum heals breakouts and fades marks. They do different jobs and work well together.

A note on the smell

This formula has an earthy, fermented scent — sometimes described as fishy. That's the yeast extract, at the level it needs to be at to work.

We don't use fragrance to mask it. What you're smelling is the active formula. Nothing covering it up, nothing diluting what it does.

What this replaces

Spot treatments that dry out a blemish but do nothing about the mark it leaves
Retinol, if your skin can't tolerate it
Using tools and exfoliation without a repair step
Waiting months for post-breakout marks to fade on their own

Key ingredients

Plant-Based EGF (sh-Oligopeptide-1) — The repair protein your skin already makes. Tells cells to multiply and rebuild.
Saccharomyces Lysate Extract — A yeast extract that speeds wound healing and calms inflammation and visible redness.
Ethoxydiglycol — A penetration enhancer. Drives the actives deeper into the skin instead of leaving them on the surface.
Green Tea + Lactobacillus Ferment — Antioxidant support. Calms visible redness.
Glycerin + Humectant Complex — Lightweight hydration that absorbs instead of sitting on top.
Aloe + Glucosamine — Soothing support and skin conditioning.

Full ingredient list

Water (Aqua), Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Glucosamine HCl, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Olive Squalane, Sorbitol, Yeast Extract, Butylene Glycol, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 sh-Oligopeptide-1, Xanthan Gum, Caramel, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol

Learn More

Product Details

Growth Factors That Heal Breakouts Faster

A plant-based EGF serum for adult acne and the dark marks it leaves behind. Breakouts clear faster. Marks fade quicker.

This is your repair step. Your skin turns over slower as you get older. Breakouts take longer to clear, and the marks they leave stick around longer than they used to.

It's called an Activating Serum because that's what it does. It activates your skin's own repair process.

What it helps with

Adult and hormonal breakouts
Post-breakout marks, also called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH — the red and brown spots left after a blemish heals
Dark spots, including melasma and sun damage
Slowed cell turnover and dull, uneven skin
Recovery after dermaplaning, microneedling, peels, and high frequency
Congestion and rough texture

How does EGF work on breakouts?

Plant-Based EGF

EGF — Epidermal Growth Factor — is a protein your skin makes. It tells your skin cells to multiply and rebuild damaged tissue.

Your skin makes less of it as you age, so repair slows down. This serum delivers more of the same protein, grown in plants.

Turnover is what clears the pore. Repair is what clears the mark.

Saccharomyces Lysate Extract

Speeds wound healing and calms inflammation.

That's why this works on skin that's already broken out, instead of making it worse the way retinol and benzoyl peroxide can.

Ethoxydiglycol

A penetration enhancer. It drives the EGF and yeast extract deeper into the skin instead of leaving them on the surface — and it's why the serum absorbs in seconds.

Why stripping your skin backfires

Your barrier is thinner than it was at 25. Products that dry a breakout out strip skin that's already fragile — and that means more inflammation.

Inflammation is what leaves the dark mark behind.

The pimple clears in a week. The mark stays for four months. Most people blame the breakout.

Why this is different

Three key ingredients, three jobs. EGF restarts repair. Yeast extract speeds healing. Ethoxydiglycol drives both deeper into the skin.
Doesn't sting or peel. Safe on skin that's actively broken out.
Layers under everything. Thin, fast-absorbing, no pilling.
No fragrance. Nothing in the bottle that isn't working.

This works best if

You still break out, and you're past the age you expected to
Your breakouts leave marks that last for months
You dermaplane, microneedle, peel, or use high frequency
Your skin stays red for days after you exfoliate or use tools
You can't tolerate retinoids
You've tried spot treatments that dry out the pimple but do nothing about the mark

How to Use EGF Serum With Your Tools

Use it morning and night. If you use tools, here's where EGF goes:

Microneedling: Apply EGF first, then roll. Or roll on clean, dry skin and apply EGF right after. Both work. How to microneedle at home.
Dermaplaning: Dermaplane, apply the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel, then EGF, then moisturizer. A small nick while you're learning? EGF helps it heal. How to dermaplane at home.
High frequency: Use your high frequency device first, then your peel, then EGF. High frequency treats the breakout. EGF heals it and fades the mark it leaves.
Peels: Apply EGF after your peel.

How long until you see results?

Weeks 1–3

Skin feels calmer
Less redness after tools and exfoliation
Some skin purges during this window — see How To Use

Weeks 4–8

Breakouts clear faster and stay smaller
Texture smooths and skin looks brighter

Weeks 8–12

Post-breakout marks visibly fade

Month 3 and beyond

Calmer, more resilient skin
Continued cell turnover support

Want marks to fade faster? Pair EGF with the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel. Together, post-breakout marks often fade in about 4 weeks.

Can this help melasma or sun damage?

Yes, it can help. For stubborn spots, pair it with our TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel for faster results.

A note on the smell

This formula has an earthy, fermented scent — sometimes described as fishy. That's the yeast extract, at the level it needs to be at to work.

We don't use fragrance to mask it. What you're smelling is the active formula. Nothing covering it up, nothing diluting what it does.

What this replaces

Spot treatments that dry out a blemish but do nothing about the mark it leaves
Retinol, if your skin can't tolerate it
Using tools and exfoliation without a repair step
Waiting months for post-breakout marks to fade on their own

Key ingredients

Plant-Based EGF (sh-Oligopeptide-1) — The repair protein your skin already makes. Tells cells to multiply and rebuild.
Saccharomyces Lysate Extract — A yeast extract that speeds wound healing and calms inflammation and visible redness.
Ethoxydiglycol — A penetration enhancer. Drives the actives deeper into the skin instead of leaving them on the surface.
Green Tea + Lactobacillus Ferment — Antioxidant support. Calms visible redness.
Glycerin + Humectant Complex — Lightweight hydration that absorbs instead of sitting on top.
Aloe + Glucosamine — Soothing support and skin conditioning.

Full ingredient list

Learn More

How to start

Start at night only, every other night, for the first two weeks.

EGF speeds up your skin's turnover. When turnover speeds up, congestion that was already forming under the surface comes up sooner than it would have. Easing in makes that milder and shorter.

If your skin is used to actives, you can go straight to twice daily. If a product has ever broken you out, start slow.

After that

Morning and night, every day.

EGF works while it's on your skin, then it's done — it doesn't build up a reserve. Twice a day keeps it working around the clock instead of half the time. This is the biggest difference between people who see a change and people who don't.

How much, and how to apply it

About a third of a dropper, morning and night. Face and neck.

Apply to clean, slightly damp skin. Damp skin helps it spread further and absorb faster.
Drop it straight onto your face, not into your palm.
Press it in with your fingertips instead of rubbing.
Follow with your moisturizer or oil.

At that amount, a bottle lasts about six weeks.

This serum is thin on purpose — that's what lets it absorb in seconds and layer under everything without pilling. It also runs if you use too much at once. Two smaller passes beat one heavy one.

Working on something specific? Post-breakout marks, your chin, wherever you tend to break out — concentrate the serum there rather than covering everything evenly.

Where it goes in your routine

Thinnest to thickest, always. This is the thinnest product you own, so it goes first.

Cleanse → EGF Activating Serum → retinol → moisturizer or oil

With retinol: EGF first, retinol on top. If your skin runs sensitive, alternate nights instead of layering them.

Using it with your tools

Microneedling and peels work by giving your skin a controlled amount of damage to repair — and the repair is where the result comes from. This serum is what makes that repair happen faster.

Dermaplaning strips away the dead surface layer, so the serum reaches skin that can actually use it.

High frequency needs clean, bare skin to work — a layer of serum blocks it. Apply after.

With microneedling

Cleanse, pat dry, apply the serum, then microneedle over it. Follow with your moisturizer.

After dermaplaning

Apply immediately, while your skin is freshly exfoliated and at its most receptive.

After a TCA Multi-Acid Peel

Apply once your skin is patted dry, to support recovery and calm visible post-peel redness.

With high frequency

Use the device first, on clean dry skin, then apply the serum.

On non-tool days

Morning and night, same as always. This is the step that holds onto what your tools started.

Purging vs. reacting

Some people break out in the first few weeks. Most of the time that's purging, not a reaction — and the difference matters.

Purging shows up where you already break out. It surfaces faster and clears faster than a normal breakout. It usually settles within three to five weeks.

A reaction shows up in places you don't normally break out, usually with redness, itching, or stinging.

If you're purging: keep going. Two things help — ease back to every other night for a week, and use your High Frequency device on clean skin before applying the serum. It calms inflammation and moves the purge along.

If you're reacting: stop, let your skin settle, then patch test on the side of your jaw before trying again. If it happens twice, this isn't the product for you — email us and we'll help you find what is.

What to expect

The smell. Earthy and fermented — some people say soy sauce. That's the yeast extract. We don't add fragrance to cover it. It fades as the serum absorbs.

The color. Naturally dark amber. Nothing is wrong with your bottle.

The texture. Thin and fast-absorbing. No tack, no film, layers under anything.

How to Use

How to start

Start at night only, every other night, for the first two weeks.

EGF speeds up your skin's turnover. When turnover speeds up, congestion that was already forming under the surface comes up sooner than it would have. Easing in makes that milder and shorter.

If your skin is used to actives, you can go straight to twice daily. If a product has ever broken you out, start slow.

After that

Morning and night, every day.

How much, and how to apply it

About a third of a dropper, morning and night. Face and neck.

Apply to clean, slightly damp skin. Damp skin helps it spread further and absorb faster.
Drop it straight onto your face, not into your palm.
Press it in with your fingertips instead of rubbing.
Follow with your moisturizer or oil.

At that amount, a bottle lasts about six weeks.

This serum is thin on purpose — that's what lets it absorb in seconds and layer under everything without pilling. It also runs if you use too much at once. Two smaller passes beat one heavy one.

Working on something specific? Post-breakout marks, your chin, wherever you tend to break out — concentrate the serum there rather than covering everything evenly.

Where it goes in your routine

Thinnest to thickest, always. This is the thinnest product you own, so it goes first.

Cleanse → EGF Activating Serum → retinol → moisturizer or oil

With retinol: EGF first, retinol on top. If your skin runs sensitive, alternate nights instead of layering them.

Using it with your tools

Microneedling and peels work by giving your skin a controlled amount of damage to repair — and the repair is where the result comes from. This serum is what makes that repair happen faster.

Dermaplaning strips away the dead surface layer, so the serum reaches skin that can actually use it.

High frequency needs clean, bare skin to work — a layer of serum blocks it. Apply after.

With microneedling

Cleanse, pat dry, apply the serum, then microneedle over it. Follow with your moisturizer.

After dermaplaning

Apply immediately, while your skin is freshly exfoliated and at its most receptive.

After a TCA Multi-Acid Peel

Apply once your skin is patted dry, to support recovery and calm visible post-peel redness.

With high frequency

Use the device first, on clean dry skin, then apply the serum.

On non-tool days

Morning and night, same as always. This is the step that holds onto what your tools started.

Purging vs. reacting

Some people break out in the first few weeks. Most of the time that's purging, not a reaction — and the difference matters.

Purging shows up where you already break out. It surfaces faster and clears faster than a normal breakout. It usually settles within three to five weeks.

A reaction shows up in places you don't normally break out, usually with redness, itching, or stinging.

What to expect

The smell. Earthy and fermented — some people say soy sauce. That's the yeast extract. We don't add fragrance to cover it. It fades as the serum absorbs.

The color. Naturally dark amber. Nothing is wrong with your bottle.

The texture. Thin and fast-absorbing. No tack, no film, layers under anything.

Who It's For

This is for skin that takes too long to heal.

A breakout that used to clear in a few days and now drags on for weeks. A dark mark that sits there for months after the blemish is gone. Skin that stays red for days after you exfoliate or use tools.

This is for you if

You still break out, and you're past the age you expected to. Adult and hormonal breakouts are the most common reason our customers use this.
Your breakouts leave marks that last for months. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — the red or brown spot that outstays the blemish. This is what this serum is best at.
You use tools. Dermaplaning, microneedling, peels, high frequency.
You can't tolerate retinoids. Sensitive skin, or you've simply stopped tolerating them. This supports turnover a different way, with none of the peeling.
Your skin heals slowly. Marks that linger, redness that stays, a face that takes a week to settle after treatment.
You've tried spot treatments that dry out the pimple and do nothing about the mark.

This is not for you if

Melasma or sun damage is your main concern. Different cause, different fix. Start with our TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel.
Lines and wrinkles are what you're after. Use our Retinol. This serum repairs damage; Retinol changes how your skin behaves over time.
You need to see something in three weeks. Breakouts clear faster at four to eight weeks. Marks fade at eight to twelve.
A short breakout period would make you quit. Some skin purges at the start. It clears, and it's the product working — but if that's a dealbreaker, better to know now.
You want a moisturizer. This hydrates, but it's a treatment step. You'll still want something over it.
The smell is a dealbreaker. It's fermented. We don't cover it up.

Press

2022 Who What Wear "Best Growth Factor Serums"

Product Details

Growth Factors That Heal Breakouts Faster

A plant-based EGF serum for adult acne and the dark marks it leaves behind. Breakouts clear faster. Marks fade quicker.

This is your repair step. Your skin turns over slower as you get older. Breakouts take longer to clear, and the marks they leave stick around longer than they used to.

It's called an Activating Serum because that's what it does. It activates your skin's own repair process.

What it helps with

Adult and hormonal breakouts
Post-breakout marks, also called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH — the red and brown spots left after a blemish heals
Dark spots, including melasma and sun damage
Slowed cell turnover and dull, uneven skin
Recovery after dermaplaning, microneedling, peels, and high frequency
Congestion and rough texture

How does EGF work on breakouts?

Plant-Based EGF

EGF — Epidermal Growth Factor — is a protein your skin makes. It tells your skin cells to multiply and rebuild damaged tissue.

Your skin makes less of it as you age, so repair slows down. This serum delivers more of the same protein, grown in plants.

Turnover is what clears the pore. Repair is what clears the mark.

Saccharomyces Lysate Extract

Speeds wound healing and calms inflammation.

That's why this works on skin that's already broken out, instead of making it worse the way retinol and benzoyl peroxide can.

Ethoxydiglycol

A penetration enhancer. It drives the EGF and yeast extract deeper into the skin instead of leaving them on the surface — and it's why the serum absorbs in seconds.

Why stripping your skin backfires

Your barrier is thinner than it was at 25. Products that dry a breakout out strip skin that's already fragile — and that means more inflammation.

Inflammation is what leaves the dark mark behind.

The pimple clears in a week. The mark stays for four months. Most people blame the breakout.

Why this is different

Three key ingredients, three jobs. EGF restarts repair. Yeast extract speeds healing. Ethoxydiglycol drives both deeper into the skin.
Doesn't sting or peel. Safe on skin that's actively broken out.
Layers under everything. Thin, fast-absorbing, no pilling.
No fragrance. Nothing in the bottle that isn't working.

This works best if

You still break out, and you're past the age you expected to
Your breakouts leave marks that last for months
You dermaplane, microneedle, peel, or use high frequency
Your skin stays red for days after you exfoliate or use tools
You can't tolerate retinoids
You've tried spot treatments that dry out the pimple but do nothing about the mark

How to Use EGF Serum With Your Tools

Use it morning and night. If you use tools, here's where EGF goes:

Microneedling: Apply EGF first, then roll. Or roll on clean, dry skin and apply EGF right after. Both work. How to microneedle at home.
Dermaplaning: Dermaplane, apply the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel, then EGF, then moisturizer. A small nick while you're learning? EGF helps it heal. How to dermaplane at home.
High frequency: Use your high frequency device first, then your peel, then EGF. High frequency treats the breakout. EGF heals it and fades the mark it leaves.
Peels: Apply EGF after your peel.

How long until you see results?

Weeks 1–3

Skin feels calmer
Less redness after tools and exfoliation
Some skin purges during this window — see How To Use

Weeks 4–8

Breakouts clear faster and stay smaller
Texture smooths and skin looks brighter

Weeks 8–12

Post-breakout marks visibly fade

Month 3 and beyond

Calmer, more resilient skin
Continued cell turnover support

Want marks to fade faster? Pair EGF with the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel. Together, post-breakout marks often fade in about 4 weeks.

Can this help melasma or sun damage?

Yes, it can help. For stubborn spots, pair it with our TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel for faster results.

A note on the smell

This formula has an earthy, fermented scent — sometimes described as fishy. That's the yeast extract, at the level it needs to be at to work.

We don't use fragrance to mask it. What you're smelling is the active formula. Nothing covering it up, nothing diluting what it does.

What this replaces

Spot treatments that dry out a blemish but do nothing about the mark it leaves
Retinol, if your skin can't tolerate it
Using tools and exfoliation without a repair step
Waiting months for post-breakout marks to fade on their own

Key ingredients

Plant-Based EGF (sh-Oligopeptide-1) — The repair protein your skin already makes. Tells cells to multiply and rebuild.
Saccharomyces Lysate Extract — A yeast extract that speeds wound healing and calms inflammation and visible redness.
Ethoxydiglycol — A penetration enhancer. Drives the actives deeper into the skin instead of leaving them on the surface.
Green Tea + Lactobacillus Ferment — Antioxidant support. Calms visible redness.
Glycerin + Humectant Complex — Lightweight hydration that absorbs instead of sitting on top.
Aloe + Glucosamine — Soothing support and skin conditioning.

Full ingredient list

Learn More

How To Use

How to start

Start at night only, every other night, for the first two weeks.

EGF speeds up your skin's turnover. When turnover speeds up, congestion that was already forming under the surface comes up sooner than it would have. Easing in makes that milder and shorter.

If your skin is used to actives, you can go straight to twice daily. If a product has ever broken you out, start slow.

After that

Morning and night, every day.

How much, and how to apply it

About a third of a dropper, morning and night. Face and neck.

Apply to clean, slightly damp skin. Damp skin helps it spread further and absorb faster.
Drop it straight onto your face, not into your palm.
Press it in with your fingertips instead of rubbing.
Follow with your moisturizer or oil.

At that amount, a bottle lasts about six weeks.

This serum is thin on purpose — that's what lets it absorb in seconds and layer under everything without pilling. It also runs if you use too much at once. Two smaller passes beat one heavy one.

Working on something specific? Post-breakout marks, your chin, wherever you tend to break out — concentrate the serum there rather than covering everything evenly.

Where it goes in your routine

Thinnest to thickest, always. This is the thinnest product you own, so it goes first.

Cleanse → EGF Activating Serum → retinol → moisturizer or oil

With retinol: EGF first, retinol on top. If your skin runs sensitive, alternate nights instead of layering them.

Using it with your tools

Microneedling and peels work by giving your skin a controlled amount of damage to repair — and the repair is where the result comes from. This serum is what makes that repair happen faster.

Dermaplaning strips away the dead surface layer, so the serum reaches skin that can actually use it.

High frequency needs clean, bare skin to work — a layer of serum blocks it. Apply after.

With microneedling

Cleanse, pat dry, apply the serum, then microneedle over it. Follow with your moisturizer.

After dermaplaning

Apply immediately, while your skin is freshly exfoliated and at its most receptive.

After a TCA Multi-Acid Peel

Apply once your skin is patted dry, to support recovery and calm visible post-peel redness.

With high frequency

Use the device first, on clean dry skin, then apply the serum.

On non-tool days

Morning and night, same as always. This is the step that holds onto what your tools started.

Purging vs. reacting

Some people break out in the first few weeks. Most of the time that's purging, not a reaction — and the difference matters.

Purging shows up where you already break out. It surfaces faster and clears faster than a normal breakout. It usually settles within three to five weeks.

A reaction shows up in places you don't normally break out, usually with redness, itching, or stinging.

What to expect

The smell. Earthy and fermented — some people say soy sauce. That's the yeast extract. We don't add fragrance to cover it. It fades as the serum absorbs.

The color. Naturally dark amber. Nothing is wrong with your bottle.

The texture. Thin and fast-absorbing. No tack, no film, layers under anything.

Who It's For

This is for skin that takes too long to heal.

This is for you if

You still break out, and you're past the age you expected to. Adult and hormonal breakouts are the most common reason our customers use this.
Your breakouts leave marks that last for months. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — the red or brown spot that outstays the blemish. This is what this serum is best at.
You use tools. Dermaplaning, microneedling, peels, high frequency.
You can't tolerate retinoids. Sensitive skin, or you've simply stopped tolerating them. This supports turnover a different way, with none of the peeling.
Your skin heals slowly. Marks that linger, redness that stays, a face that takes a week to settle after treatment.
You've tried spot treatments that dry out the pimple and do nothing about the mark.

This is not for you if

Melasma or sun damage is your main concern. Different cause, different fix. Start with our TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel.
Lines and wrinkles are what you're after. Use our Retinol. This serum repairs damage; Retinol changes how your skin behaves over time.
You need to see something in three weeks. Breakouts clear faster at four to eight weeks. Marks fade at eight to twelve.
A short breakout period would make you quit. Some skin purges at the start. It clears, and it's the product working — but if that's a dealbreaker, better to know now.
You want a moisturizer. This hydrates, but it's a treatment step. You'll still want something over it.
The smell is a dealbreaker. It's fermented. We don't cover it up.

Before & Afters

Epidermal growth factor before and after results

Press

2022 Who What Wear "Best Growth Factor Serums"

FAQs

Will this break me out?

Possibly, for the first few weeks — and that's usually purging, not a reaction.

EGF speeds up your skin's turnover, so congestion that was already forming under the surface comes up sooner than it would have. Purging shows up where you already break out, and it clears faster than a normal breakout. It typically settles within three to five weeks.

A reaction is different: it shows up in places you don't normally break out, usually with redness, itching, or stinging.

Starting every other night for the first two weeks makes purging much milder. If you're still getting worse after six weeks, stop and email us.

How long until I see results?

Calmer skin in the first few weeks. Breakouts clearing faster by weeks four to eight. Dark marks fading between weeks eight and twelve.

If you're three weeks in and impatient, you're on schedule. Keep going.

Does this help acne scars?

It depends what you mean, and most people mean two different things.

Most of what gets called "acne scarring" is actually dark marks — post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation left behind after a blemish heals. This serum fades those.

True scarring is a change in your skin's texture: pitted, indented, or raised areas. No serum fixes that, including this one. For texture, look at microneedling.

Does this treat melasma or sun damage?

No. Those have a different cause and need a different approach. This works on marks left by breakouts.

For melasma and sun damage, start with our TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel.

Where does this go in my routine?

First, right after cleansing. Thinnest to thickest — this is the thinnest product you own.

Cleanse → EGF Activating Serum → HA Serum → retinol → moisturizer or oil

Can I use this with retinol?

Yes. EGF first, retinol on top. If your skin runs sensitive, alternate nights instead of layering them.

Should I use this before or after microneedling?

Before, then again after. Cleanse, pat dry, apply the serum, microneedle over it, then follow with your moisturizer.

Can I use this with my high frequency device?

Yes — use the device first, on clean dry skin, then apply the serum afterward. High frequency needs bare skin to work, and a layer of serum gets in the way.

If you're purging, this combination helps move it along.

How much should I use, and how long does a bottle last?

About a third of a dropper, morning and night, on face and neck. At that amount a 1 oz bottle lasts around six weeks.

Apply to slightly damp skin and drop it straight onto your face rather than into your palm — it spreads further and you waste less.

Why does it smell like that?

It's the yeast extract, at the level it needs to be at to work. People describe it as earthy, fermented, soy sauce, sometimes fishy.

We don't add fragrance to cover it, because the fragrance would be the only ingredient in the bottle not doing anything. It fades as the serum absorbs.

Why is it dark brown?

That's the natural color of the formula. Nothing is wrong with your bottle.

Is this safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

This formula contains no retinoids, hydroquinone, or high-strength acids. That said, we're not in a position to tell anyone what's safe during pregnancy — check with your doctor or midwife before adding anything new.

Is it vegan? Gluten free?

Yes to both. The EGF is grown in plants — it isn't derived from animals or from human cells.

How do I use EGF after dermaplaning?

Dermaplane, apply the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel, then EGF, then moisturizer. If you get a small nick while you're learning, EGF helps it heal.

How often should I use EGF Activating Serum?

Morning and night.

What order do I use high frequency with my skincare?

Cleanse, high frequency, TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel, EGF Activating Serum, then moisturizer. Always use high frequency before your peel, never after.

Does high frequency fade dark marks from breakouts?

No. High frequency treats the breakout. To fade the marks breakouts leave behind, use EGF Activating Serum with the TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel.

Why does the scalp comb glow orange and the face electrodes glow purple?

The face electrodes use argon gas, which glows purple-violet and targets acne. The comb uses neon gas, which glows orange and stimulates the hair follicle. That's the design

How long should a session be?

Up to 10 minutes on the face. 5 minutes on the scalp.