Your skin repairs
itself every night.
This is what it runs on.
A nighttime face serum built around melatonin at full therapeutic concentration — the molecule that triggers your skin's circadian repair cycle, not just a trace dose added for the label.
The Biology
While you sleep, your skin
runs its most demanding shift.
Cell turnover accelerates. Collagen synthesis peaks. DNA repair enzymes become most active. This isn't metaphor — it's a documented circadian program, and it runs whether or not you give it the right inputs.
Most skincare applies an ingredient and hopes it does something. A nighttime formula should be designed around when the biology actually runs — and what it needs to run well.
The Science
Melatonin isn't a sleep hormone.
It's a repair signal.
The pineal gland produces melatonin to regulate circadian rhythm — that part is well known. Less known: the skin produces its own melatonin independently, and skin cells express melatonin receptors (MT1, MT2) that respond to topically applied concentrations.1
When melatonin binds those receptors, it doesn't just scavenge free radicals. It acts as an epigenetic switch — upregulating your skin's own antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. It triggers repair pathways, not just protection.2
The amphiphilic advantage: Unlike most actives which are either water- or oil-soluble, melatonin dissolves freely in both. This means it crosses every compartment of skin — through the hydrophilic intracellular space and the lipophilic membranes — reaching layers most topical actives simply cannot.3
¹ Slominski et al., 2005. ² Fischer et al., 2013. ³ Bangha et al., 1996. References describe ingredient research; HelioRhythm has not been independently clinically tested.
Reactive oxygen species neutralized per melatonin molecule.
Melatonin and its downstream metabolites form a cascade: each molecule passed along the chain neutralizes another ROS before the chain ends. Most antioxidants stop at one. Vitamin C stops at one. Melatonin keeps going.4
⁴ Tan et al., 2000. The cascading antioxidant reaction refers to melatonin and its metabolites AFMK and AMK.
Our Approach
Not a moisturizer with melatonin in it.
A repair formula centered on it.
We formulated around melatonin at 1% — the highest concentration supported by current EU topical research. Every other active was chosen because it works through the same biological pathways that melatonin opens at night.
The Formula
Five actives. One repair window.
Every ingredient is included because it amplifies what the others do. Nothing is here to pad an INCI list.
Melatonin 1%
Full therapeutic concentration
The circadian signal your skin is already designed to receive. At 1%, we're not including melatonin as a label ingredient — we're including it as the center of the formula. Melatonin's dual solubility (water and oil) means it reaches every skin compartment topically, something almost no other active can claim.3
Beyond direct antioxidant action, melatonin upregulates your skin's endogenous repair enzymes — SOD, catalase, GPx — essentially telling your cells to run their own defenses harder. And through its metabolite cascade, one molecule neutralizes up to ten reactive oxygen species before the chain ends.4
Coenzyme Q10
Ubiquinone — mitochondrial electron carrier
CoQ10 is the molecule your mitochondria use to generate cellular energy. It is also a fat-soluble antioxidant that declines measurably with age — measurably enough that researchers can date tissue samples by CoQ10 content. In the lipid phase of this formula, it integrates directly where mitochondria-dense dermal cells do their repair work overnight.5
CoQ10 and melatonin work through complementary channels: melatonin via receptor-mediated signaling and ROS cascade; CoQ10 via the mitochondrial electron transport chain. At night, when cellular energy demand for repair is highest, having both present is not redundant — it's synergistic.
Niacinamide 5%
Vitamin B3 — NAD+ precursor
In most serums, niacinamide is included for tone-evening and sebum regulation — which it does well. In this formula, it earns its place for a different reason: niacinamide is a direct precursor to NAD+, the coenzyme that powers the DNA repair enzymes (sirtuins, PARPs) most active during your skin's overnight cycle.6
Think of it as fuel for the machinery that melatonin turns on. A barrier-support effect is the secondary benefit; the primary role is enzymatic cofactor for the repair pathways running while you sleep.
Allantoin 0.5%
Comfrey-derived keratinocyte support
Allantoin accelerates keratinocyte proliferation — the skin cells responsible for surface renewal — and has a long history in wound-healing research. It softens the protein bonds between dead surface cells, supporting desquamation and making way for the freshly produced cells underneath.7
Night is when keratinocyte turnover peaks. Allantoin supports that turnover directly, and its soothing properties make the formula appropriate even for reactive skin types.
Panthenol 2%
Provitamin B5 — barrier co-architect
Panthenol converts to pantothenic acid in the skin, where it becomes a cofactor in fatty acid synthesis — the process that rebuilds your barrier's lipid layers. Paired with allantoin, it creates a wound-repair axis: allantoin handles cellular renewal, panthenol handles barrier reconstruction.8
In a nighttime formula, barrier repair isn't cosmetic — it's what keeps the repair factors in and the environmental stressors out during the hours when your skin is most actively rebuilding.
Hyaluronic Acid (multi-weight) + Lipid Phase
Hydration architecture
Multi-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid provides hydration at both surface and deeper dermal levels — high molecular weight forms a film at the surface, low molecular weight penetrates further. The lipid phase carries the oil-soluble actives (CoQ10) and mirrors the skin's own barrier lipids, supporting occlusion through the night.
No mineral oil. No silicones. The texture is intentionally slightly richer than a daytime serum — nighttime repair requires a degree of occlusion that would feel heavy at 8am and is exactly right at 11pm.
⁵ Crane et al., 2013. ⁶ Benavente et al., 2012. ⁷ Araújo et al., 2010. ⁸ Ebner et al., 2002. References describe ingredient research, not claims about HelioRhythm's clinical efficacy.
Honest Comparison
How HelioRhythm compares.
| Feature | HelioRhythm Night | Standard night cream | Retinol serum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melatonin at therapeutic dose | ✓ | — | — |
| Targets circadian repair cycle | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| NAD+ pathway support (Niacinamide) | ✓ | — | — |
| Suitable for sensitive skin | ✓ | — | ✗ |
| Fragrance-free, alcohol-free | ✓ | — | — |
| Halal-compliant & vegan | ✓ | — | — |
HelioRhythm is a cosmetic serum, not a medical treatment. It is designed to support the skin's natural overnight processes, not to diagnose or treat any condition.
The Ritual
Three minutes before bed.
Eight hours of work.
Cleanse
After your evening cleanser, on slightly damp skin. Remove makeup, sunscreen, and the day's oxidative load before applying.
Apply 4–5 drops
Press gently into face, neck, and décolleté. Do not rub. Allow the lipid phase to begin absorbing — around 60 seconds.
Let the night run it
No SPF needed. No next step. Sleep. Your skin's circadian program takes it from here — the serum is designed to work with that program, not over it.
Why I Made This
A note from the founder.
[Placeholder — your story goes here.]
I started HelioRhythm because [the personal reason — a moment you noticed something about skin recovery, sleep, or the gap between what skincare claims and what biology actually does].
When I looked for a nighttime serum built around the actual molecular mechanisms of skin repair — not just moisture and retinol — I couldn't find one. So I worked with [chemist / lab partner] in [country] to formulate this.
Melatonin is in this bottle because of what the research says it does inside a skin cell, not because it's an interesting marketing word. Every other ingredient is there because it supports those same pathways. If the science isn't there, the ingredient isn't there.
— [Your name], Founder
30-day refund
Try it for a full month. If you're not convinced, we refund in full — bottle empty or full.
Made in EU
Manufactured in a GMP-certified facility under European cosmetics regulation. Transparent supply chain.
Vegan & Halal
No animal-derived ingredients. Every raw material verified for halal compliance.
Questions
Honest answers.
Will the melatonin in this affect my sleep?
No. Topical melatonin applied to the skin does not meaningfully raise systemic melatonin levels the way an oral supplement does. The concentrations used in cosmetic formulations and the absorption profile of the skin mean this serum will not function as a sleep aid. It's formulated for your skin cells, not your pineal gland.
Is melatonin legal as a skincare ingredient in the EU?
Yes. Melatonin is not listed as a prohibited or restricted ingredient under EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. It is used legally in cosmetic products across the EU at concentrations supported by safety data. Our formulation complies with all applicable EU cosmetic regulations and will undergo full EU-required safety assessment before launch.
Can I use this alongside retinol?
We'd suggest using HelioRhythm on nights when you're not using retinol, or applying HelioRhythm first and waiting 20 minutes before applying retinol on top. Melatonin and retinol address different mechanisms — there's no known adverse interaction, but layering two active serums in one application isn't necessary and can irritate sensitive skin. Use one or the other on any given night if your skin is reactive.
Is this clinically tested?
The individual active ingredients are extensively documented in peer-reviewed literature, which we cite throughout this page. The finished HelioRhythm formula will undergo full EU safety and stability testing before it ships. We have not conducted proprietary clinical-efficacy trials on the finished product — we'll share results transparently when we do.
Will it work for sensitive skin?
The formula is fragrance-free, alcohol-free, and built around ingredients (allantoin, panthenol, hyaluronic acid) with strong track records on sensitive skin. Melatonin itself has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. As with any new product, patch test on the inner forearm for 24 hours before full application. If you're on prescription skin treatments, consult your dermatologist.
When does it ship and why reserve now?
The first batch ships Q3 2026. We're producing in small runs deliberately — smaller batches mean fresher active ingredients, tighter quality control, and less time between manufacture and your skin. Reserving now locks in the €49 launch price; future batches will be €69. No payment is taken until we're ready to ship and confirm your order.
Reserve Your Bottle
First batch. €49 each.
Ships Q3 2026.
Drop your email to reserve at the launch price. After the first batch ships, the price goes to €69. We'll send one email when it's ready — no marketing list, no spam.
