Black truffle is one of the most expensive ingredients in skincare, and it is fair to ask whether it does anything or simply looks good on a label. Here is an honest answer: what researchers have found inside it, what those findings can and cannot tell you, and how we measured results on real skin.
What researchers have found inside black truffle
Tuber melanosporum, the Périgord black truffle, has been studied mostly as a food. Those studies are still useful, because they show what the truffle contains.
- Antioxidants. Phenolic compounds including gallic and protocatechuic acids, which help defend against the free radicals that break down collagen.
- Amino acids. Black truffle is notably rich in amino acids compared with other truffles. Amino acids are the building blocks of collagen and the main part of skin's own natural moisturising factor.
- Fatty acids. Including linoleic acid, which skin uses to build its barrier.
- Polysaccharides. Natural sugars valued in skincare for helping skin hold moisture.
- Ergosterol and anandamide. A natural sterol, and a compound skin also makes to help keep itself in balance.
Every one of these findings, with its reference, is on our Black Truffle Science page.
What laboratory tests show, and what they don't
In laboratory tests on human skin cells, a black truffle extract reduced oxidative stress by 66%, and by 64% when the stress was triggered by UVB. That is a meaningful result for an ingredient.
It is also a result in a dish. Skin cells in a laboratory are not a face, and an extract tested on its own is not a finished cream with dozens of other ingredients. Any brand that turns a laboratory figure into a promise about your skin is skipping a step. Ingredient research tells you why an ingredient is worth using. Only testing the finished product on real people tells you how it performs.
The Peptide Crème to renew, hydrate, strengthen and protect. The Eye Crème for fine lines and tired looking eyes. Or both together in the Black Diamond Duo.
Why we ferment it
Fermentation is one of the oldest processes on earth, the same one that turns milk into yoghurt. Research shows it breaks large compounds down into smaller ones and can increase an ingredient's biological activity. We hand harvest black truffles from our own grove in Australia and ferment them using our own process, developed over years of research. The result is the world's first bio-fermented black truffle skincare, naturally rich in peptides and amino acids.
How we measured results on real skin
Because laboratory findings are not enough, we tested the finished creams on women.
- 20 women, 90 days. In a consumer perception study of 20 women using The Peptide Crème and The Eye Crème daily for 90 days, 100% said their skin looked plumper and felt more hydrated, 94% noticed smoother, better textured skin, and 88% would recommend it to a friend.
- Real photographs. Marguerite, 72, shared magnified, unretouched photographs of her skin before and after two weeks with The Peptide Crème. Our founder, Sabina, shared her own eye area eight months apart, with no filter.
A consumer perception study records what women noticed and reported. It is not a clinical trial with instrument measurements, and we say so plainly. You can see the photographs and the full study note on our Why It Works page and our product pages.
How to judge any truffle skincare claim
Whichever brand you are considering, ask four questions.
- Was the result measured on skin cells, on an isolated compound, or on the finished product?
- How many people took part, for how long, and how was the result measured?
- Is the truffle named, and is it in the ingredient list near the top or the bottom?
- Are the before and after photographs unretouched, and does the brand say so?
Is it worth trying?
If your skin has changed through perimenopause or menopause and your usual products have stopped working, black truffle is a well founded ingredient to try, as long as it sits in a complete formula made for changing skin. The Peptide Crème is our face and neck cream, and The Eye Crème is made for the eyes and the fine lines around the mouth. Both come with a 60 day money back guarantee.
