I have been making skincare in Okinawa for over seven years now. And for a few of those years, I carried a facial cream that worked for a lot of people. If you used it back then, you might have liked it.
But when I looked at it honestly as a certified skincare formulator, the actives were not targeted enough, and the oil base was not built for what most of the women coming to Sanbe actually needed. Skin that is shifting hormonally, becoming drier, more reactive, harder to keep comfortable, deserved more than what that formula was delivering. That is a hard thing to admit about your own product. But it is the truth, and it is why the anti aging cream exists.
The Anti-Aging Turmeric Face Cream replaced that original cream. Which took a long time to get there. I tested the formula through multiple versions of the emulsion system. And I am sharing the process with you here, including how I make it, because I think understanding what goes into a product changes how you feel about using it.
What I was really building toward was a longevity cream. A face cream that supports skin over time, not one that promises dramatic overnight changes. I still use the words anti-aging because that is what people search for and that is what the product addresses. But in my mind, this was always about longevity.
What This Face Cream Was Meant to Replace
The original Sanbe facial cream was a heavier moisturizer with less actives and antioxidants. It worked for many people, especially those in colder, less humid climates like the eastern US. But as I started hearing more from customers in their 40s and 50s, and as my own skin was changing, I noticed a gap.
Skin in perimenopause and beyond behaves differently. It holds moisture differently. It responds to stress and environment differently. A heavier face cream without nourishing ingredients would never be the right choice. I wanted to create a cream that functioned as a true facial moisturizer for skin that has shifted, without a heavy scent, but with the ingredients I had researched for years.
So I went back to the drawing board. I started with the base and built up from there.
How I Made It
Every batch of this face cream is made by hand in Okinawa. I heat up the water and oil phase, then combine them carefully at the right temperature. Once emulsified, I let everything cool down to below >40°C, and add the active ingredients plus preservative.
You will see in the video that it comes together slowly. That is intentional. I do not rush the mixing process. The texture you feel when you use the face cream comes from the time I take to make it, and from the ingredients themselves. Everything in this cream has it’s purpose.
The formula took a long time to finalize and stabilize. I went through multiple versions of the emulsion system before I landed on the one that gave me the texture I wanted. Our Anti Aging Turmeric Face Cream aka. Longevity Face Cream is stable, smooth, and absorbs into the skin without leaving a heavy/sticky residue.
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What I Put In It and Why
I want to walk you through the ingredients I chose, and what each one is doing in this formula. I am not going to go through all of them in detail, but I want you to know the ones that matter most to me.
Rose Otto Hydrosol as the Base. Most creams are built on water. I chose rose otto hydrosol from Rosa damascena as the water-phase base for this face cream. Rose hydrosol has a gentle, soothing quality that I wanted present at the foundation of the formula, not just added in at the end. It keeps the skin feeling balanced and calm, and it adds a softness to the texture that plain water simply does not give you. It is one of the more expensive choices I made for this formula. It was worth it.
Squalane. Squalane is one of my favorite ingredients in skincare. It is lightweight, absorbs easily, and supports the skin barrier without feeling heavy or greasy. The skin produces its own squalene naturally, but that production declines as we age. Replenishing it topically helps skin feel comfortable, supple, and more resilient. I chose squalane from olives, which is plant-derived and stable.
Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic acid is in this cream because skin that is aging or shifting hormonally loses its ability to hold water as efficiently as it used to. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it draws moisture in and helps the skin hold onto it.
Organic Calendula Flowers Infused in Hemp Seed Oil. This is one of the ingredients I did not include in the original draft of the formula and later added in because the skin feel of the hemp seed oil infused with calendula was too noticeable to leave out. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is one of the gentlest botanicals in skincare. It is deeply calming for reactive or sensitive-looking skin and supports the look of a soothed, even-toned complexion. I infuse it into organic hemp seed oil, which is rich in linoleic acid and absorbs beautifully without blocking pores.
Shea Butter. Shea butter is what gives this cream its body and its richness without making it feel thick or waxy. It is deeply nourishing, and it works well for skin that needs more support in its moisture barrier. I use it in a ratio that balances well with the lighter oils in the formula so the cream does not sit on the skin.
Turmeric Root Extract. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is the ingredient most people ask about first, and it is in the name of this face cream for a reason. I use the root extract, which contains curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its deep golden color and its antioxidant properties. Skin that has been exposed to UV damage, environmental stress, or hormonal shifts over the years shows signs of that over time. An antioxidant-rich ingredient like turmeric supports the look of healthy, even-toned skin. It is also one of the most studied botanicals in skincare research. The fact that it comes from Okinawan and Asian wellness traditions mattered to me personally when I was developing this formula.
Helichrysum Oil. Helichrysum italicum, sometimes called immortelle or everlasting, is one of the most expensive essential oils I use. I include it in this face cream because of how it visibly calms the look of redness and supports a more refined, even-toned skin surface over time. It is a powerful addition in small amounts, which I formulate according to EU fragrance allergen concentration limits for leave-on products.
Sunflower, Pumpkin Seed, and Mushroom Extract Blend. These three work together as part of the antioxidant and fatty acid support in this formula. Sunflower seed oil is rich in linoleic acid, which skin that is drier or more sensitive tends to be lower in. Pumpkin seed oil adds vitamin E and zinc. The Shiitake mushroom extract (Corthellus Shiitake) rounds out the blend with its own antioxidant properties. Together they support a complexion that looks nourished, bright, and well-fed.
The Anti aging Turmeric Face Cream ingredient list: *Organic Rose Otto (Rosa damascena) Hydrosol, *Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Squalane, *Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Cannabis Sativa Seed (Hemp) Oil, *Organic Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol (and) Benzoic Acid (and) Dehydroacetic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, *Organic Calendula Flowers (Calendula officinalis), *Organic Citrus Sinensis (Orange) Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phytate, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, *Organic Helichrysum Italicum (Helichrysum) Oil, *Organic Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Oil, Lecithin, Corthellus Shiitake (Mushroom) Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Citric Acid (pH adjuster). (*) Denotes a certified organic ingredient.
If You Are in Perimenopause, Here Is Why This One Hits Different
A lot of the women who come to Sanbe are in their 40s or going through perimenopause. I designed this cream with them in mind, partly because I was watching my own skin change and I wanted to understand what was actually happening. Read our Collagen After 40: How to Support Your Skin Naturally to understand your skin a bit better if you are in this season of life.
When estrogen starts to decline, skin loses some of its ability to hold moisture. Sebum production decreases. The skin barrier becomes easier to disrupt. You might notice your skin feels drier in the morning, or that products you used to love suddenly feel irritating, or that your complexion looks duller than it used to. That is not just aging. That is a hormonal shift showing up on your face.
This cream was built for that stage. The squalane, the hyaluronic acid, the calendula hemp blend, the shea butter. All of it is working together to support skin that needs more moisture support, more antioxidant protection, and a gentler touch than it might have needed ten years ago. I use this cream morning and night during the warmer months, and I have noticed the difference in how my skin feels over the long term.
The Hyaluronic Acid Rose Toner pairs really well with this cream for anyone going through this stage. Apply the toner first on damp or just-cleansed skin, then follow with the turmeric cream while the toner is still slightly damp. It makes a noticeable difference in how well the cream absorbs.
What This Face Cream Is Not
It is NOT a retinol cream. I made that choice intentionally. Retinol can be effective, but it can also be destabilizing for sensitive and reactive skin, especially during hormonal transitions. Plus its not derived from a natural substance. This face cream is built on botanicals that have a long history of use on skin without the irritation risk.
It is not a fast-fix product. I formulated it to be used consistently, morning and night, as your daily moisturizer. It's a longevity product.
It does not contain synthetic fragrance. The scent you notice is from the orange oil, turmeric oil, rosemary oil, and helichrysum oil. These are present botanical oils in concentrations that comply with EU fragrance allergen limits for leave-on products, which are stricter than U.S. standards. That matters to me because a lot of people with reactive skin can tolerate properly dosed essential oils when synthetic fragrance blends trigger them.
And it is not finished evolving. I want to eventually move away from the term anti-aging entirely and call this what I actually believe it is: a longevity face cream. When Sanbe is ready for that shift, this formula will be ready with it.
Try a Sample Before You Commit
If you have not tried this face cream yet and you are curious, here is a way to do it with less risk.
The Anti-Aging Turmeric Cream is part of our Travel Set aka. Sample Set, and also part of our Melasma Skincare Set. Lastly, when your cart reaches $150, you'll get to add a FREE sample bottle of the turmeric cream at checkout. It is a good way to feel the texture, smell the formula, and see how your skin responds before you invest in a full bottle.
Still not sure where to start? Take the Sanbe skin quiz, and it will point you toward the right routine for what your skin is going through right now.
Unlock the secret to your healthiest, most radiant skin ever!
Sanbe Beauty products are cosmetics formulated with plant-based, organic ingredients. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any skin condition. All product descriptions reference visible, appearance-based results.
