Member Info for Toyin

Agree Aquae, well said!

Everyone needs to calm down. We have Zenakine, we have plenty of cash and our overheads have just come down.

Cool your jets people!

The reason it is vague is because there is an investigation, simple as that. They aren’t allowed to say anymore.

Dire, I couldn’t care less who launches first or who ends up selling the most, all I want is better comms on the money as was promised at launch nearly twelve months ago. That information affects nothing, everyone knows what we received in FY25 yet still no update, SA himself said to Elric its not hard to work out, well fooking tell us then, but he won’t because it hides the poor performing acquisitions.

All I want is this, look the acquisitions haven’t performed as expected but they have served their purpose, we won’t be buying anymore and we will be focusing on more deals with our IP, in H1 we received X from royalties.

Ox, yes you have to be very careful with AI as it highlights the age old adage, garbage in garbage out.

FWIW, on the information I gave it, It states earliest UK launch late 25 early 26 and suggest Medik8 will be first out the blocks as it is already a Sederma customer and has just been bought by L’Oréal.

Medik8 was acquired by L’Oréal in 2025, which gives it deeper R&D and marketing muscle. That could mean:

Potentially faster formulation cycles

More retail power to get the product into Space NK / Boots / global department stores

But even with that, established brands typically still follow the 12–18‑month launch cycle for new ingredient actives — especially one as science‑complex as Zenakine. To pin down the exact timing before public launch, watch for:

✔ Retailer waitlist signups or “coming soon” pages on Medik8’s site

✔ INCI ingredient lists updated with a trademarked active in regulatory portals

✔ Product listings appear on Space NK, Boots, Cult Beauty ahead of launch

✔ Early ingredient‑focused press releases (e.g., “first look,” “clinical evidence”)

These can appear 1–3 months before the official launch.

The second format (6–12 months later)

After the first serum succeeds, brands will broaden into:

Night cream / sleeping mask

K-beauty will do this first.

Why second? Because creams are for scaling volume after the ingredient story is validated.

What you probably won’t see first (but people assume)

These will come much later:

Product Why late

Eye cream hard to substantiate emotional claims locally

SPF circadian story breaks

Makeup regulatory risk for claims

Acne treatment different biological pathway

Retinol combos retinol dominates marketing

The exact product archetype I would bet on

If I had to describe the first Zenakine product before it exists: a lightweight milky or gel serum, applied at night, marketed as improving morning appearance after poor sleep within 2–4 weeks.

Price range: £28–£85 (sweet spot for Croda actives) Packaging: dark blue / purple / midnight themed (sleep cue — you’ll see this, guaranteed)

Why this matters (industry insight)

Zenakine isn’t just another peptide launch.

Croda is trying to open a new claim territory:

Not anti-ageing

Not barrier repair

Not microbiome

→ emotion-regulated skin

If it works commercially, you will see an entirely new aisle category appear within ~3 years:

“Stress skincare.”

And whoever launches first (very likely an agile clinical brand) will gain a disproportionate marketing advantage — similar to how brands that first adopted niacinamide or peptides dominated for years.

Because with Croda actives the vehicle (product type) is actually easier to forecast than the brand. Sederma doesn’t just sell an ingredient; they hand brands a pre-written marketing story + ready-made prototype formulas. Whoever follows the prototype fastest becomes the first launch. Zenakine is one of the most tightly “scripted” actives Croda has released in years, so the format is unusually predictable.

What Zenakine is designed to sell (not chemically — commercially)

Croda didn’t position it as:

anti-wrinkle peptide

barrier repair

microbiome

They positioned it as a neurocosmetic behavioural ingredient. Meaning the claim is not “your skin looks younger.” The claim is: your skin behaves differently because your nervous system is calmer. That matters, because cosmetic actives are always launched in the product category that best demonstrates their story in the first 14 days of use (marketing trial window).

Zenakine’s trial endpoints:

better sleep quality

morning glow

reduced “fatigue face”

emotional wellbeing markers

So we immediately eliminate:

cleansers (contact time too short)

SPF (daytime usage conflicts with circadian narrative)

exfoliants (wrong biology)

masks (infrequent use)

Only one category fits.

The first format will almost certainly be:

A night serum (not a cream)

Very specifically:

an “overnight recovery / sleep repair serum”

Why a serum instead of a cream?

Because Croda’s own data relies on:

gene expression modulation

circadian rhythm signalling

cortisol pathway regulation

Brands need a leave-on, high concentration, fast-penetration vehicle to legally support those claims. Serums are how you justify: “clinically proven to improve sleep-deprived skin. Creams dilute actives → weaker marketing claim.

Even more specific (this is the interesting part)

The first product using Zenakine will not be positioned as anti-ageing.

It will be positioned as:

fatigue / stress / burnout skin

This is a brand-new category forming in beauty right now called: psychodermatology skincare

Consumers increasingly believe:

stress causes acne

poor sleep causes ageing

anxiety shows on the face

Zenakine is literally the first large-scale ingredient built for that narrative.

Expect the marketing language to look like this

(you will recognise it instantly on shelves)

You will see phrases like:

“skin-brain axis”

“stressed skin”

“digital fatigue”

“urban stress defence”

“sleep-deprived skin recovery”

“circadian repair”

“overnight reset”

If a brand uses two of those phrases together → there is a very high chance Zenakine is inside.

PG, I remember someone posting an email response from Croda and they said look out for the INCI name, so it could be either/or. I would take SA's comment with a pinch of salt.

Bazza, I wouldnt be bothered about radio silence, what will be will be. MD holds all the cards now, at 20% he has the veto vote and I'm sure he's well aware of investor sentiment and the results of the AGM. He is obviously a highly intelligent operator. If he so wishes, he will decide how the company is run going forward, I shall follow the money man.

Makingmillions, I think we are undervalued and I do think the share price will go up. As I have said before, I am here for Zenakine and I believe that will be a great success. What we are discussing at the moment is the confusion regarding FY25 revenues and the broker note. This has been created by the BOD. In my opinion this has been an orchestrated story to cover up the failings of the acquisitions.

The company will perform due to Zenakine, irrespective of the BOD and the BOD is where my problems lie, I dont want them diluting Croda royalties anymore or wasting Croda royalties on more crap acquisitions.

Thanks Aquae, I shall focus on the benefits.

shy, I'm with Aquae on this one, the margins are to low for £700k plus of cash to be in there. The very fact that this is still a grey area to this day tells you everything you need to know. Anyone who isn't blocked from Singers can ask the question, the fact they wont tell you is another glaring admission.

The note was put out in such a way to create confusion to cover up the catastrophic miss of the acquisitions. Until someone can give me a rational explanation of why I am wrong Im sticking with my conclusion, hence my strong objection to more acquisitions.

Thanks Aquae, so seeing as reducing TEWL is the holy grail of cosmetics, can you tell me how Hishda can say there is no competition between Matrixyl and Zenakine?

Yes, Matrixyl (specifically Matrixyl 3000 and related peptide complexes) can help manage and reduce Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) by strengthening the skin barrier.While primarily known for its anti-aging, collagen-boosting effects, Matrixyl aids in skin hydration and repair, which directly impacts the skin's ability to retain moisture.

Yes, Zenakine™ is designed to help with Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) by acting as a neuroactive, stress-relief ingredient that mitigates stress-induced barrier damage.

Shy, there are a few points I would like to make.

Firstly Singers were a country mile out, they dropped the forecast from £5.3m (Cenkos) to £5.1m, actual revenues (exc Croda) came in at £3.88m, add Croda (which Singers didn’t have in their note) and we get to £4.6m. So at £3.88m they were still £1.22m out.

Now I believe this was orchestrated between the co and Singers to make it look like a small miss when in reality it was catastrophic. The reason I believe this to be the fact is that when I emailed SA & Keegan to ask the question, I got blocked by Keegan and banned from research tree, on the grounds I shouldn’t ask questions.

In the interview with Elric in December SA said, he couldn’t give the actual numbers because “that is a forward looking statement & that is illegal” that is absolute horse shyte. The orders that came in late (six weeks late) had to have come in no later than late August, he did the interview in December, ergo they already had the revenue so it wasn’t forward looking.

These are just a few points which prove that the acquisitions have massively underperformed and the co is using the broker and the NDA to create smoke and mirrors to throw investors off.

SA said to Elric, if the YE was six weeks later they would have smashed the numbers to pieces, then add Croda on top and we would have smashed it out the water. So let's see what numbers HY serves up. I cannot wait!

Aquae, can you tell me which Croda slide mentions "TEWL' or "tight junctions."

Thank you.

Aquae, it is being marketed as a neuroactive, show me any mention of TEWL or tight junctions. They have been removed.

https://www.crodabeauty.com/en-gb/products/product/5852-zenakine

Obsisian, I agree, the very fact that TEWL and tight junctions was completely removed from the benefits of Skinbiotix (which were the original claims that attracted Croda) and the fact that they went down the wellness/sleep route still annoys me, but this is the hand we are dealt and Croda are in full control. I’m sure Zenakine would retire Matrixyl tomorrow, but they will never allow it.

Regarding the 600 formulations, the jury is out, there is no evidence that suggests that statement is true. Croda have six formulations and that’s what I am working on. It is yet another pile of BS until proven otherwise.

Shy, I dont think SA would even guide as that could put him in hot water re the NDA, Singers state the terms of the deal are not disclosed so difficult to forecast. I think they have genuinely gone off Matrixyl with a finger in the air approach.

If anyone is interested this is a presentation with Hishda from Croda back in Oct 25 @ 42m 28s she states there is no competition between Matrixyl and Zenakine.

https://www.crodabeauty.com/en-gb/resources/webinars/bring-down-stress-ageing-by-improving-resilience-the-key-to-skin-longevity

Disco, my guess is its still MD, he is in a very strong position, he basically owns the BOD now.

Thanks mol, I particularly like "Premiumisation is accelerating” and "the market is evolving fast."

Net, let me try to explain to you in simple terms so you dont get confused.

Not once have I knocked the company, I have criticised the BOD and will continue to do so if they go down this path, as it is my right as a shareholder.

If the whole BOD got replaced tomorrow, the company would still be the company, the BOD and the company are two different things. I think the company has a great future with its IP and I believe Zenakine will be a massive success.

In a nutshell, the company is great, the BOD not so much. I hope they turn it around, I hope SA is a success, because if he is, we all win, thats what I want. But I will not sit here and listen to all this nonsense of how great everything is when it isn't. If you and certain others wish to bury your heads in the sand, thats your call, I like to deal with reality and honesty.

Beluga, I couldn’t care less what you or Elric think. You on the one hand don’t know why I say what I say, Elric on the other hand does, I am not surprised at his stance and he is entitled to it.

Nick, Bubs, thanks for the comments, it’s all about honesty and free speech, it’s good that we don’t always agree, that’s how you move forward.