This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This brightening serum is formulated around Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ferulic Acid, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Levulinate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Phytate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Arctium Lappa Seed Oil
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Pinus Strobus Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine
Skin ProtectingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingSodium Phytate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Squalane, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Arctium Lappa Seed Oil, Triethyl Citrate, Pinus Strobus Bark Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine, Tocopherol, Ferulic Acid, Maltodextrin, Stearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Sodium Phytate, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant that can be naturally found in the cell walls of grains like rice, oats, and corn. It has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and has the ability to boost the performance of other antioxidants as well.
A well-known study found that adding Ferulic Acid to a solution of Vitamins C and E doubled the photoprotection of skin. This is why you'll often see it paired with Vitamin C or Vitamin E serums rather than sold on its own.
A 2025 review of 18 human studies found that using Ferulic Acid (0.5-1%) daily for one to three months showed improvements in:
As far as allergies go, Ferulic acid is generally well-tolerated but can cause an allergic reaction in very rare cases. It's also worth noting that Ferulic acid is often extracted from plant sources like rice bran or wheat bran, so be sure to path test if you have known grain allergies.
Outside of skincare, researchers are also looking into Ferulic Acid for its potential benefits in areas like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and heart health.
Learn more about Ferulic AcidGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
