This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This brightening serum is formulated around Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningMenadione
MaskingFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicBioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Glycol
SolventAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, Menadione, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Caprylyl Glycol, Biotin, Bioflavonoids, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Ascorbic Acid, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Inulin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Benzyl Glycol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Arbutin, Adenosine
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
Emulsifying4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin Protecting
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Disodium EDTA
BHA
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, 4-Butylresorcinol, Alpha-Arbutin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, BHA, BHT, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideWater. 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
