This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This brightening serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Phytic 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 ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Morus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingPullulan
Silica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Coconut Alkanes, Hydrated Silica, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Pullulan, Silica, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Bis-Glyceryl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcumin
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phytic Acid
Chelating
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Decanal
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Ionone
Astringent
Ethyl Lactate
Perfuming
Vanillin
Masking
Isoamyl Acetate
SolventEthyl 2-Methylbutyrate
Perfuming
Methoxyphenylbutanone
Perfuming
Oxacycloheptadec-10-En-2-One
Perfuming
Dimethylhydroxy Furanone
MaskingEthyl Propionate
Perfuming
Ethyl Cinnamate
Perfuming
Hexenyl Acetate
Masking
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Benzyl Acetate
Masking
Ethyl Acetate
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Propanediol, Bis-Glyceryl Ascorbate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Coconut Alkanes, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Curcumin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Phytic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Decanal, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Ionone, Ethyl Lactate, Vanillin, Isoamyl Acetate, Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate, Methoxyphenylbutanone, Oxacycloheptadec-10-En-2-One, Dimethylhydroxy Furanone, Ethyl Propionate, Ethyl Cinnamate, Hexenyl Acetate, Triethyl Citrate, Benzyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateCoconut Alkanes is a lightweight, plant-derived emollient and solvent made from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
It spreads easily and adds a soft, silky, non-greasy slip, then evaporates rather than sinking into skin. Due to this behavior, it's prized as a natural and renewable replacement for silicones.
Typical use concentrations can go anywhere up to 20%.
The CIR Expert Panel has reviewed coconut oil and its hydrogenated derivatives and found them to be safe as used in cosmetics. It's a low-irritating and well-tolerated ingredient with no notable sensitization concerns.
Because it's a pure saturated hydrocarbon and not a free fatty acid or ester in the C11-24 range that Malassezia can feed on, it doesn't provide the lipids for Malassezia to feed on. This ingredient is generally regarded as safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coconut AlkanesCurcuma Longa Root Extract comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the turmeric plant.
While the official EU Cosing Database lists this ingredient as a fragrance, it actually does more than give products a scent.
This ingredient contains a group of yellow pigments called curcuminoids (mostly curcumin) that give it genuine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in skin.
Reviews of topical clinical studies have found turmeric/curcumin to be generally well-tolerated and useful across conditions like eczema and mild inflammation.
One thing working in its favor is that curcumin barely penetrates; in lab skin-permeation testing, the curcuminoids mostly stayed in the outermost layer of skin. This is a good thing because its soothing and antioxidant activity is a surface-level job anyway.
At this time, industry data shows there's no single "correct" cosmetic percentage. It's used across a wide range depending on the product and varies from tiny fractions of a percent up to a few percent.
Allergy-wise, curcumin is a documented (but uncommon) contact allergen. It can also cross react with related plants, so anyone with a turmeric/ginger/cinnamon allergy or reactive skin should patch test first.
Learn more about Curcuma Longa Root ExtractEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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
