This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Squalane to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This smoothing serum is formulated around Salix Alba Bark Extract and Lactic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
ChelatingSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Juice
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Water
Skin ConditioningSilybum Marianum Ethyl Ester
Skin ConditioningGalactoarabinan
Glycerin
Humectant
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Cetearyl Olivate
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Butter Glycerides
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Shea Butterate
Emollient
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialSolanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
AstringentSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Arnica Montana Extract
Skin ConditioningBorago Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicSpiraea Ulmaria Extract
AstringentSambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
AstringentOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAroma
Sodium Phytate
ChelatingSodium Citrate
BufferingMica
Cosmetic ColorantAlcohol
Antimicrobial
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Water, Silybum Marianum Ethyl Ester, Galactoarabinan, Glycerin, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Sorbitan Olivate, Butter Glycerides, Isopropyl Shea Butterate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Citric Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana Extract, Borago Officinalis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sclerotium Gum, Aroma, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Citrate, Mica, Alcohol, CI 77891, CI 77491, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
Learn more about Citric 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 Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
