What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingMomordica Charantia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLeontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Diethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
C12-14 Alketh-12
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Centifolia Flower Oil
Masking
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Arbutin, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Chlorphenesin, C12-14 Alketh-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Cyanocobalamin, Betaine, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Oil, Ferulic Acid, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Glutathione, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Glutathione is a tiny protein-like molecule (a "tripeptide" build from 3 amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid) that your body already makes on its own.
Inside your body, it acts as one of the skin's main antioxidants that help fight against free radicals.
In skincare, it's best known as a brightening ingredient that slows down tyrosinase, the key enzyme that makes skin pigment. It also nudges the skin toward making a lighter type of pigment instead of a darker one.
This is why you'll see it in products aimed at dark spots and uneven tone.
A small number of real human trials have found a topical glutathione lotion:
The honest caveat is that the current evidence is still thin (few studies, small groups, short timelines). Glutathione also doesn't absorb into skin very easily so results tend to be modest and fade if you stop using it.
One thing worth clearing up:
The scary side effects you may have heard about come from glutathione injected intravenously, which has real safety concerns. Applying it topically is a completely different thing and has a clean track record.
Most human studies used it around 2% (as Glutathione or Glutathione Disulfide) and a 2% oxidized glutathione lotion and a 2% S-acyl glutathione cream are the concentrations with actual clinical data behind them.
There's no established "ideal" percentage yet but 1-2% is the evidence-backed range.
Allergy-wise, there is very low risk for this ingredient; it was well-tolerated across the topical trials. Only one participant had mild temporary redness that cleared up on its own and another study reported no adverse reactions at all.
One trial had ~10% of users drop out for irritation was using a combination cream that also had 10% azelaic acid so the irritation likely wasn't from the glutathione. There's no notable contact-allergy signal for topical glutathione in the literature but patch-testing before first use is still sensible for those with sensitive skin.
Learn more about GlutathioneHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTranexamic Acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that is becoming one of the most exciting brightening ingredients in skincare.
Originally used in medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic agent, its skin brightening potential was discovered by accident; patients taking it orally started noticing their melasma was fading.
Unlike most brighteners that target tyrosinase (the enzyme that synthesizes melanin), TXA works further upstream. It basically blocks your cells from receiving the signal to produce pigment.
This makes it one of the rare actives that works on three pathways at once:
This makes it effective for treating melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and sun-induced dark spots.
The most effective cosmetic concentration sits between 2-5% and going higher doesn't boost results.
Side effects are generally mild; occasional irritation, flaking, or dryness have been reported at the start of use. Overall, this ingredient is pretty well tolerated, even by sensitive skin types.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it does not cause photosensitivity, so it's safe to use in the AM and PM.
Learn more about Tranexamic AcidWater. 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
