This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Rosa Canina Fruit Oil to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf and Ascorbic 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 ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pseudozyma Epicola/Nitrosomonas Europaea/Oil Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Enterococcus Faecium/Saururus Chinensis Extract Ferment Filtrate
EmollientAspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Vitis Vinifera Oil
Perfuming
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, Pseudozyma Epicola/Nitrosomonas Europaea/Oil Ferment Filtrate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Enterococcus Faecium/Saururus Chinensis Extract Ferment Filtrate, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Taraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethyl Sulfone, Cetyl Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Pantothenic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 PhenoxyethanolXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
