What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glutathione
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-23
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glutathione, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Resveratrol, Caprylyl Glycol, Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-23, Sh-Polypeptide-9
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Arbutin is made from hydroquinone and glucose. It may also be derived from the fermentation of soybeans.
This ingredient an antioxidant, meaning it helps protect your skin cells against damage.
Studies show this ingredient helps improve hyperpigmentation and fade discoloration.
Alpha-Arbutin may be used with other ingredients that help with hyperpigmentation. These ingredients include retinol, Vitamin C, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid.
Learn more about Alpha-ArbutinNiacinamide 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 NiacinamideSodium 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
