Dorskin Beterskin Spot Savior Serum Versus Avoskin Your Skin Bae Tranexamic Acid 3% + Glycolic Acid + Cranberry + Licorice
This brightening serum is formulated around Tranexamic Acid and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and calm redness.
This brightening serum is formulated around Tranexamic Acid and Glycolic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pectin
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHoney Extract
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningPEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Tranexamic Acid, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Arbutin, Petrolatum, Triethanolamine, Isopropyl Myristate, Carbomer, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Pectin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-20, PEG-40 Stearate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Honey Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, DMDM Hydantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid 3%
Astringent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycolic Acid 0.5%
Buffering
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract 0.3%
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
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
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolTranexamic 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
