This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Methylpropanediol
SolventPolyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-20
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sodium Phytate
ChelatingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion Stabilising3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Honokiol
Antioxidant
Magnolol
Antioxidant
Plankton Extract
Skin ConditioningBromelain
Skin Conditioning
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAlgin
MaskingSodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Methylpropanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sodium Phytate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cellulose Gum, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Honokiol, Magnolol, Plankton Extract, Bromelain, Papain, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Algin, Sodium Ascorbate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Nylon-11
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingGluconolactone
Chelating
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lecithin, Stearyl Alcohol, Nylon-11, Dicaprylyl Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Squalene, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Glycine Soja Sterols, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
