This acne serum is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol to clear breakouts and fade the look of dark spots.
This brightening eye mask is formulated around Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol and Sodium Hyaluronate to fade the look of dark spots and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Tapioca Starch
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glucosylrutin
Antioxidant
Isoquercitrin
Antioxidant
Pantolactone
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
ChelatingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carrageenan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium EDTA
ChelatingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Methylpropanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Tapioca Starch, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocoglycerides, Octyldodecanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Caprylyl Glycol, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinIsobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol (aka Thiamidol, made by Beiersdorf and used in Eucerin products) is a brightening ingredient that targets uneven skin tone, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation.
It works by blocking tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for melanin production, so less pigment is deposited into your skin.
What makes it stand out is how specific it is to human tyrosinase: it was discovered by screening more than 50,000 compounds against recombinant human tyrosinase rather than the mushroom version most older ingredients were tested on.
Thiamidol turned out to be superior to frequently used inhibitors of hyperpigmentation (kojic acid, arbutin, and even hydroquinone) in lab testing.
The clinical evidence is solid as well for a cosmetic ingredient; it matched or beat a 2% hyroquinone for mild-to-moderate melasma in a double-blind study, reduced visible age spots at concentrations as low as 0.1% within 4 weeks, and separate trials show it helps with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (the marks left behind after acne).
This ingredient is generally well-tolerated since it doesn't rely on the quinone-forming mechanism that can irritate skin. Studies also report minimal and self-limiting side effects.
Typical usage concentration in finished products is 0.2% (the same amount most of the clinical trials used) and it shows activity as low as 0.1%.
Overall, this is a better-researched brightening active and is a great option if pigmentation is your concern.
Be sure to also check out Rucinol, another "hydroquinone alternative".
Learn more about Isobutylamido Thiazolyl ResorcinolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTapioca starch is a thickening agent and is made from the cassava root, also known as yucca.
According to a manufacturer, it is an excellent talc replacement.
It is gluten-free.
Learn more about Tapioca StarchTrisodium EDTA is one of those quietly essential helper ingredients that most people have never heard of. You'll most likely spot it near the end of ingredient lists in almost every category of skincare.
So what does it actually do?
Its main job is chelation; this is a fancy word to say it grabs onto metal ions and neutralizes them. This is because even purified water in cosmetics contains trace amounts of metals that can cause big problems in a formula.
These trace metals can break down actives faster, cause discoloration, promote rancidity in oils, and make preservatives less effective. Trisodium EDTA binds to these metals and takes them out of the equation so your products can stay stable and effective for longer.
There's also an added bonus: by neutralizing the metals ions that bacteria need to thrive, this ingredient also acts as a preservative booster.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetic formulations. It is not considered an irritant, sensitizer, and is barely absorbed through the skin.
Learn more about Trisodium EDTAWater. 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
