This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Alpha-Arbutin to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This brightening serum is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate 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 ConditioningSantalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Undaria Pinnatifida Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Stearate
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Hydrangea Arborescens Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Rhizome Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Virginiana Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Santalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Alpha-Arbutin, Undaria Pinnatifida Cell Culture Extract, Niacinamide, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Astaxanthin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Hydrangea Arborescens Root Extract, Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract, Prunus Virginiana Bark Extract, Ubiquinone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Carbomer, Panthenol, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Alcohol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
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 a brightening active used to fade dark spots, melasma, and post-acne marks. Structurally, it is a hydroquinone with a sugar molecule attached (but is much gentler than raw hydroquinone).
It has a pretty elegant way of working; it slots into tyrosinase, or the key enzyme that your skin uses to make melanin), and competitively blocks it so your skin produces less pigment over time.
There are two forms of arbutin and alpha is the better one to reach for: it works at lower amounts, absorbs into skin more easily, and has a strong safety record.
The science backs this up too: lab and animal studies confirm it lowers melanin by blocking tyosinase and the more you use (up to a point), the more it works.
Human studies look good too.
A 2024 trial found a cream with 5% alpha-arbutin and 2% kojic acid worked about as well as a prescription melasma cream but with fewer side effects. Another study showed 2% alpha-arbutin paired with 10% Trihydroxybenzoic Acid Glucoside and sunscreen faded dark spots and melasma without causing irritation.
Concentration-wise, most serums land in the 1-2% range.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concluded that alpha-arbutin is safe in face creams up to 2% and body lotions up to 0.5%.
Overall, this is a well-studied and low-irritation brightener that's a great pick for anyone dealing with uneven skin tone. It also pairs well with vitamin C, niacinamide, and sunscreen.
Learn more about Alpha-ArbutinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
