This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Citrus Tangerina Extract
TonicButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPolygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Choleth-24
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Saccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citrus Tangerina Extract, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycereth-26, Arbutin, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Choleth-24, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Adenosine, Sodium Phytate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycerin, Madecassoside, Maltodextrin, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Tocopherol, Asiaticoside, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arbutin is a naturally occurring molecule (found in bearberry, cranberry, and blueberry) that is used in skincare as a gentle brightening agent to fade dark spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Chemically, it is a sugar-bound form of hydroquinone.
It works mainly by inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme your skin uses to make melanin. This means less new pigment gets produced over time.
There are two forms you'll see on labels: beta-arbutin (listed as just "Arbutin") and alpha-arbutin (the more stable and effective of the two).
The evidence behind this is solid: it's less cytotoxic to melanocytes than hydroquinone and comparably effective with kojic acid for hyperpigmentation.
One human study using a 10% solution reduced UVR-induced hyperpigmentation by 43.5% (jumping to 63.3% when paired with aloesin).
More recent clinical work backs it up too; a 2025 study on a 5% alpha-arbutin + 2% kojic acid cream found it comparable to triple combination prescription formulas but with lower recurrence for melasma.
Typical usage in cosmetics serums land in the 1-2% range.
It's a well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-photoreactive ingredient that also gives some antioxidant benefits too.
Learn more about ArbutinGlycerin (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 Glycerin
