This brightening essence is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening essence is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Allantoin to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Serine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Poe/Pop Decyl Tetradecyl Ether
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
EDTA
ChelatingParfum
Masking
Ascorbic Acid, Pyridoxine Hcl, Allantoin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Serine, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Isopentyldiol, Propylene Glycol, PEG-8, Alcohol Denat., Poe/Pop Decyl Tetradecyl Ether, Sodium Metabisulfite, EDTA, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate is a version of ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C.
This ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
It helps with dark spot fading by interfering with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. Like other forms of vitamin C, this ingredient encourages the skin to create more collagen.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
One study found Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate to degrade in sunlight, but is stabilized when combined with acetyl zingerone.
Learn more about Ascorbyl TetraisopalmitateButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolEDTA is a chelating agent. This is just a fancy way of saying it grabs onto metal ions and holds them so they don't cause trouble.
Trace metals like iron, copper, and calcium sneak into products through water and raw materials. These metals make oils go rancid, cause color and texture changes, and stop preservatives and cleansers from doing their job properly.
EDTA locks them up so it's a neat little background helper ingredient.
Typical use is under 2% but numbers as high as 10-25% have been reported in hair color products.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel looked at the whole family and concluded they're safe as used. At cosmetic concentrations, they have not been found to be skin irritants or sensitizers.
Clinical testing has found no absorption through skin so the scary-sounding oral toxicity numbers from animal studies aren't relevant to a face cream.
One real formulation note: this ingredient is a penetration enhancer so it can slightly increase how much of the other ingredients get through (though this is more of a thing for formulators to work around).
Allergy is genuinely rare; there are a handful of case reports so be sure to avoid if you're patch test positive to EDTA.
Learn more about EDTAThis ingredient is more commonly known as IPMP or Isopropyl Methylphenol. It is a preservative and has antimicrobial properties.
According to the EPA, this ingredient is allowed for use in cleansers, creams, powders, bath products, toothpaste, perfume, and more.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about Parfum
