Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Deep Whitening Cream Versus Hada Labo Overnight Treatment Smoothing Cream & Perfecting Serum
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Tranexamic Acid and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to fade the look of dark spots and calm redness.
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin)
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin), Glycerin, Diglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfite, Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDimethicone Crosspolymer-3
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Kjellmaniella Crassifolia Extract
EmollientLaureth-4
Emulsifying
Laureth-23
Cleansing
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPancratium Maritimum Extract
BleachingPEG-8 Methyl Ether Triethoxysilane
SurfactantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Physalis Angulata Extract
Skin ProtectingPullulan
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tetrapeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Trehalose, Triethylhexanoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorphenesin, Decylene Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Kjellmaniella Crassifolia Extract, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, PEG-8 Methyl Ether Triethoxysilane, Phenoxyethanol, Physalis Angulata Extract, Pullulan, Pvp, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrapeptide-5, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopheryl Acetate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTriethylhexanoin is created from glycerin and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. It is a solvent and emollient.
As a solvent, Triethylhexanoin helps dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
It is also an emollient and helps condition the skin.
Learn more about TriethylhexanoinWater. 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
