This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Arbutin and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate 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
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantTriethylhexanoin
MaskingIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose
EmulsifyingMethylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Triethylhexanoin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Arbutin, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPoly(2-Methacryloyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine-Co-N-Butyl Methacrylate)
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
PPG-17 Butyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDiethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventMethicone
Emollient
PPG-8-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingPolyacrylamide
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Methylparaben
Preservative
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PPG-7 Lauryl Ether
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingC16-24 Alkyl C16-24 Acidate
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ascorbic Acid, Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Poly(2-Methacryloyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine-Co-N-Butyl Methacrylate), Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PPG-17 Butyl Ether, Potassium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Methicone, PPG-8-Ceteth-20, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Hydroxystearate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Methylparaben, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, PPG-7 Lauryl Ether, Xanthan Gum, C16-24 Alkyl C16-24 Acidate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 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.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenPEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Pentylene 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 GlycolXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
