L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Dark Spot Brightening Serum Versus Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Brightening Day Protection Cream SPF 15
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycolic Acid, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Panthenol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Tocopherol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Benzyl Alcohol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Salicylic Acid, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingPancratium Maritimum Extract
BleachingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingRhododendron Chrysanthum Leaf Extract
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningXylitol
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Water, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Rhododendron Chrysanthum Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Xylitol, Xylitylglucoside
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
