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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum versus Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide .

Published on February 25, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA, BHA, niacinamide and Vitamin C

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens and fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum French Brand France
Serum French Brand France

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA
Vitamin C
Vitamin E (2)
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin (3)
Redness Reducing (2)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (5)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (6)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (6)
Rosacea (5)
Eczema (4)

Notable Ingredients

AHA (2)
BHA
Vitamin C
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (2)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (6)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (5)
Rosacea (6)
Eczema (5)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. 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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Liked

We don't have a description for Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid.

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 14.

5
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.

Linalool has the same effect as Limonene when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.

Linalool has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.

Learn more about Linalool

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 6.

6
What it does: Perfuming, Tonic
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Geraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.

Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.

Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.

Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.

Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.

Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.

2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-

Learn more about Geraniol

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 7.

7
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, 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.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term '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. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

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

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 21.

8
What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.

Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.

In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

Learn more about Salicylic Acid

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 9.

9
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium 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 Hydroxide

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 8.

10
What it does: Perfuming, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term '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.

Learn more about Limonene

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 28.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 11.

11
What it does: Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.

Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.

Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.

Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.

Learn more about Benzyl Alcohol

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 39.

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 19.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

36% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
46% are disliked or very disliked
5% have no rating yet
48% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
43% are disliked or very disliked
5% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

L'Oreal Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum 39 ingredients

Glycolic Bright Instant Glowing Face Serum hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Garnier Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum with Niacinamide 21 ingredients

1.0 /5
from 2 ratings
DanielaBaez_950's avatar

DanielaBaez_950

8 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

Caused purge effect
I got small pimples, I used it for a month to give it a real try and it never got better, I didn't have too many pimples but I...

Caused purge effect
I got small pimples, I used it for a month to give it a real try and it never got better, I didn't have too many pimples but I got both cheeks which then left marks on my skin that Never had acne scars until now nothing recommended I hate it

ChienYun_CY's avatar

ChienYun_CY

11 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Cause my skin to breakout
Saw advertisements that this product is great at clearing acne spots and scars. But after 3 days of using the product I...

Cause my skin to breakout
Saw advertisements that this product is great at clearing acne spots and scars. But after 3 days of using the product I start getting many small red dots on different parts of my face. I tried to give a couple more tries only to get more acne growth. Was disappointed

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