Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum versus Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum .
Published on August 27, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 12 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain AHA, Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols 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.
Price
Ingredient Info
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum 53 ingredients
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum 40 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum 53 ingredients
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum 40 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum 53 ingredients
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum 40 ingredients
Water • Glycolic Acid • Glycerin • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Dimethicone • Sodium Hydroxide • Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer • Diisopropyl Sebacate • C13-16 Isoparaffin • Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Ascorbic Acid • Urea • Yeast Amino Acids • Trehalose • Inositol • Taurine • Betaine • Glutathione • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Cetearyl Isononanoate • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Oleyl Alcohol • Silica • Hexylresorcinol • Polysilicone-11 • Triheptanoin • Polyisobutene • Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture • Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract • Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower • Butylene Glycol • Mica • Hexylene Glycol • Sodium Surfactin • Xymenynic Acid • Tocopheryl Acetate • Peg-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether • Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract • Sorbitol • Tin Oxide • Xanthan Gum • T-Butyl Alcohol • Chlorella Vulgaris Extract • Decyl Glucoside • CI 77480 • Citric Acid • Caprylyl Glycol • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Benzoate • Potassium Sorbate • CI 77891
Water • Alcohol Denat. • Glycolic Acid • Butylene Glycol • Glycerin • Methyl Gluceth-10 • Dextran • Hexapeptide-2 • Rice Amino Acids • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Urea • Yeast Amino Acids • Trehalose • Inositol • Taurine • Betaine • Zinc Gluconate • Ascorbic Acid • Chitosan • Propyl Gallate • Nonyl Nonoxynol-10 • Lecithin • Tocopherol • Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Palmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin/Glycerin Crosspolymer • Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract • Chitosan PCA • Allantoin • Polyquaternium-10 • Sodium Metabisulfite • Sodium Sulfite • Sodium Hydroxide • Ppg-26-Buteth-26 • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Disodium EDTA • Limonene • Linalool • Parfum
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with research to back up its benefits. Its main role is to peel the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Glycolic Acid has shown to boost collage production, a protein that helps skin stay firm. Overall, Glycolic Acid helps with improving uneven tone, rough patches of skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. It also increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.
When applying Glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging. The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product.
Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 GlycerinMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 HydroxideMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, it also has plenty of benefits on your skin.
Vitamin C is best used for brightening skin. It improves dark spots, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. This is because it blocks the process of skin darkening when exposed to UV.
Remember: Vitamin C should not replace sunscreen!
Your skin uses vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen is one key component in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. Vitamin C also plays a role in regulating collagen, thus making it effective in improving wrinkles and fine lines.
Ascorbic acid shows potent antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. These antioxidants also protect skin against UV damage.
The best formulations include Vitamin E and/or ferulic acid. These two ingredients help stabilize and provide a boost in the benefits of ascorbic acid. This is because ascorbic acid becomes unstable when exposed to UV and air. In fact, you can tell your ascorbic acid has oxidized when it turns an orange-yellow color.
Ascorbic acid is generally compatible with other ingredients. However, using ascorbic acid with other active ingredients might cause irritation. Two ingredients: copper ions and benzoyl peroxide, will inactivate ascorbic acid completely.
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 AcidMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Learn more about UreaMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
We don't have a description for Yeast Amino Acids.
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Inositol is a sugar alcohol naturally found in the human body. Our bodies use this ingredient in the process of growing new cells.
Studies show inositol to be a key component for keratinocyte growth.
Keratinocytes make up the majority of the outermost layer of skin. These cells protect our skin from UV exposure, infection, and help keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient is also considered a humectant. Humectants help hydrate the skin by drawing moisture to it.
Learn more about InositolMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
We don't have a description for Taurine.
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
Betaine is a common humectant (a substance that promotes retention of moisture). It's known to be gentle on the skin and can help balance hydration.
Betaine is best for improving hydration and soothing irritated skin. Studies show betaine may help with uneven skin tones.
Betaine is naturally created in the skin and body. The form found within cosmetic products can be either plant-dervied or synthetic.
Learn more about BetaineMurad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 32.
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum 53 ingredients
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum 40 ingredients
Usage
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When to use
Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum 53 ingredients
Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum 40 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 12 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum.
See 12 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 4 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum.
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