What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantSodium Palmitate
CleansingDiglycerin
Humectant
Juglans Regia Shell Powder
Abrasive
Oryza Sativa Powder
Citric Acid
Buffering
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Tricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Gossypium Herbaceum Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobionic Acid
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Zea Mays Starch, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Palmitate, Diglycerin, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Oryza Sativa Powder, Citric Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Arbutin, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Gossypium Herbaceum Extract, Lactobionic Acid, Allantoin, Maltodextrin, Papain, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, 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.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Arbutin is a naturally occurring molecule (found in bearberry, cranberry, and blueberry) that is used in skincare as a gentle brightening agent to fade dark spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Chemically, it is a sugar-bound form of hydroquinone.
It works mainly by inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme your skin uses to make melanin. This means less new pigment gets produced over time.
There are two forms you'll see on labels: beta-arbutin (listed as just "Arbutin") and alpha-arbutin (the more stable and effective of the two).
The evidence behind this is solid: it's less cytotoxic to melanocytes than hydroquinone and comparably effective with kojic acid for hyperpigmentation.
One human study using a 10% solution reduced UVR-induced hyperpigmentation by 43.5% (jumping to 63.3% when paired with aloesin).
More recent clinical work backs it up too; a 2025 study on a 5% alpha-arbutin + 2% kojic acid cream found it comparable to triple combination prescription formulas but with lower recurrence for melasma.
Typical usage in cosmetics serums land in the 1-2% range.
It's a well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-photoreactive ingredient that also gives some antioxidant benefits too.
Learn more about Arbutin
