This brightening serum is formulated around Glutathione to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening serum is formulated around Glutathione and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glutathione
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDiospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNeopentyl Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientSaccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Eicosanedioate/Tetradecanedioate
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glutathione, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether, Tocopherol, Cellulose Gum, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Eicosanedioate/Tetradecanedioate, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Hydroxide, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Carbomer, T-Butyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glutathione
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carnitine
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glutathione, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Cysteine, Glycine, Tocopherol, Betaine, Panthenol, Carnitine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Xanthan Gum
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
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlutathione is a tiny protein-like molecule (a "tripeptide" build from 3 amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid) that your body already makes on its own.
Inside your body, it acts as one of the skin's main antioxidants that help fight against free radicals.
In skincare, it's best known as a brightening ingredient that slows down tyrosinase, the key enzyme that makes skin pigment. It also nudges the skin toward making a lighter type of pigment instead of a darker one.
This is why you'll see it in products aimed at dark spots and uneven tone.
A small number of real human trials have found a topical glutathione lotion:
The honest caveat is that the current evidence is still thin (few studies, small groups, short timelines). Glutathione also doesn't absorb into skin very easily so results tend to be modest and fade if you stop using it.
One thing worth clearing up:
The scary side effects you may have heard about come from glutathione injected intravenously, which has real safety concerns. Applying it topically is a completely different thing and has a clean track record.
Most human studies used it around 2% (as Glutathione or Glutathione Disulfide) and a 2% oxidized glutathione lotion and a 2% S-acyl glutathione cream are the concentrations with actual clinical data behind them.
There's no established "ideal" percentage yet but 1-2% is the evidence-backed range.
Allergy-wise, there is very low risk for this ingredient; it was well-tolerated across the topical trials. Only one participant had mild temporary redness that cleared up on its own and another study reported no adverse reactions at all.
One trial had ~10% of users drop out for irritation was using a combination cream that also had 10% azelaic acid so the irritation likely wasn't from the glutathione. There's no notable contact-allergy signal for topical glutathione in the literature but patch-testing before first use is still sensible for those with sensitive skin.
Learn more about GlutathioneGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
