This brightening serum is formulated around Bakuchiol and Tranexamic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and soften the look of wrinkles.
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Centella Asiatica Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Glutathione
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningFucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Bakuchiol, Tranexamic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bisabolol, Glutathione, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Allantoin, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Phospholipids, Retinal, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningViola Tricolor Extract
EmollientLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
BHA
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethylhexanoin, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Bakuchiol, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, BHT, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Propolis Extract, BHA, Disodium EDTA, 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.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
