This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Sodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Alpha-Arbutin, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Xylitol, Tromethamine, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylamide
Glycerin
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Sodium DNA
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea
Skin ConditioningLaureth-7
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylamide, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, Kojic Acid, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Alpha-Arbutin, Sodium DNA, Bakuchiol, Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea, Laureth-7, Ceramide NP
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
Alpha-Arbutin is a brightening active used to fade dark spots, melasma, and post-acne marks. Structurally, it is a hydroquinone with a sugar molecule attached (but is much gentler than raw hydroquinone).
It has a pretty elegant way of working; it slots into tyrosinase, or the key enzyme that your skin uses to make melanin), and competitively blocks it so your skin produces less pigment over time.
There are two forms of arbutin and alpha is the better one to reach for: it works at lower amounts, absorbs into skin more easily, and has a strong safety record.
The science backs this up too: lab and animal studies confirm it lowers melanin by blocking tyosinase and the more you use (up to a point), the more it works.
Human studies look good too.
A 2024 trial found a cream with 5% alpha-arbutin and 2% kojic acid worked about as well as a prescription melasma cream but with fewer side effects. Another study showed 2% alpha-arbutin paired with 10% Trihydroxybenzoic Acid Glucoside and sunscreen faded dark spots and melasma without causing irritation.
Concentration-wise, most serums land in the 1-2% range.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concluded that alpha-arbutin is safe in face creams up to 2% and body lotions up to 0.5%.
Overall, this is a well-studied and low-irritation brightener that's a great pick for anyone dealing with uneven skin tone. It also pairs well with vitamin C, niacinamide, and sunscreen.
Learn more about Alpha-ArbutinButylene 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 GlycolCaprylic/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 TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
