What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Methylpropanediol
SolventTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Menadione
MaskingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Crithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningDiamond Powder
Abrasive
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTrehalose
Humectant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Phenylalanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Lysine
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingThreonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Methionine
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingDextrin
AbsorbentCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Methylpropanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Astaxanthin, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Resveratrol, 4-Butylresorcinol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Menadione, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Beta-Glucan, Adenosine, Linolenic Acid, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Ferulic Acid, Xanthophylls, Diamond Powder, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Trehalose, Proline, Phenylalanine, Glycine, Lysine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Lecithin, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Tromethamine, Dextrin, Carbomer, Maltodextrin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Phytate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Pentapeptide-31
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialMyrica Rubra Bark Extract
Skin Conditioning4-Butylresorcinol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Pentapeptide-31, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Myrica Rubra Bark Extract
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as rucinol. It's an antioxidant and one of the best-studied tyrosinase inhibitors (skin brightener) in cosmetic chemistry.
This ingredient works in a few complimentary ways:
In head-to-head biochemical assays, it outperformed kojic acid, arbutin, and even hydroquinone at slowing melanin production.
Clinically, 0.1% has shown to improve melasma visibly after just 4 weeks. Another liposome-encapsulated version performed similarly well and an Indian study on 0.3% showed significant melasma reduction over 8 weeks with no adverse events reported.
This ingredient is generally well-tolerated. A very small amount of people have experienced mild dryness or peeling at a higher concentration (0.3%).
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is sensitive to air. Good formulations should account for this to keep your rucinol effective.
Be sure to also check out Thiamidol, another "hydroquinone alternative".
Learn more about 4-ButylresorcinolGlycerin (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 GlycerinRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract comes from rosemary. Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean.
While Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil can be volatile due to its fragrant properties, the fragrance components are usually removed in the leaf extract.
Rosemary Leaf Extract contains many antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid. Rosemarinic acid, a compound found in rosemary leaf, has been found to help soothe skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
