This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Glucosamine to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening serum is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Kojic Dipalmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Morus Alba Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Broussonetia Kazinoki Root Extract
Skin ConditioningErgosterol
Skin ConditioningGalactoarabinan
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tetrahydropiperine
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Kojic Dipalmitate, Glycerin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Broussonetia Kazinoki Root Extract, Ergosterol, Galactoarabinan, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tetrahydropiperine, Glycolic Acid, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfite, Disodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/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
