What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Terminalia Bellerica Fruit
AstringentGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Algin
Masking
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDimethyl Isosorbide
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Propanediol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Alpha-Arbutin, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Kojic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Terminalia Bellerica Fruit, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Algin, Sclerotium Gum, Dimethyl Isosorbide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Sd Alcohol 40-B
Astringent
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Glutathione
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventNiacinamide
Smoothing
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Squalane, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Alpha-Arbutin, Propylene Glycol, Kojic Acid, Glutathione, Azelaic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Niacinamide, Resveratrol, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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-ArbutinDimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula.
Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed.
It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself).
Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels.
Learn more about Dimethyl IsosorbideGlycerin (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 GlycerinKojic Acid is a naturally occurring organic acid that is produced during the fermentation of certain fungi. It is one of the most well-studied brightening ingredients (tyrosinase inhibitors) out there.
That's why you'll see Kojic Acid in products that target dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and general uneven skin tone. It also pairs well with other brightening actives like Alpha Arbutin, Glycolic Acid, and Vitamin C derivatives.
By latching onto the copper that the enzyme tyrosinase needs to function, Kojic Acid prevents less pigment from being made. It's so well-established that researchers regularly use it as the go-to benchmark when testing new brightening ingredients.
Some other perks include documented antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) Expert Panel concluded Kojic Acid is safe for use in cosmetic products at concentrations up to 1% and the EU's SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety) considers it safe as a skin lightening agent at concentrations up to 0.7%.
One thing to know about Kojic Acid is that stability is its weak spot; it is sensitive to light, heat, and air exposure and will oxidize/turn brown in formulations. Its derivative, Kojic Dipalmitate, was developed as a stable alternative.
Some individuals have reported contact sensitization so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or sensitive skin.
Fun fact: It was first discovered in 1907 and naturally occurs in the production of sake, soy sauce, and miso.
Learn more about Kojic AcidNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideWater. 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
