

Shankara Brightening Serum
A cruelty-free serum that contains exfoliants and hyaluronic acid.
Overview
What it is
Serum with 23 ingredients that contains exfoliants and hyaluronic acid
Cool Features
It is cruelty-free and reef safe
Suited For
It has ingredients that are good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
It doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates
Fun facts
Shankara is from India.
We independently verify ingredients and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Does this product need an update? Let us know.
What's inside (and what isn't)
Ingredients List
Dive into the full list of ingredients.
Garnet Powder
AbrasiveAloe Vera Vesicles
HumectantAloe Ferox Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSus Extract
Skin ConditioningBambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Arcticus Fruit Extract
AntioxidantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCurcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingSandalore
Ovum Oil
EmollientLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingHydrolyzed Wheat Grain Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningAgar
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPopulus Tremuloides Bark Extract
AntiseborrhoeicHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantLecithin
EmollientPullulan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGarnet Powder, Aloe Vera Vesicles, Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice, Sus Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Rubus Arcticus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Sandalore, Ovum Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Grain Extract, Water, Agar, Glycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Explained
Garnet Powder is an exfoliant.
Aloe Vera Vesicles are the extracellular vesicles isolated from the whole Aloe vera plant. It has anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and wound healing properties.
Aloe contains the antioxidants Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins neutralize free radicals.
It also contains sugars in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, choline, many common minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Vera VesiclesAloe Ferox Leaf Juice is the liquid expressed from the leaves of the aloe, Aloe ferox, Liliaceae.
Aloe contains the antioxidants Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins neutralize free radicals. It also contains sugars in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, choline, many common minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Aloe is known to be anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, healing, and protect against UV rays.
Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763764/
Learn more about Aloe Ferox Leaf JuiceWe don't have a description for Sus Extract yet.
Bambusa Vulgaris Extract comes from bamboo plant. Bamboo extract is skin conditioning and soothing.
Bamboo extract has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution. The antioxidant property of bamboo also makes it great at healing wounds.
Bamboos are rich in Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, and copper.
A recent study found bamboo extract might interrupt the process of hyperpigmentation.
Learn more about Bambusa Vulgaris ExtractRubus Arcticus Fruit Extract is an antioxidant.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.
This ingredient has many skin benefits:
This ingredient contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off molecules that damage skin cells.
On top of that, the antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.
Many components of tea have anti-inflammatory properties.
Polyphenols and L-theanine help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. The caffeine in Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract helps calm inflamed blood vessels.
Other compounds found in tea include: Vitamin Bs, linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.
Research has shown both drinking Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea and applying it to the skin can help boost skin elasticity and hydration. Studies also show using tea extract may reduce sebum, or oil, production.
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCurcuma Longa Root Extract is from the spice, turmeric. Besides being a healthy and delicious spice, turmeric also has plenty of skincare benefits. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial properties.
Turmeric contains curcumin, an antioxidant. Antioxidants help neutralize unstable free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules may damage your skin's cells and DNA. Curcumin may help with anti-aging.
Curcumin also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe skin and reduce irritation. On top of that, curcumin has been shown to help prevent hyperpigmentation from sun damage.
The anti-microbial property of turmeric can make it effective in treating acne. This property has also been shown to help regulate the production of sebum.
Learn more about Curcuma Longa Root ExtractCitrus Limon Peel Oil is created from the peels of the lemon. It is used to add a lemon-scent to products. Lemon peel oil also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. However, it may also cause phototoxicity and sensitize skin.
Lemon peel oil contains limonene, a skin sensitizing ingredient. Another component is furanocoumarin, which induces phototoxicity in skin.
Furanocoumarins bind and destabilize your DNA to increase the rate of sunburn.
Most reputable companies will remove furanocoumarins from their formulations.
Learn more about Citrus Limon Peel OilWe don't have a description for Sandalore yet.
Ovum Oil is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Wheat Grain Extract yet.
Water. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterAgar is the vegan substitute for animal-gelatin. It helps thicken and improve the texture of cosmetics. It comes from cell-walls of red algae.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThis is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateWe don't have a description for Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract yet.
Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseSodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.
This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.
As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.
This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that feeds fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPullulan is a low viscosity polysaccharide (a long chain carbohydrate) with binding and film forming properties when dissolved in water. It is used to create a "silicone-like" or silky feel in cosmetics without adding viscosity.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's ability to easily dissolves makes it a great carrier for active ingredients.
Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.
Learn more about PullulanXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumReviews
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Where it's from
Shankara is a Indian brand
We're dedicated to providing you with the most up-to-date and science-backed ingredient info out there.
The data we've presented on this page has been verified by a member of the SkinSort Team.
Read more about us· Published May 15, 2025 • Added by sneharamanan