Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum Versus AnteAGE® MD The Brightener

Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum Versus AnteAGE® MD The Brightener

This brightening serum is formulated around Tranexamic Acid and Alpha-Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

This brightening treatment is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C13-15 Alkane

Tranexamic Acid

Glycerin

Alpha-Arbutin

Pentylene Glycol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Palmaria Palmata Extract

Hydrolyzed Pea

Asparagopsis Armata Extract

Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Pancratium Maritimum Extract

Ganoderma Lucidum Extract

Lentinus Edodes Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment

Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

Diacetyl Boldine

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Lactobacillus

Bisabolol

Panthenol

Tocopherol

Glucose

Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide

Pentapeptide-34 Trifluoroacetate

C14-22 Alcohols

Xanthan Gum

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sorbitan Caprylate

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Propanediol

Carbomer

Sodium Phytate

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Succinate

Sorbic Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C13-15 Alkane, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Alpha-Arbutin, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Hydrolyzed Pea, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Diacetyl Boldine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lactobacillus, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Glucose, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Pentapeptide-34 Trifluoroacetate, C14-22 Alcohols, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sorbitan Caprylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Carbomer, Sodium Phytate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Succinate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol

Niacinamide

Cetearyl Phosphate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Squalane

Acetyl Glucosamine

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Glyceryl Stearate

Polyacrylate-13

Acetyl Zingerone

Hexylresorcinol

Ethyl Linoleate

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Acetyl Cysteine

Nonapeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-5

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-62

Sh-Polypeptide-3

Sh-Polypeptide-10

Sh-Polypeptide-14

Sh-Polypeptide-66

Sh-Polypeptide-67

Sh-Polypeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-58

Sh-Oligopeptide-33

Trehalose

Mannitol

Polyisobutene

Polysorbate 20

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Lonicera Caprifolium Extract

Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract

Lactic Acid

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Cetearyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Squalane, Acetyl Glucosamine, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyacrylate-13, Alpha-Arbutin, Butylene Glycol, Acetyl Zingerone, Hexylresorcinol, Bisabolol, Ethyl Linoleate, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Acetyl Cysteine, Tocopherol, Nonapeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-5, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-62, Sh-Polypeptide-3, Sh-Polypeptide-10, Sh-Polypeptide-14, Sh-Polypeptide-66, Sh-Polypeptide-67, Sh-Polypeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-58, Sh-Oligopeptide-33, Trehalose, Mannitol, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lonicera Caprifolium Extract, Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract, Lactic Acid

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Alternatives

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.

Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.

It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.

A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.

In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.

You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.

Butylene 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.

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%.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Tranexamic Acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that is becoming one of the most exciting brightening ingredients in skincare.

Originally used in medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic agent, its skin brightening potential was discovered by accident; patients taking it orally started noticing their melasma was fading.

Unlike most brighteners that target tyrosinase (the enzyme that synthesizes melanin), TXA works further upstream. It basically blocks your cells from receiving the signal to produce pigment.

This makes it one of the rare actives that works on three pathways at once:

This makes it effective for treating melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and sun-induced dark spots.

The most effective cosmetic concentration sits between 2-5% and going higher doesn't boost results.

Side effects are generally mild; occasional irritation, flaking, or dryness have been reported at the start of use. Overall, this ingredient is pretty well tolerated, even by sensitive skin types.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it does not cause photosensitivity, so it's safe to use in the AM and PM.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

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