AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum Versus Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum Versus Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster

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

This pore-care serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide to refine the look of pores and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Sodium Hyaluronate

Propanediol

Erythritol

Butylene Glycol

Squalane

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract

Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Chlorphenesin

Arginine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Glutathione

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Disodium EDTA

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Allantoin

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Erythritol, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Chlorphenesin, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Glutathione, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Punica Granatum Extract

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Lactobacillus

Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice

Bisabolol

Silver

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3

Lysophosphatidic Acid

Lysolecithin

Lecithin

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate

Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract

Ribose

Ubiquinone

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Saccharide Isomerate

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Astaxanthin

Ergothioneine

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sea Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Maltodextrin

Xanthan Gum

Citric Acid

Polysorbate 20

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Sodium Gluconate

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Bisabolol, Silver, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3, Lysophosphatidic Acid, Lysolecithin, Lecithin, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ribose, Ubiquinone, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Astaxanthin, Ergothioneine, Glutathione, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sea Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glutathione is a tiny protein-like molecule (a "tripeptide" build from 3 amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid) that your body already makes on its own.

Inside your body, it acts as one of the skin's main antioxidants that help fight against free radicals.

In skincare, it's best known as a brightening ingredient that slows down tyrosinase, the key enzyme that makes skin pigment. It also nudges the skin toward making a lighter type of pigment instead of a darker one.

This is why you'll see it in products aimed at dark spots and uneven tone.

A small number of real human trials have found a topical glutathione lotion:

The honest caveat is that the current evidence is still thin (few studies, small groups, short timelines). Glutathione also doesn't absorb into skin very easily so results tend to be modest and fade if you stop using it.

One thing worth clearing up:

The scary side effects you may have heard about come from glutathione injected intravenously, which has real safety concerns. Applying it topically is a completely different thing and has a clean track record.

Most human studies used it around 2% (as Glutathione or Glutathione Disulfide) and a 2% oxidized glutathione lotion and a 2% S-acyl glutathione cream are the concentrations with actual clinical data behind them.

There's no established "ideal" percentage yet but 1-2% is the evidence-backed range.

Allergy-wise, there is very low risk for this ingredient; it was well-tolerated across the topical trials. Only one participant had mild temporary redness that cleared up on its own and another study reported no adverse reactions at all.

One trial had ~10% of users drop out for irritation was using a combination cream that also had 10% azelaic acid so the irritation likely wasn't from the glutathione. There's no notable contact-allergy signal for topical glutathione in the literature but patch-testing before first use is still sensible for those with sensitive skin.

Glycerin (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.

Niacinamide 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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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