Conscious Chemist Pigmentation & Dark Spot Corrector Serum Versus Face Reality Skincare L-Mandelic Face and Body Wash

Conscious Chemist Pigmentation & Dark Spot Corrector Serum Versus Face Reality Skincare L-Mandelic Face and Body Wash

This brightening serum 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

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Propylene Glycol

Tranexamic Acid

Alpha-Arbutin

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Zinc PCA

Oryza Sativa Seed Water

Saccharomyces Ferment

Lactobacillus Ferment

Sea Water

Glycerin

Hydrolyzed Quinoa

Allantoin

Panthenol

Disodium EDTA

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Copper Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Tripeptide-1

Hexapeptide-9

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Harungana Madagascariensis Extract

Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil

Water, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Zinc PCA, Oryza Sativa Seed Water, Saccharomyces Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sea Water, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Allantoin, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Harungana Madagascariensis Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer

Sodium Cocoamphoacetate

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Gluconolactone

Mandelic Acid 1%

Honey

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Actinidia Deliciosa Fruit Extract

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Sodium Benzoate

Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Propanediol

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Gluconolactone, Mandelic Acid 1%, Honey, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Actinidia Deliciosa Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Benzoate, Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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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