Glytone Enhance Brightening Serum Versus Allies of Skin Multi Acids & Retinoid Brightening Sleeping Facial

Glytone Enhance Brightening Serum Versus Allies of Skin Multi Acids & Retinoid Brightening Sleeping Facial

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

This smoothing overnight mask is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Niacinamide to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Azelaic Acid

Dicaprylyl Ether

Glycolic Acid

Glycerin

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Hydroxide

Dimethicone

Nylon-12

Benzoic Acid

Butylene Glycol

Ceteareth-33

Disodium EDTA

Parfum

Glycine Soja Oil

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Oligopeptide-68

Sclerotium Gum

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Oleate

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Azelaic Acid, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Benzoic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Ceteareth-33, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Oligopeptide-68, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Oleate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate

Polysorbate 20

Propanediol

Niacinamide

Hydrolyzed Silk

Yogurt

Lactic Acid

Salicylic Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment

Mel

Honey Extract

Panthenol

Allantoin

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3

Physalis Angulata Extract

Galactoarabinan

Globularia Alypum Leaf Extract

Dimethyl Sulfone

Zymomonas Ferment Extract

Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract

Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract

Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract

Mirabilis Jalapa Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

Bisabolol

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Rosmarinyl Glucoside

Caffeyl Glucoside

Gallyl Glucoside

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Gluconate

Maltodextrin

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Tetrasodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Silk, Sodium Hydroxide, Yogurt, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Mel, Honey Extract, Panthenol, Allantoin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3, Physalis Angulata Extract, Galactoarabinan, Globularia Alypum Leaf Extract, Dimethyl Sulfone, Zymomonas Ferment Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Mirabilis Jalapa Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Bisabolol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Rosmarinyl Glucoside, Caffeyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Gluconate, Maltodextrin, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA, 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.

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%.

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.

Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with tons of research backing its benefits.

It is found naturally in sugar cane but the form used in skincare is usually synthetic for purity and stability.

Glycolic acid removes the top layer of dead skin cells to allow newer and fresher ones to emerge.

AHAs work by breaking down the structural “glue” that holds old skin cells in place. When that buildup is gone, your skin can renew itself more efficiently.

Research also shows glycolic acid stimulates collagen production, helping to firm and thicken the skin over time. This is one of its biggest advantages over other AHAs.

Overall, glycolic acid helps with:

Fun fact: Glycolic acid boosts skin hydration by helping it produce molecules that increase hyaluronic acid naturally.

To work best, glycolic acid products should have a pH between 3-4 (that’s where exfoliation is most effective but still gentle on skin).

The pH and concentration of a product are key to its effectiveness:

It is normal to feel a slight stinging sensation when using glycolic acid. This usually fades as your skin adjusts.

Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size in the AHA family, it can penetrate deeper, which enhances its effectiveness but also makes it more likely to irritate sensitive skin.

If your skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, glycolic acid may be too strong; in that case, try milder options like lactic acid or a PHA instead.

Recent studies suggest glycolic acid might even help protect against UV damage. But don’t skip sunscreen! Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to the sun.

Glycolic acid is a skincare superstar. It smooths, brightens, hydrates, and firms the skin. Unless you’re highly sensitive, it’s well worth adding to your routine.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Sclerotium Gum is a natural sugar-based fiber made by fermenting a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. It's often used as the plant-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners like carbomer.

In skincare, it works as a thickener, gel former, and stabilizer that keeps heavy ingredients suspended so a product does not separate.

It is non-ionic and forms a triple helix in solution. This is just a fancy way of saying it builds a smooth, cushiony, and non-sticky gel that feels silkier than many other gums.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it is very sturdy and holds up across a wide pH range (~2-11). It's also good at resisting heat and hydrolysis.

Since it holds water at the skin surface, it can provide some light hydration as well.

Typical use levels are around 0.25-2%; formulators usually use 0.2-0.5% to thicken lotions and up to 2% for a firmer gel base.

This ingredient has been found safe in cosmetics with no meaningful evidence of skin sensitization.

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.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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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