Naturium Alpha Arbutin Serum 2% Versus The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Night Treatment

Naturium Alpha Arbutin Serum 2% Versus The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Night Treatment

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside 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

Butylene Glycol

Alpha-Arbutin

Niacinamide

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Glycerin

Panthenol

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Phytate

Citric Acid

Disodium EDTA

Betaine

Potassium Sorbate

Tocopherol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Alpha-Arbutin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glycerin, Panthenol, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Tranexamic Acid

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Carbomer

Sodium Hydroxide

Cetearyl Olivate

Benzyl Alcohol

Sorbitan Olivate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Lecithin

Squalane

Sodium Gluconate

Polysorbate 60

Dehydroacetic Acid

Lactobacillus Ferment

Sorbitan Isostearate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tranexamic Acid, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Cetearyl Olivate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lecithin, Squalane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Polysorbate 60, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sorbitan Isostearate

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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.

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.

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.

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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