Skintific 3% Tranexamic Acid Advanced Bright Serum Versus The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum

Skintific 3% Tranexamic Acid Advanced Bright Serum Versus The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Tranexamic Acid 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

Pentylene Glycol

Betaine

Tranexamic Acid

Niacinamide

Alpha-Arbutin

Isononyl Isononanoate

Cyclopentasiloxane

PEG-32

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Ectoin

Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid

Allantoin

Centella Asiatica Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone

Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone

Soy Amino Acids

Acetyl Glucosamine

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide Ng

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Ceramide As

Arginine

Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate

Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopherol

Ergothioneine

Nonapeptide-1

Oligopeptide-1

Hexapeptide-2

Hexapeptide-9

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract

Carbenia Benedicta Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Glyceryl Stearate

Sodium Polyglutamate

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid

Dipropylene Glycol

Sodium Citrate

Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide

Carbomer

Cholesterol

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Propanediol

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Lactate

Polysorbate 20

Water, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Tranexamic Acid, Niacinamide, Alpha-Arbutin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-32, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Ectoin, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone, Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone, Soy Amino Acids, Acetyl Glucosamine, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ceramide As, Arginine, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Ergothioneine, Nonapeptide-1, Oligopeptide-1, Hexapeptide-2, Hexapeptide-9, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract, Carbenia Benedicta Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Carbomer, Cholesterol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 20

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

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.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

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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