The INKEY List Brighten-I Eye Cream Versus Mary & May Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream

The INKEY List Brighten-I Eye Cream Versus Mary & May Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream

This eye moisturizer is formulated around Punica Granatum Seed Oil to hydrate skin.

This brightening eye moisturizer 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

Dimethicone

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Stearate

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Mica

Phenoxyethanol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Benzyl Alcohol

Polysilicone-11

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Gluconate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Silica

Dehydroacetic Acid

Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Trihydroxystearin

Tin Oxide

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glucomannan

CI 77891

Water, Dimethicone, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Polysilicone-11, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Dehydroacetic Acid, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Trihydroxystearin, Tin Oxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, CI 77891

Glycereth-26

Niacinamide

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

Beeswax

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Dipropylene Glycol

Isododecane

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Stearyl Alcohol

Glycol Stearate Se

Sodium Polyacrylate

Stearic Acid

Dimethiconol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Tranexamic Acid

Betaine

Glutathione

Panthenol

Parfum

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Butylene Glycol

Adenosine

Sorbitan Isostearate

Caprylyl Glycol

Trideceth-6

1,2-Hexanediol

Disodium EDTA

Ascorbic Acid

Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Beeswax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Isododecane, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycol Stearate Se, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Stearic Acid, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tranexamic Acid, Betaine, Glutathione, Panthenol, Parfum, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Butylene Glycol, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Trideceth-6, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbic Acid

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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%.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.

In cosmetics, it plays many roles:

One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.

For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.

As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.

Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.

This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.

You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.

Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.

An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.

So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.

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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