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The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA Versus The INKEY List Rosehip Oil

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA Versus The INKEY List Rosehip Oil This brightening serum is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin. This barrier-repair oil is formulate

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA Versus The INKEY List Rosehip Oil

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

This barrier-repair oil is formulated around Rosa Canina Fruit Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Alpha-Arbutin

Propanediol

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Ergothioneine

Polysorbate 20

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Metabisulfite

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Ethoxydiglycol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Alpha-Arbutin, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ergothioneine, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Metabisulfite, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil 100%

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though 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.
  6. 06Carbomer 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.
  7. 07Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
  8. 08It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
  9. 09Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
  10. 10A 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.
  11. 11Ceramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
  12. 12You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
  13. 13The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
  14. 14Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
  15. 15Ceramide EOP is formally known as Ceramide 1.
  16. 16It is naturally found in skin and part of the intercellular "mortar" holding everything together in your outermost layer.
  17. 17EOP stands for a linked Ester fatty acid, a linked Omega hydroxy fatty acid, and the Phytosphingosine base.
  18. 18What makes Ceramide EOP special is its ultra-long fatty acid chain; this unique structure allows it to bridge the lipid layers in your skin barrier to prevent water loss (something no other ceramide can do).
  19. 19Low levels of Ceramide EOP have been found in people with eczema and psoriasis.
  20. 20Using it together with other ceramides, cholesterol, and linoleic acid have been shown to meaningfully improve hydration and reduce water loss.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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