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The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Alpha-Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin. This brightening serum

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum

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

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Propanediol

Ascorbic Acid

Alpha-Arbutin

Propanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin

Water

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Sodium Hydroxide

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Metabisulfite

Dehydroacetic Acid

Phytic Acid

Oligopeptide-1

Water, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phytic Acid, Oligopeptide-1

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

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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. 03Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  4. 04Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
  5. 05However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  6. 06Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
  7. 07In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  8. 08While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  9. 09Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
  10. 10Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
  11. 11However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's…
  12. 12Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  13. 13Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  14. 14Your 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.
  15. 15Aquaporin-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.
  16. 16This 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.
  17. 17Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  18. 18Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  19. 19Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
  20. 20Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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Product index

Related product references

Product

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The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream ingredients explained: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Cetyl Alcoho…

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03

Comparison edit

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