Topicals Faded Brightening + Clearing Serum Versus Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum

Topicals Faded Brightening + Clearing Serum Versus Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Mandelic Acid and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Tranexamic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Arbutin

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Behenyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Behenate

Kojic Acid

Oxidized Glutathione

Phenoxyethanol

Ceteareth-20

Lecithin

Sclerotium Gum

Zinc Ricinoleate

Arginine Hcl

Azelaic Acid

Squalane

Ceteareth-12

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Palmitate

Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Phytic Acid

Allantoin

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Melatonin

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tranexamic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Arbutin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Behenate, Kojic Acid, Oxidized Glutathione, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Zinc Ricinoleate, Arginine Hcl, Azelaic Acid, Squalane, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytic Acid, Allantoin, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Melatonin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Mandelic Acid

Butylene Glycol

Polysorbate 20

Lactic Acid

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil

Salicylic Acid

Superoxide Dismutase

Bakuchiol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Rumex Occidentalis Extract

Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract

Nonapeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40

Pterocarpus Marsupium Bark Extract

Glutamic Acid

Phenyl T-Butylnitrone

Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Panthenol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ascorbic Acid

Tocopherol

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Sorbitol

Dextran

Sodium Gluconate

Disodium Succinate

Acetyl Tributyl Citrate

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Mandelic Acid, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 20, Lactic Acid, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Salicylic Acid, Superoxide Dismutase, Bakuchiol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rumex Occidentalis Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40, Pterocarpus Marsupium Bark Extract, Glutamic Acid, Phenyl T-Butylnitrone, Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitol, Dextran, Sodium Gluconate, Disodium Succinate, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

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%.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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.

Sclerotium Gum is a natural sugar-based fiber made by fermenting a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. It's often used as the plant-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners like carbomer.

In skincare, it works as a thickener, gel former, and stabilizer that keeps heavy ingredients suspended so a product does not separate.

It is non-ionic and forms a triple helix in solution. This is just a fancy way of saying it builds a smooth, cushiony, and non-sticky gel that feels silkier than many other gums.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it is very sturdy and holds up across a wide pH range (~2-11). It's also good at resisting heat and hydrolysis.

Since it holds water at the skin surface, it can provide some light hydration as well.

Typical use levels are around 0.25-2%; formulators usually use 0.2-0.5% to thicken lotions and up to 2% for a firmer gel base.

This ingredient has been found safe in cosmetics with no meaningful evidence of skin sensitization.

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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