Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum Versus Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum

Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum Versus Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum versus Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening 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 Tranexamic Acid and Alpha-Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin. No concerns Water Niacinamide Glycerin Tranexamic Acid C13-15 Alkane Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Dicaprylyl Carbonate Ethyl Macadamiate Behenyl Alcohol Glyceryl Stearate Butylene Glycol Silybum Marianum Seed Oil Tocopherol Lactobacillus/Coconut Fruit Juice Ferment Filtrate Lecithin Bakuchiol Xanthan Gum Caprylyl Glycol Hydrogenated Lecithin Allantoin Glycine Soja Oil Hexylene Glycol Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract Glycine Soja Sterols Citric Acid Sodium Phytate Malic Acid Phenoxyethanol Ethylhexylglycerin Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, C13-15 Alkane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus/Coconut Fruit Juice Ferment Filtrate, Lecithin, Bakuchiol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Allantoin, Glycine Soja Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Malic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin Alpha-Arbutin Pentylene Glycol Tocopheryl Acetate Palmaria Palmata Extract Hydrolyzed Pea Asparagopsis Armata Extract Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Pancratium Maritimum Extract Ganoderma Lucidum Extract Lentinus Edodes Extract Lactobacillus Ferment Hydrolyzed Pea Protein Diacetyl Boldine Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Lactobacillus Bisabolol Panthenol Glucose Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide Pentapeptide-34 Trifluoroacetate C14-22 Alcohols Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate Hydroxyacetophenone Sorbitan Caprylate 1,2-Hexanediol C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside Propanediol Carbomer Sodium Chloride Sodium Succinate Sorbic Acid Sodium Benzoate Potassium Sorbate Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C13-15 Alkane, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Alpha-Arbutin, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Hydrolyzed Pea, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Diacetyl Boldine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lactobacillus, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Glucose, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Pentapeptide-34 Trifluoroacetate, C14-22 Alcohols, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sorbitan Caprylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Carbomer, Sodium Phytate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Succinate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol 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. C13-15 Alkane is a group of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. It is a solvent and texture enhancer. Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. 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%. Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created. Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin. Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on). 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