QRxLabs Tranexamic Acid Serum Versus Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster

QRxLabs Tranexamic Acid Serum Versus Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster Detailed comparison of QRxLabs Tranexamic Acid Serum versus Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster. This brightening serum is formulated around Tranexamic Acid and Kojic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin. This pore-care serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide to refine the look of pores and strengthen the skin barrier. Water Propanediol Tranexamic Acid Dimethyl Isosorbide Glycerin Kojic Acid Niacinamide Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Polysorbate 20 Phenoxyethanol Hydroxyethylcellulose Caprylyl Glycol Tocopheryl Acetate Sodium Hyaluronate Disodium EDTA Sorbic Acid Citric Acid Water, Propanediol, Tranexamic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Kojic Acid, Niacinamide, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Sorbic Acid, Citric Acid Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract Punica Granatum Extract Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract Lactobacillus Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice Bisabolol Silver Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3 Lysophosphatidic Acid Lysolecithin Lecithin Laminaria Digitata Extract Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract Ribose Ubiquinone Chlorella Vulgaris Extract Saccharide Isomerate Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract Astaxanthin Ergothioneine Glutathione Sea Water Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Maltodextrin Ethylhexylglycerin Xanthan Gum O-Cymen-5-Ol Sodium Gluconate Sodium Hydroxide Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Bisabolol, Silver, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3, Lysophosphatidic Acid, Lysolecithin, Lecithin, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ribose, Ubiquinone, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Astaxanthin, Ergothioneine, Glutathione, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sea Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes. Like 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. However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products. Due 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. In skincare formulas, citric acid can: While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants. Most 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. Rosacea 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. However, 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 skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure. Dimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula. Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed. It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself). Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels. 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 i