La Prairie White Caviar Pearl Infusion Versus Biologique Recherche Sérum PIGM 400 Brightening and Dark Spot-Correcting Serum for the Face

La Prairie White Caviar Pearl Infusion Versus Biologique Recherche Sérum PIGM 400 Brightening and Dark Spot-Correcting Serum for the Face

This brightening serum is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol to fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Propanediol

Glycoproteins

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment

Caviar Extract

Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Carnosine

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Lecithin

Calcium Alginate

Beta-Sitosterol

Phytic Acid

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Sodium Citrate

Acacia Senegal Gum

Tin Oxide

Citric Acid

Lactic Acid

Tocopherol

Squalene

Xanthan Gum

Sclerotium Gum

Alcohol

Parfum

Linalool

Benzyl Salicylate

Citronellol

Geraniol

Limonene

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

CI 77891

Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Glycoproteins, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Caviar Extract, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Carnosine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Calcium Alginate, Beta-Sitosterol, Phytic Acid, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Sodium Citrate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol, Squalene, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Alcohol, Parfum, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77891

Coco-Caprylate

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Soy Isoflavones

Hydrolyzed Prunus Domestica

Dictyopteris Membranacea Extract

Pancratium Maritimum Extract

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Oligopeptide-68

Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract

Glycine Soja Oil

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Polysorbate 80

Sodium Oleate

Disodium EDTA

Water, Coco-Caprylate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Soy Isoflavones, Hydrolyzed Prunus Domestica, Dictyopteris Membranacea Extract, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Oligopeptide-68, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 80, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Oleate, Disodium EDTA

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

This ingredient is also called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is denatured, meaning made undrinkable for cosmetic use.

In formulas, it:

Is it bad for your skin?

The answer comes down to concentration. Patch and wash studies have found highly concentrated alcohol-based hand rubs (60-100%) cause less barrier disruption than washing with a basic detergent like SLS. The only measurable effect in these studies was a temporary dip in skin hydration.

Concentrations below 12-15% in leave-on cosmetics is generally well-tolerated. Concentrations above start to see increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced hydration.

In concentrations about 58%, it creates temporary channels in your skin's lipid layers to become more permeable and allow other ingredients to slip through easily.

This ingredient can be up to 80% of the formula in alcohol-based perfumes.

Overall, this ingredient is probably harmless if found lower down an ingredients list but worth side-eyeing if it's high up (especially if your barrier is already struggling).

Alcohol can worsen dry skin, eczema, and oily skin, especially at higher concentrations. This is because it can increase transepidermal water loss and decrease hydration to disrupt the skin barrier.

According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.

True allergic contact dermatitis to ethanol is uncommon, but be sure to patch test if you have dry or sensitive skin.

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.

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.

Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

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.

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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