SKIN1004
SKIN1004 TONE BRIGHTENING CAPSULE AMPOULE 100ml
Niacinamide and tranexamic acid, in one bottle.
Positions three and five of twenty-six — two well-established tone ingredients, dissolved in the liquid.
The capsules melt as you press.
What this ampoule does
A 100 ml ampoule built on Niacinamide at position three and Tranexamic Acid at five, with centella extract, madecassoside, and suspended starch capsules.
What the capsules are made of
Zea Mays (Corn) Starch at nine, Microcrystalline Cellulose at eleven and Mannitol at twelve. Those three, held in suspension by xanthan gum and hydroxyethylcellulose, are what you can see floating in the bottle.
They are worth knowing about because the word "capsule" implies encapsulation — an active sealed inside a shell, released on application. That is not what is happening here, and the ingredient order shows it: Niacinamide is third and Tranexamic Acid is fifth, far above the capsule materials at nine to twelve. Ingredients dissolved in the water phase at positions three and five are not sitting inside beads at position eleven.
The capsules give a soft, powdery feel as they break down on skin, and they look like something is happening. Both are real and neither is bad. They are just not carrying the actives.
Tranexamic acid, at position five
This is the ingredient to buy this ampoule for, and almost nobody leads with it.
Tranexamic Acid is a synthetic derivative of the amino acid lysine. It works on pigment through a different route from either vitamin C or niacinamide — it interferes with the signalling that follows UV exposure and inflammation, rather than acting on pigment production directly or mopping up free radicals. That makes it the ingredient of choice for marks left behind by breakouts and for stubborn patchy pigment that other actives do not shift.
At position five it is present in a meaningful amount. Paired with niacinamide at three, this is two brightening ingredients working by two different mechanisms — which is a better formula than a large dose of either alone.
And a note on the vitamin C
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is at twenty-five of twenty-six. A trace. The same is true of the Tone Brightening toner in this range, and the Tone Brightening cream contains no vitamin C at all.
Across all three products, the brightening work is done by niacinamide and tranexamic acid. If you want vitamin C at a dose that matters, it is not in this line.
Key ingredients
Ingredient · What it is, and what it is used for
- Niacinamide
- Vitamin B3. Studied for evening out the look of tone, for the look of pores, and for breakout-prone skin — which is why it turns up in so much of this catalogue.
- Tranexamic Acid
- Synthetic derivative of the amino acid lysine. Works on pigment by a different route from vitamin C or niacinamide. Fifth on this list.
- Madecassoside
- Triterpene glycoside from Centella asiatica, isolated. Used to slow oxidation; used to calm irritation.
- Centella Asiatica Extract
- Extract of Centella asiatica, whole plant. Used to calm irritation; used to slow oxidation. Eighth on this list.
- Zea Mays (Corn) Starch
- Corn starch. Part of the visible capsules; gives a soft, powdery finish as it breaks down.
- Microcrystalline Cellulose
- Purified plant cellulose. The main structural material of the capsules.
- Mannitol
- Sugar alcohol. Part of the capsule material, and a humectant in its own right.
- Panthenol
- Provitamin B5. Used to calm irritation, and pulls water into the surface and holds it there.
- Lactobacillus Ferment
- Ferment of a Lactobacillus culture. Last on this list.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin
- Hydrogenated phospholipid. Keeps the ethyl ascorbic acid dispersed in a water-based formula.
- Xylitylglucoside
- Sugar derivative. Used to pull in water and hold it; part of a three-part pre-blended complex.
- Betaine
- Amino acid derivative from sugar beet. Used to pull in water and hold it. Seventh on this list.
How the formula works together
There is no oil, no silicone and no emulsifier system. This is a water gel with solids suspended in it: Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose and an acrylates crosspolymer set a viscosity high enough to hold the capsules off the bottom, with Arginine neutralising the crosspolymer.
The humectant set is Glycerin, Betaine, Mannitol, the Xylitylglucoside–Anhydroxylitol–Xylitol complex at 21 to 23, and Glucose. The calming set is Centella extract, Madecassoside and Panthenol.
Twenty-six ingredients, no fragrance, no essential oil, no alcohol and no acid other than the tranexamic acid, which is not an exfoliant despite the name.
Who it is for
Worth checking before you buy: The visible capsules are corn starch and cellulose — a texture, not a delivery system; the actives are in the liquid around them.
Labelled for tone. The formula points at post-inflammatory marks and patchy pigment specifically, which is what tranexamic acid is for. Bare enough to layer with a retinoid or an exfoliating acid without adding to the load. Sunscreen is mandatory alongside it.
How to use it
- Shake gently if the capsules have settled.
- Drop an appropriate amount and spread evenly.
- Pat until the capsules break down and it absorbs.
- Morning and night, followed by moisturiser — there is no lipid in this to seal it.
- Give it eight to twelve weeks. Pigment does not move faster than that.
Details
- Size
- 100 ml
- Made in
- Korea
- Brightening actives
- Niacinamide (3rd) and Tranexamic Acid (5th)
- The capsules
- Corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose and mannitol — texture, not encapsulation
- Ingredients
- 26, published in full below
Full ingredient list
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mannitol, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Madecassoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment
In label order, unedited.
Ships from Korea.
