Galactomyces Glutathione Brightening Cream
Ingredients
galactomyces ferment filtrate, glycerin, cetyl ethylhexanoate, propanediol, dicaprylyl carbonate, 1, 2-hexanediol, betaine, cetearyl alcohol, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, methyl trimethicone, silica, cetearyl olivate, panthenol, phenyl trimethicone, potassium cetyl phosphate, water, sorbitan olivate, bisabolol, ammonium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, dipropylene glycol, squalane, laminaria japonica extract, eclipta prostrata leaf extract, 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid, glutathione, ethylhexylglycerin, fragrance, lavandula angustifolia oil, coptis japonica root extract, xanthan gum, butylene glycol, adenosine, fructooligosaccharides, sorbitan isostearate, t-butyl alcohol, hydrogenated lecithin, beta-glucan, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, allantoin, ceramide np, oryza sativa bran oil, oryza sativa bran extract, glyceryl stearate, phytosphingosine, cholesterol, ceramide ap, ceramide as, ceramide ns, caprylyl glycol, ceramide ng, ceramide eop, linalool, limonene
I really wanted to love this one.
The formula contains a serious amount of good ingredients. You get a high concentration of galactomyces ferment (64.69%), plenty of humectants, panthenol, beta-glucan, squalane, a full ceramide complex with cholesterol and phytosphingosine, plus glutathione and a vitamin C derivative. It's the kind of ingredient list that makes you think you're in for a fantastic brightening, barrier-supporting product.
In use, it was... ok. The texture is pleasant, layers well and feels comfortable on the skin. That said, I didn't notice much in terms of brightening. If my skin became more radiant, the effect was subtle enough that it never stood out. To be fair, I'm used to stronger vitamin C serums, so my expectations for visible brightening are probably higher than average.
My biggest issue, though, is the fragrance. It's not just that the formula contains fragrance; it's that, judging by the scent that strikes you as soon as you put it on, it probably contains a lot of it. The scent is not only strong, but it lingers long enough that I found myself actively avoiding the product. I never experienced any irritation or sensitivity while using it, but I also didn't apply it when my skin was more reactive. Ironically, the fragrance bothered me far more than my skin ever did.
Because of that, despite supposedly being a barrier supporting cream, I never felt comfortable reaching for it when my skin barrier was compromised after using stronger retinoids. I didn't want to take the risk.
What confuses me is that this product is marketed toward sensitive skin.
If that's your target audience, why add irritating fragrance ingredients so prominently? The underlying formula is already excellent—it has soothing ingredients, barrier supporting lipids and a thoughtful blend of antioxidants. It simply didn't need a perfume-like scent.
That's what makes this product so frustrating. It isn't a bad formula at all. In fact, it scores well on our classifier - that's how many good ingredients it has. But the aggressive fragrance takes away from the experience and makes it harder to recommend, especially to the people it's supposedly designed for.
If the brand released a fragrance-free version tomorrow, I'd be much more enthusiastic about recommending it. As it stands, I won't be repurchasing.