In luxury branded formulations, Vitamin C is a popular ingredient. However, less well-known ones are also used. These so-called "special ingredients" are likely used for marketing and to justify their high prices.

The following table shows some popular skin whitening ingredients used in luxury branded skin lightening formulations.

Vitamin C seems to be the most popular, but less well-known ingredients are also used. These “special” ingredients are likely to help each brand differentiate themselves from the competition, for marketing purposes, and to justify their high prices.

Brand Range/Product Whitening Ingredients Approx
Size		 Price in US$
Clarins White Plus HP Total Whitening Essence Alchemilla, Raspberry, highly stable Vitamin C, patented combination of Parsley and Chamomile 30ml $102.00
Shiseido White Lucent Concentrated Brightening Serum N Vitamin C, Asian plant extracts 30ml $97.00
shu uemura ‘White Recovery EX+’ Brightening Cream Ellagic acid, prune extract, sakura leaf extract, vitamin c derivative (ascorbyl glucoside), vitamin b3 30ml $55.00
Skinceuticals Phyto + Kojic acid, arbutin, cucumber, thyme 30ml $56.00
Christian Dior Diorsnow Sublissime Whitening Repair Essence Iris Florentina root extract 50ml $172.00
Estee Lauder
Spotlight
Skin Tone Perfector
 Vitamins C, E, natural botanicals 50ml $32.00
Clinique Even Better™ Skin Tone Corrector Vitamin C, “brightening yeast”, antioxidants 30ml $39.50
Elizabeth Arden Prevage White Concentrated Brightening Serum Idebenone, Soy Ferulate-C 30 ml $125.00
Chanel Chanel Precision Blanc Essentiel Nanolotion Liquorice extract, Vitamin C, Young Orange extract 150ml $72.00
La Mer La Mer The Whitening Essence -undisclosed- 30ml $230.00