Updated on March 21, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, oils, parabens or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum 24 ingredients
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% 15 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum 24 ingredients
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% 15 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Antioxidant 6 Benefits
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Cyclohexasiloxane is a type of silicone more commonly known as D6. It is an emollient and solvent.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
5 Concerns
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol and other additives. It has a low molecular weight and will evaporate quickly. This helps other ingredients become better absorbed and dry once applied.
Polymethylsilsesquioxane is a silicone used as a film forming agent.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is an emollient. Emollients help your skin stay soft and smooth by creating a thin film on top. This film helps trap moisture. It also helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness or helping to create a silky feel.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is a form of hyaluronic acid. It is created by the hydrolysis of hyaluronic acid with a high molecular weight. Once created, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid has a low molecular weight.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Preservative 5 Benefits 4 Concerns
Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer. It is used to stabilize products and bind ingredients. When hydrated, Polyacrylamide forms a soft gel.
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Laureth-7 is created by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol using ethylene oxide. Lauryl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with hydrating properties.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysilicone-11, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Salicylic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Toluene Sulfonic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, BHT, Laureth-7, Parfum
Antioxidant 6 Benefits
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Isononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
Coconut Alkanes is created from the fatty-acids of coconut oil. It is volatile, meaning it evaporates from the skin.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
This silica is mainly used to thicken oils and suspend particles in oils. It is not water soluble.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Glucomannan is a fiber created from the Konjac plant. It is an emulsifier and thickener.
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is created from fatty coconut alcohol, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
This ingredient comes from Hydroxystearic Acid, a fatty acid, and glycerin. It is used to thicken oils.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Coconut Alkanes, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Trihydroxystearin, BHT
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, it also has plenty of benefits on your skin.
Vitamin C is best used for brightening skin. It improves dark spots, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. This is because it blocks the process of skin darkening when exposed to UV.
Remember: Vitamin C should not replace sunscreen!
Your skin uses vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen is one key component in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. Vitamin C also plays a role in regulating collagen, thus making it effective in improving wrinkles and fine lines.
Ascorbic acid shows potent antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. These antioxidants also protect skin against UV damage.
The best formulations include Vitamin E and/or ferulic acid. These two ingredients help stabilize and provide a boost in the benefits of ascorbic acid. This is because ascorbic acid becomes unstable when exposed to UV and air. In fact, you can tell your ascorbic acid has oxidized when it turns an orange-yellow color.
Ascorbic acid is generally compatible with other ingredients. However, using ascorbic acid with other active ingredients might cause irritation. Two ingredients: copper ions and benzoyl peroxide, will inactivate ascorbic acid completely.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidSodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateBHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
BHT also helps stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Many products are sensitive to air and light. BHT prevents them from breaking down when exposed.
Ingredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
When to use
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum 24 ingredients
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% 15 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum 24 ingredients
Lapaki
This was my first vitamin C serum
I started using this because I was curious about Vitamin C and wanted to experience its benefits. This is a...
This was my first vitamin C serum
I started using this because I was curious about Vitamin C and wanted to experience its benefits. This is a really good and gentle Vitamin C serum for sensitive skin. Mine got used to it and now tolerates stronger products.
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% 15 ingredients
Yawnkun
This Vitamin C is not for beginners. I got a chemical burn because of this and had to take a break with some actives to restore my skin barrier....
This Vitamin C is not for beginners. I got a chemical burn because of this and had to take a break with some actives to restore my skin barrier. Turns out that I still had to dilute it with another cream / moisturizer so that my skin doesn't get irritated. I think there are better Vitamin C products out there. I guess a good point of this Vitamin C is that you don't have to refrigerate it and it doesn't oxidize.
