This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Glutathione to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chitosan
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingBetaine
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Zea Mays Starch, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Chitosan, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Betaine, Glucose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Acetyl Glucosamine, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Dipropylene Glycol, Adenosine, Glutathione, Madecassoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Beta-Glucan, Cholesterol, Asiaticoside, Ascorbic Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Ferulic Acid, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, CI 77491
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare.
Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks:
In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen.
The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective.
A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model.
Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums).
Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin.
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
