Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum Versus Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum
This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Glutathione to brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Cosmetic Colorant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Tristearate
Skin Conditioning
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Acetyl Cysteine
Antioxidant
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Chelating
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSilica
Abrasive
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Polyglyceryl-10 Tristearate, Ethoxydiglycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Water, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract, Glutathione, Acetyl Cysteine, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Ergothioneine, Tocopherol, Gluconolactone, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethoxydiglycol (aka Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether) is one of the cosmetic world's quiet problem solvers.
In a formula, it is a solvent that dissolves tricky ingredients that don't want to mix in and helps spread ingredients evenly across your skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling
This makes it great for hard-to-dissolve actives like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and self-tanner DHA.
It also has mild humectant and penetration enhancer abilities so it can help some actives absorb a little deeper.
The penetration boost is backed by lab research: studies using human skin samples found it improved how well an active dissolves into the upper layer of skin rather than tearing down your skin barrier. Reviews of its mechanism also describe it interacting gently with the lipids and water in your outermost layer of skin.
Just know this penetration-enhancing effect is not universal. It helps a lot in some formulas and did very little in others (so the benefit really depends on the specific product).
Safety-wise, the evidence is reassuring. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it's safe for use in cosmetics and recognized it as non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-comedogenic in skincare.
Typical leave-on skincare usage lands around 1-10%. The EU has sets caps of 2.6% in non-spray products, 10% in rinse-offs, 7% in oxidative hair dye, and 5% in non-oxidative hair dye.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
