Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum versus Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum .
Last updated on September 07, 2023. Published on November 05, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants 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 harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Price
Ingredient Info
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum 12 ingredients
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum 40 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum 12 ingredients
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum 40 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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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:
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 3 ingredients 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:
Benefits
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum 12 ingredients
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum 40 ingredients
Water • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate • Dimethicone • Glycerin • C9-12 Alkane • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Silica • Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Xanthan Gum • Oryza Sativa Bran Extract • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Cetyl Alcohol • Caprylyl Glycol • Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate • Coco-Caprylate • Tocopherol • Glutathione • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Phytate • Hexylene Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract • Urea • Mannitol • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Sodium PCA • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Polysorbate 60 • Sorbitan Isostearate • Trehalose • Ascorbic Acid • Glucose • Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract • Polyquaternium-51 • Ergothioneine • Triacetin • Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterApolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinApolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
Ascorbyl Glucoside is a stable form of Vitamin C. It is created by combining glucose from starch.
When applied to skin, Ascorbyl Glucoside turns into Ascorbic Acid.
Ascorbyl Glucoside is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may damage skin cells.
It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Ascorbyl GlucosideApolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Sodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid and is naturally occurring on human skin.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
Sodium PCA is a has conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAApolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumApolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Sodium Citrate helps maintain the pH of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Sodium Citrate is a chelating agent. It neutralizes metal ions from water and prevents them from binding to other ingredients. This ensures the other ingredients will not be altered.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateApolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum contains this as ingredient number 40.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum 12 ingredients
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum 40 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum 12 ingredients
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum 40 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum 12 ingredients
starstellastar_407
The best vitamin C product I've tried. It does really brighten up the face after using it for some time. It's FA safe and doesn't clog my pores....
The best vitamin C product I've tried. It does really brighten up the face after using it for some time. It's FA safe and doesn't clog my pores. The price is very good too. Love the glass bottle.
Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum 40 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Apolosophy Active+ Vitamin C Serum.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 16 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum.
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