Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Balea Vitamin C Serum versus Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum .
Published on January 18, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan and reef safe serums. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E
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 parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain common allergens and fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Balea Vitamin C Serum 26 ingredients
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum 35 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Balea Vitamin C Serum 26 ingredients
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum 35 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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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:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Balea Vitamin C Serum 26 ingredients
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum 35 ingredients
Water • Dicaprylyl Ether • Pentylene Glycol • Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate • Glycerin • Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Phenoxyethanol • Parfum • Sclerotium Gum • Stearyl Alcohol • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Xanthan Gum • Limonene • Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • 1,2-Hexanediol • Caprylyl Glycol • Malpighia Glabra Fruit Juice • Maltodextrin • Sodium Hydroxide • Linalool • Benzyl Salicylate • Tocopherol • Geraniol • Citral
Water • Glycerin • Alcohol • Dipropylene Glycol • Butylene Glycol • Peg-7 • Niacinamide • Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid • Isononyl Isononanoate • BHA • Linalool • Geraniol • Parfum • Salicylic Acid • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Phenoxyethanol • Phenylethyl Resorcinol • Adenosine • Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Disodium EDTA • Limonene • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Citric Acid • Citrus Limon Fruit Extract • Citrus Junos Fruit Extract • Xanthan Gum • Maltodextrin • Acetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine • Oxothiazolidinecarboxylic Acid • Benzyl Salicylate • Benzyl Alcohol
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 WaterBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C 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 GlycerinBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
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.
Balea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.
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.
In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
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 GumBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.
Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.
Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 31.
Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Linalool has the same effect as Limonene when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
Linalool has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Benzyl Salicylate is a solvent and fragrance additive. It is an ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. This ingredient can be naturally found in some plants and plant extracts.
In fragrances, Benzyl Salicylate may be a solvent or a fragrance component. In synthetic musk scents, it is used as a solvent. For floral fragrances such as lilac and jasmine, it is used as a fragrance component. The natural scent of Benzyl Salicylate is described as "lightly-sweet, slightly balsamic".
While Benzyl Salicylate has been associated with contact dermatitis and allergies, emerging studies show it may not be caused by this ingredient alone.
However, this ingredient is often used with fragrances and other components that may cause allergies. It is still listed as a known allergen in the EU. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Another study from 2021 shows Benzyl Salicylate may have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Benzyl SalicylateBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 34.
Geraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolBalea Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Balea Vitamin C Serum 26 ingredients
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum 35 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Balea Vitamin C Serum 26 ingredients
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum 35 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Balea Vitamin C Serum 26 ingredients
Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum 35 ingredients
horaceon
broke out my oily acne-prone face. the cream version is better when getting rid of dark spots; i suggest never to use vit c with fresh acne.
Isya
[Oily skin] This product breaks me out so bad even though I do not have acne-prone skin. It only takes around a few days for me to stop using it.
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