Benton Vitamin C Serum Versus Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum
Updated on March 25, 2025
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, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones 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
Benton Vitamin C Serum 20 ingredients
Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum 43 ingredients
About this product
About this product
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Benton Vitamin C Serum 20 ingredients
Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum 43 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propanediol
SolventAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCandida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Glucoside
Humectant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Sodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentPolyquaternium-10
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Tocotrienols
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Glyceryl Glucoside, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyquaternium-10, Adenosine, Ferulic Acid, Ectoin, Glutathione, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantMethylpropanediol
SolventBetaine
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingEclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion Stabilising3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Fructooligosaccharides
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Masking
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Water, Methyl Gluceth-20, Methylpropanediol, Betaine, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, C12-14 Pareth-12, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Ascorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Alpha-Arbutin, Tocopherol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Bisabolol, Ubiquinone, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolAscorbic 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 AcidButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
- It has mild preservative properties.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolYou might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer (let's call it AAVC for short) is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
AAVC is able to increase the consistency and viscosity of products due to its large molecule size. It also prevents ingredients from separating.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineTocopherol (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.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
Benton Vitamin C Serum 20 ingredients
Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum 43 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Benton Vitamin C Serum 20 ingredients
Moisturizing Vitamin C That Actually Delivers
I’ve been using this for a few weeks now, and here’s the verdict: this is by far the most moisturizing stabilized ascorbic acid formula I’ve tried. That can be a good or bad thing, depending on your skin type—but as for me and my dry skin, I absolutely love it.
The texture is hard to describe, but if you’ve used the CosRx Snail Mucin Cream, it Show more
Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum 43 ingredients
The best serum i've tried, FA safe which is good for acne-prone/combo/oily skin types. I saw that this serum will get rid off acne in just 3days and it was correct. It rlly got rid of my acne in just 3days(I only used it in my morning routine)
BREAK ME OUT!
I have sensitive and combination skin. I bought it, but it was really strong for me. I don't know why, but maybe because I have a sensitivity to vitamin C? Especially with this 63%, It's too strong for my skin, and I was really affected by it.
Please be careful when buying skincare products and always make sure to start with small amounts and do a patch test!
