What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Honey
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tephrosia Purpurea Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Honey, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tephrosia Purpurea Seed Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
Solvent3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
C12-14 Alketh-12
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Hexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
Glucosylrutin
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventSolanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Water, Methylpropanediol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, C12-14 Alketh-12, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine, Glycereth-26, Ferulic Acid, Hexylresorcinol, Glucosylrutin, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, 4-Butylresorcinol, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Ethyl Hexanediol, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Resveratrol, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Glutathione, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Soluble Collagen
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 AcidWater. 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
