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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum versus Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum .

Last updated on March 02, 2024. Published on December 09, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 5 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 common allergens, fragrances or parabens

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum Canadian Brand Canada
Serum British Brand United Kingdom

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Acne Trigger
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

4
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

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.

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.

Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

54% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
38% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
33% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum 26 ingredients

3.5 /5
from 4 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Light (1) No Scent (1)
dianarvizu's avatar

dianarvizu

3 years ago · Combination Skin
Review

Did not work for me
I've been trying to find a good vitaminc c cream/serum to include in my routine and this was sadly not it.
I used for a few...

Did not work for me
I've been trying to find a good vitaminc c cream/serum to include in my routine and this was sadly not it.
I used for a few days and noticed a ton of new breakouts. This was the only new product I was using, so I stopped it and the breakouts stopped.
Product-wise, it feels nice on the skin, doesn't have a strong scent, and it absorbes really nice.

ClaireLundberg's avatar

ClaireLundberg

12 days ago · Combination Skin
Review

I like but don't love this serum. It feels nice on the skin, but I haven't noticed any big changes in the overall appearance of my skin with it....

I like but don't love this serum. It feels nice on the skin, but I haven't noticed any big changes in the overall appearance of my skin with it. I'd give it four stars but they recently changed the packaging from an easy to use metal tube to a plastic tube with a funky lid that's hard to unscrew without taking the whole thing off and exposing the product to air unnecessarily. On the hunt for a new Vitamin C serum.

Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum 12 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) Pilling (1) Sticky (1) Strong Scent (1) Works Well (1)
Valerija's avatar

Valerija

20 days ago · Combination Skin
Review

I was very excited about this serum, as the price point is wonderful and reviews described it to have a very light and watery consistency. Finally,...

I was very excited about this serum, as the price point is wonderful and reviews described it to have a very light and watery consistency. Finally, the ingredient list I saw online was fragrance- and oil-free.

Unfortunately, the reality wasn't the case... After reformulation, now it contains almond oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil) which contributes to comedgenicity and quite a strong smell which lingers. Moreover, the serum is very sticky and hard to layer. Right after application, as soon as it dried down, I have a feeling like a slightly tight film is formed on my face, which starts pilling in combination with more than 1 product.

All in all, I definitely do not recommend it. However, I gave it two stars because I ended up using it on my arms for keratosis pilaris and it seem to be helping due to a good concentration of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Skincyclopedia 20% Vitamin C Face Serum.

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