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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum versus Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum .

Last updated on March 12, 2024. Published on May 07, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 15 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens, silicones 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.

Serum American Brand United States
Serum American Brand United States

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

Shop

Buy Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum

Starts at $6.99
Shop

Buy Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum

Starts at $45.00

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
Exfoliators
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C (5)
Vitamin E (2)
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Redness Reducing (6)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (5)
Anti-Aging (7)
Dark Spots (6)
Scar Healing (4)
Brightening (7)

Concerns

Irritating
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Ingredients Compared

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

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

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Antioxidant
Community Rating: Liked

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.

This ingredient is more gentle than ascorbic acid. It is also more stable when exposed to light and oxygen.

Vitamin C helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.

Your skin uses Vitamin C to produce collagen and collagen production plays a role in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. As an antioxidant, this ingredient also helps reduce the signs of aging such as fine-lines and wrinkles.

VItamin C helps brighten skin by blocking the process of skin darkening.

In a 2011 study, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate was found to have antibacterial properties. This may help treat acne.

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

3
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

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.

4
What it does: Solvent
Community Rating: Liked

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

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 Propanediol

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

5
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.

6
What it does: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant
Community Rating: Loved

Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. Ferulic Acid can help reduce the formation of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.

When used with Vitamin C, Ferulic Acid has shown to prevent Vitamin C from breaking down. In other words, it acts as a stabilizer.

Ferulic Acid is sometimes used to preserve food. Foods containing Ferulic Acid include: oats, rice, eggplant, citrus.

In medicine, Ferulic Acid is being studied for helping with diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular diseases.

Learn more about Ferulic Acid

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

We don't have a description for Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract.

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

8
What it does: Astringent, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Tonic

We don't have a description for Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract.

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

9
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (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 Tocopherol

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

10
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Gum

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 46.

11
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.

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 44.

12
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Mixed

Decyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant. Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away.

It is created from the fatty acids in coconut oil.

Decyl Glucoside also helps stabilize the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.

This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.

Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.

Learn more about Decyl Glucoside

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 31.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 42.

13
What it does: Cleansing
Community Rating: Mixed

Lauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.

Lauryl Glucoside makes it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other polluants away.

A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Learn more about Lauryl Glucoside

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 43.

14
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.

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 38.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 47.

15
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 39.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 45.

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

43% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
15% are disliked or very disliked
30% have no rating yet
51% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
13% are disliked or very disliked
19% 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

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum 40 ingredients

Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 6 reviews
Butter's Avatar'
Jan 3, 2024

Good but expensive. I got this as a "free gift" during a promotion and probably wouldn't have tried it without the promotion. It's definitely effective at brightening and making my skin tone more even. Nice texture, not sticky and sinks...

Good but expensive. I got this as a "free gift" during a promotion and probably wouldn't have tried it without the promotion. It's definitely effective at brightening and making my skin tone more even. Nice texture, not sticky and sinks in well. Although I seen good results I won't purchase as it's extremely expensive and there's cheaper alternatives.

Expensive
Light
Absorbs Well
Light Scent
Works Well
Daniel.Chin's Avatar'
Dec 24, 2023

Full of amazing ingredients; has totally reduced the need for me to cocktail and upset my ph balance.

Full of amazing ingredients; has totally reduced the need for me to cocktail and upset my ph balance.

Works Well

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Our Dupe Finder has found 18 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum.

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