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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 Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum .

Published on June 21, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 14 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, oils, 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

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Buy Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum

Starts at $6.99
Shop

Buy Vitamin C Complex Serum

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 (2)
Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (2)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Eczema (2)
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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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex 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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract comes from the papaya fruit. Papayas were first domesticated in Mexico and Central America.

This fruit extract contains papain and chymopapain, two types of enzymes. These enzyme have exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties. One study shows papain may help reduce scarring.

Papaya is also a rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your skin against damage from free-radical molecules. This may help protect against signs of aging. One antioxidant present in papayas is lycopene.

Papaya also contains Vitamin A, also known as retinol.

While papaya is used as an ingredient to help lighten skin, research is limited on this.

The seeds of papaya have been found to have anti-fungal activity.

Learn more about Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract comes from the pineapple fruit. Pineapples are native to South America. The components of pineapple give it mild exfoliating and skin nourishing properties.

Pineapples contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, copper, potassium, niacin, and other minerals. It also contains many phytochemicals, including ferulic acid, coumaric acid, arbutin, and more. These help condition the skin.

Bromelain can be found in all parts of a pineapple. It is a mixture of enzymes and is mildly exfoliating.

Learn more about Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

8
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Stabilising
Community Rating: Mixed

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

Hydroxyethylcellulose helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

Learn more about Hydroxyethylcellulose

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 28.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

9
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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.

10
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Learn more about Polysorbate 60

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 35.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 34.

11
What it does: Buffering, Masking

We don't have a description for Disodium Phosphate.

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 36.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 32.

12
What it does: Buffering

We don't have a description for Sodium Phosphate.

cleen beauty Vitamin C Papaya Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 37.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 35.

13
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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

14
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.

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

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
43% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
31% are disliked or very disliked
17% have no rating yet

Usage

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

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