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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum versus innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule .

Last updated on October 26, 2023. Published on November 23, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 12 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, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols

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

Serum South Korean Brand South Korea
Ampoule South Korean Brand South Korea

Serum

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

Ampoule

Ampoules are created to target one area of concern. They are usually highly concentrated with active or beneficial ingredients.

Price

Shop

Buy The Vitamin C 23 Serum

Starts at $14.90
Shop

Buy True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule

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
ph level
4
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
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

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

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
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

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Antioxidant, Buffering, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Ascorbic 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 Acid

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
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

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: Solvent

We don't have a description for Ethyl Ether.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 8.

6
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 15.

7
What it does:
Community Rating: Loved

Glutathione is an antioxidant naturally found in our bodies. It is made up of three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid.

As an antioxidant, it prevents oxidative damage to parts of our cell.

While glutathione is said to help with skin lightening, the results from research are inconclusive. Further studies are needed.

However, gluthatione has been shown to protect our skin from UV-B induced damage.

This ingredient is naturally occurring in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria.

Learn more about Glutathione

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 12.

8
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

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 Adenosine

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 19.

9
What it does: Absorbent
Community Rating: Liked

Dextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.

As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.

Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.

Learn more about Dextrin

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 25.

10
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

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 17.

11
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene 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.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 11.

12
What it does: Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol and other additives. It has a low molecular weight and will evaporate quickly. This helps other ingredients become better absorbed and dry once applied.

Alcohol Denat. is volatile and may cause irritation. It helps draw out natural oils in skin and dry out your skin.

One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased irritation.

Alcohol is antibacterial by nature. This can help preserve products and increase their shelf life.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

Learn more about Alcohol Denat.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule contains this as ingredient number 4.

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

59% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
26% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet
48% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
17% are disliked or very disliked
21% 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

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum 34 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 7 ratings
Strong Scent (2) Doesn't Work (1) Expensive (1) Absorbs Well (1) Sticky (1) Works Well (1)
laila.21's avatar

laila.21

4 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I didn't like the consistency of this serum at all.
It felt like I was putting oil to my face, but since I always use the whole product to see...

I didn't like the consistency of this serum at all.
It felt like I was putting oil to my face, but since I always use the whole product to see results this did nothing to me other than feeling uncomfortable.

ChienYun_CY's avatar

ChienYun_CY

11 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Cured my acne scars
I had mix feelings when I first bought this as I read that the smell can be off-putting. But I am glad I bought it. My acne...

Cured my acne scars
I had mix feelings when I first bought this as I read that the smell can be off-putting. But I am glad I bought it. My acne scars faded a lot more after 3 days of using it and saw great results in one week. It also didn't break me out despite containing alcohols and oils. It does sting a little on the first application but doesn't irritate my skin. The smell can be quite strong when you first spread it on, but it slowly goes away after awhile.

innisfree True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule 29 ingredients

True Vitamin C 23 Ampoule hasn't been rated yet.
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