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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 Nacific Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on January 14, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and Vitamin C

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

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
Essence 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.

Essence

Essences are used to prep skin for further treatment and may provide extra skin benefits. They are usually used before serum and moisturizers. Essences are thought to have originated in either Japan or Korea and is an essential step in K-Beauty.

Price

Shop

Buy The Vitamin C 23 Serum

Starts at $14.90
Shop

Buy Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence

Starts at $1.69

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
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

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

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

Nacific Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence contains this as ingredient number 20.

2
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.

Nacific Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence contains this as ingredient number 21.

3
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.

Nacific Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence contains this as ingredient number 16.

4
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

Nacific Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

56% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
26% are disliked or very disliked
6% have no rating yet
43% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
35% are disliked or very disliked
13% 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 reviews
laila.21's Avatar'
Jan 19, 2024

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.

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.

Oily
Strong Scent
Works Well
ChienYun_CY's Avatar'
Jul 1, 2023

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...

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.

AshN.'s Avatar'
Apr 4, 2024

(Started Dec 2023) I would say that this is a great high concentration serum that was gentle enough on my sensitive skin. By March 2024, I managed to get through two bottles and I can't say there have been any notable changes, which is...

(Started Dec 2023) I would say that this is a great high concentration serum that was gentle enough on my sensitive skin. By March 2024, I managed to get through two bottles and I can't say there have been any notable changes, which is disappointing considering how expensive this is. My main complaint is that I found the scent of this formulation to be very strong with initial application, but it dissipates over time and another complaint is it leaves my face feeling very sticky for a serum (As it is not the last part of my routine, my moisturizing step usually resolves this).

Absorbs Well
Sticky
Strong Scent
Expensive
Doesn't Work

Nacific Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence 23 ingredients

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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 37 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 1 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Nacific Phyto Niacin Whitening Essence.

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