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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum versus Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum .

Published on March 08, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both serums. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin C

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens and fragrances

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 Japanese Brand Japan

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 C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum

Starts at $62.41
Shop

Buy Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum

Starts at $53.06

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

AHA (3)
Vitamin C (3)
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (4)
Skin Texture (4)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (5)
Dark Spots (5)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (6)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin C
Vitamin E (2)
Exfoliators
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Irritating (4)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (4)
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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

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour 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

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Astringent, Solvent

SD Alcohol 40-B is created by denaturing ethanol with tert-Butyl alcohol and denatonium benzoate. It is a solvent and astringent.

The 'SD' stands for 'specially denatured'. Denatured alcohol means the structure has been altered.

The 40-B is given by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. This is in accordance to the method of how the alcohol was denatured.

This ingredient is a solvent alcohol.

Learn more about Sd Alcohol 40-B

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

4
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.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 28.

Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

5
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

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.

Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.

6
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.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 36.

Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

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

42% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
29% are disliked or very disliked
16% have no rating yet
26% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
31% 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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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 25 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 9 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Shiseido Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum.

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