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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum versus Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner .

Published on January 09, 2023

Overview

What they are

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

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide and Vitamin E

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 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 French Brand France
Toner 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.

Toner

Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.

Price

Shop

Buy Light Complete Vitamin C Serum

Shop

Buy Bright Healthy Radiance Toner

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

BHA
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

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

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin E
Niacinamide

Benefits

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

Concerns

Irritating (2)
Rosacea
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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

Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner 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

Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner contains this as ingredient number 4.

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.

Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner contains this as ingredient number 2.

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

Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner contains this as ingredient number 3.

5
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.

Sodium Citrate helps maintain the pH of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

Sodium Citrate is a chelating agent. It neutralizes metal ions from water and prevents them from binding to other ingredients. This ensures the other ingredients will not be altered.

Learn more about Sodium Citrate

Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner contains this as ingredient number 12.

6
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

Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.

Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner contains this as ingredient number 7.

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

40% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
46% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet
47% are loved or liked
24% have mixed ratings
6% are disliked or very disliked
24% 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

Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum 35 ingredients

2.5 /5
from 4 ratings
Hydrating (2) Broke Me Out (2) Heavy (1) Works Well (1) Light (1) Light Scent (1)
horaceon's avatar

horaceon

4 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

broke out my oily acne-prone face. the cream version is better when getting rid of dark spots; i suggest never to use vit c with fresh acne.

Isya's avatar

Isya

4 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

[Oily skin] This product breaks me out so bad even though I do not have acne-prone skin. It only takes around a few days for me to stop using it.

Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner 17 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
Absorbs Well (1) Hydrating (1) Light (1) No Scent (1)
Roseblushbliss's avatar

Roseblushbliss

3 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

I’ve been using this for maybe 3 years now as my everyday toner. Great with or without layering.

Perhaps my first dabble with niacinamide, it...

I’ve been using this for maybe 3 years now as my everyday toner. Great with or without layering.

Perhaps my first dabble with niacinamide, it slowly evened up and brightened my skin tone. Does a little bit of hydration, moisturising, evening skin tone, brightening. A simple all-rounder for the less risk-taking but there are definitely more effective stuff out there.

It’s very gentle, a slow going change but it was a level up from my previous toners. It was my staple as my skin started to stabilise through my early 20s from thin dehydrated oily skin to mostly normal type skin so if I had to pick just one toner to bring with me at the time, it would be this one.

However, this is not enough for dry and dehydrated skin. Medical issues ruined my body and my skin abruptly changed to being constantly dehydrated, super dry, extremely irritated, rashed up, dull, uneven, and SAGGING. There were prominent wrinkles on my forehead and my face looked so sunken that I completely lost the youth in my face within 2 months. What I saw in the mirror was the wake up call on just how devastated my health has become. If you ever reach that point, this will not be enough. Hence, I have been using this less because I need more hydration and moisture, but I can still come back to it on the days when my skin is more okay.

I breaks my heart to say this since I have relied on this for years, but I don’t think I will be buying another bottle after this one. My skin has just changed too much and it’s no longer the one for me 🥺

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Garnier Light Complete Vitamin C Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner.

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