Versus

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum Versus Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir

Serum
Serum
American Brand United States
British Brand United Kingdom

Updated on March 12, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid, peptides, Vitamin C and Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum

Water

Skin Conditioning

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

C9-12 Alkane

Solvent

Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract

Astringent

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Tranexamic Acid

Astringent
Helps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Emulsion Stabilising

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Vitamin C IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores Icon

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Psidium Guajava Seed Oil

Emollient
Oil Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ferulic Acid

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract

Skin Conditioning

Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Astringent

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Hydroxyacetophenone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Cleansing

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Citrate

Buffering

Sodium Phytate

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Decyl Glucoside

Cleansing

Lauryl Glucoside

Cleansing

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon
Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir

Water

Skin Conditioning

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Glycereth-26

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Triheptanoin

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Methyl Gluceth-20

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil

Skin Conditioning
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Quartz Powder

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Amethyst Powder

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Ruby Powder

Skin Conditioning

Gold

Cosmetic Colorant

Butyrospermum Parkii Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Solvent

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Octyldodecyl Oleate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Benzyl Alcohol

Perfuming
Alcohol IconFragrance IconPreservative IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract

Emollient

PEG-100 Stearate

0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate

Emollient
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Sodium Gluconate

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Saussurea Involucrata Callus Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Polyglutamic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Sorbitol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Magnesium Aspartate

Skin Conditioning

Zinc Gluconate

Skin Conditioning
Helps fight Acne Icon

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Astringent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Octyldodecanol

Emollient

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Parfum

Masking
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Plumeria Alba Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract

Skin Conditioning

Lactic Acid

Buffering
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Copper Gluconate

Skin Conditioning
Good for Scar Healing Icon

Hydrated Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract

Smoothing

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Dehydroacetic Acid

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Ascorbic Acid

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Glutathione

Good for Dark Spots Icon

Limonene

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Geraniol

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Citronellol

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Linalool

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Citral

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.ย 

Itโ€™s often used to:

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
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.ย 

It is a:

  • Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  • Emollient, helping to soften skin
  • Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  • Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesย 
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Preservative

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Learn more about Potassium Sorbate
Buffering, Masking

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

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 even out skin tone.

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.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

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
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.

When to use

159 Routines
77% use in am
23% use in pm
89% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
63 Routines
73% use in am
27% use in pm
94% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 6 ratings
Works Well (2) Absorbs Well (1) Expensive (1)
Butter's avatar

Butter

1 year ago
Review

โ‹†.เณƒเฟ”*:๏ฝฅ ๐ŸคŽ

๐Ÿฅฅ ๐Œ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ž: ๐ƒ๐ซ๐ฒ/๐ฌ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž, ๐š๐œ๐ง๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž๐œ๐ณ๐ž๐ฆ๐š ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ž.

๐Ÿชด ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ:

ยทหš เผ˜โ‚Šยท อŸอŸอžอž๊’ฐโžณ ๐ˆ๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐ž๐Ÿ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐š๐ญ ๐›๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐š๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ž ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ง. ๐๐ข๐œ๐ž ๐ญ๐ž๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐ค๐ฒ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฐ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ. ๐‡๐ž๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐Ÿ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐š๐œ๐ง๐ž ๐ญ๐จ๐จ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ž๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ .

๐ŸŒต ๐‚๐จ๐ง๐ฌ:

โ•ฐโ”ˆโžค ๐ˆ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐š๐ฌ ๐š "๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ž๐ž ๐ ๐ข๐Ÿ๐ญ" (๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ž๐) ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐›๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ง'๐ญ ๐ก๐š๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ž๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž Show more

#expensive
#light
#absorbs well
#light scent
Daniel.Chin's avatar

Daniel Chin

1 year ago
Review

Full of amazing ingredients; has totally reduced the need for me to cocktail and upset my ph balance.

#works well

Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir 66 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 1 rating
bethanyh's avatar

Bethany

10 months ago
Review

It looks nice but I havenโ€™t noticed many results.