Versus

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Vitamin C Lactic Oil-Free Radiant Moisturizer

Serum
General Moisturizer
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on March 12, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 13 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C

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 harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates

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

What's inside

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

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
Fatty Alcohol Icon

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
Vitamin C Lactic Oil-Free Radiant Moisturizer

Water

Skin Conditioning

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Glycerin

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

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

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

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

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

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

Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract

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

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Ceramide Ng

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Superoxide Dismutase

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Quercetin

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Phospholipids

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan

Cleansing

Inonotus Obliquus Extract

Skin Conditioning

Saccharide Isomerate

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ferulic Acid

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

Ubiquinone

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

Soy Isoflavones

Skin Conditioning

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

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

Phytosphingosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Antimicrobial
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Methyl Gluceth-20

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Propylene Glycol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Sodium PCA

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Myristyl Myristate

Emollient
0-5 / 2 May worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Cetearyl Olivate

Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Emulsion Stabilising

Lauryl Laurate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Potassium Hydroxide

Buffering

Sodium Glycolate

Buffering

C13-15 Alkane

Solvent

Sorbitan Olivate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Phytic Acid

AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea 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

Sodium Citrate

Buffering

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Pentasodium Pentetate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

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

Triethyl Citrate

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Masking
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation Icon

Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Astringent

Cananga Odorata Flower Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract

Refreshing

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Stem Extract

Skin Conditioning

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract

Masking
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Rose Extract

Skin Conditioning

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Cleansing

Santalum Album Wood Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Sorbic Acid

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ceramide Ng, Superoxide Dismutase, Quercetin, Phospholipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Ferulic Acid, Ubiquinone, Soy Isoflavones, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phytosphingosine, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Propylene Glycol, Sodium PCA, Myristyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenosine, Carbomer, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Lauryl Laurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Glycolate, C13-15 Alkane, Sorbitan Olivate, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Pentasodium Pentetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Triethyl Citrate, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Cananga Odorata Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Stem Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Rose Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Santalum Album Wood Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate

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

You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.

Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.

Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.

The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5

Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
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
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
Antimicrobial, Antioxidant

Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant. By fighting free-radicals, ferulic acid can help reduce the formation of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.

When used with Vitamin C, Ferulic Acid has shown to prevent Vitamin C from breaking down. In other words, it acts as a stabilizer.

Ferulic Acid is sometimes used to preserve food. Foods containing Ferulic Acid include: oats, rice, eggplant, citrus.

In medicine, Ferulic Acid is being studied for helping with diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular diseases.

Learn more about Ferulic Acid
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
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.

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
Skin Conditioning

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract is extract from Apples. Apples are rich in Vitamin C, sugars, and antioxidants.

The sugar in Apples are humectants and help hydrate the skin. On top of that, apples also contain some acids, such as malic acid. These acids may have a mild exfoliating effect.

Last, the phytochemicals found in apples are strong antioxidants. These antioxidants help with anti-aging as they protect your skin cells against oxidative damage.

Learn more about Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Astringent, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing

We don't have a description for Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract yet.

Buffering, Masking

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

Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.

The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).

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.

Learn more about Sodium Citrate
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
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.

THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).

Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.

Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.

Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.

A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).

While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.

THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
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

When to use

176 Routines
77% use in am
23% use in pm
89% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
6 Routines
83% use in am
17% use in pm
100% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

4.00
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Works Well 100% Expensive 67% Absorbs Well 33%
No reviews yet

Be the first to review Vitamin C Lactic Oil-Free Radiant Moisturizer

Write the first review