Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US .
Last updated on March 12, 2024. Published on December 01, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 9 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, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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 need an update? Let us know.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Price
Ingredient Info
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 6 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 7 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 6 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 7 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Water • Propanediol • C9-12 Alkane • Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate • Tranexamic Acid • Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Psidium Guajava Seed Oil • Tocopherol • Tocopheryl Acetate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Ferulic Acid • Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract • Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract • Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract • Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract • Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract • Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract • Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Corallina Officinalis Extract • Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract • Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate • Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate • Glycerin • 1,2-Hexanediol • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Caprylyl Glycol • Hydroxyacetophenone • Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate • Coco-Caprylate/Caprate • Betaine • Lecithin • Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Phytate • Potassium Sorbate • Decyl Glucoside • Lauryl Glucoside • Ethylhexylglycerin • Citric Acid • Xanthan Gum • Phenoxyethanol
Water • Ascorbic Acid • Butylene Glycol • Ethoxydiglycol • Glycerin • Ppg-26-Buteth-26 • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Pentylene Glycol • Tocopherol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate • Lecithin • Ferulic Acid • Panthenol • Bisabolol • Oryza Sativa Bran Extract • Propyl Gallate • Sodium Gluconate • Sodium Hydroxide • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterGlow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 1.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolGlow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 9.
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 HyaluronateGlow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 10.
Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. 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 AcidGlow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 13.
Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate is a peptide.
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 11.
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 GlycerinGlow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 5.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.
Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Learn more about LecithinGlow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 37.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 12.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 44.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 21.
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.
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum contains this as ingredient number 47.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 20.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
Butter
Good but expensive. I got this as a "free gift" during a promotion and probably wouldn't have tried it without the promotion. It's definitely...
Good but expensive. I got this as a "free gift" during a promotion and probably wouldn't have tried it without the promotion. It's definitely effective at brightening and making my skin tone more even. Nice texture, not sticky and sinks in well. Although I seen good results I won't purchase as it's extremely expensive and there's cheaper alternatives.
Daniel.Chin
Full of amazing ingredients; has totally reduced the need for me to cocktail and upset my ph balance.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 28 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum.
See 28 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 23 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US.
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