hims Vitamin C Serum Versus Olehenriksen Truth Serum

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of hims Vitamin C Serum versus Olehenriksen Truth Serum .

Published on April 23, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 12 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA, hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any oils, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens, fragrances and silicones

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

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hims Vitamin C Serum

Olehenriksen Truth Serum

Serum Brand

Serum Danish Brand Denmark

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

hims Vitamin C Serum 19 ingredients

Olehenriksen Truth Serum 39 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

hims Vitamin C Serum 19 ingredients

Olehenriksen Truth Serum 39 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Vitamin C

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating

Redness Reducing

Skin Texture (2)

Reduces Large Pores

Anti-Aging

Dark Spots

Scar Healing (2)

Brightening (3)

Concerns

Irritating

Rosacea (2)

Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Vitamin C (2)

Vitamin E

Exfoliators

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)

Redness Reducing (4)

Reduces Irritation (2)

Skin Texture (3)

Reduces Large Pores (2)

Anti-Aging (3)

Dark Spots (2)

Scar Healing (3)

Acne Fighting

Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin

Irritating (2)

Rosacea (3)

Eczema (3)

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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

hims Vitamin C Serum 19 ingredients

Olehenriksen Truth Serum 39 ingredients

Water • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Propanediol • Glycerin • Oleth-20 • Peg-12 Dimethicone • Citric Acid • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Phenoxyethanol • Parfum • Limonene • Propylene Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Acetate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Cellulose • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract • CI 15510 • Citral

Water • Glycerin • Oleth-20 • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylyl Glycol • Hexylene Glycol • Citric Acid • Parfum • Peg-12 Dimethicone • Benzophenone-4 • Tocopheryl Acetate • Aroma • Hydrolyzed Collagen • Disodium Phosphate • Polysorbate 60 • CI 15985 • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract • Sodium Hyaluronate • Thioctic Acid • Calcium Ascorbate • Sodium Phosphate • Sorbitol • Citrus Grandis Seed Extract • Sodium Benzoate • Alcohol • Sorbic Acid • Calcium Carbonate • CI 77220 • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Euphrasia Officinalis Extract • Rosa Canina Fruit Extract • Potassium Sorbate • Benzyl Benzoate • Citral • Limonene • Linalool

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.

Water

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

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

What it does: Antioxidant

Community Rating: Liked

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.

This ingredient is more gentle than ascorbic acid. It is also more stable when exposed to light and oxygen.

Vitamin C helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.

Your skin uses Vitamin C to produce collagen and collagen production plays a role in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. As an antioxidant, this ingredient also helps reduce the signs of aging such as fine-lines and wrinkles.

VItamin C helps brighten skin by blocking the process of skin darkening.

In a 2011 study, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate was found to have antibacterial properties. This may help treat acne.

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

Glycerin

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

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Oleth-20

What it does: Cleansing

Oleth-20 comes from oleyl alcohol. It is an emulsifier that helps reduce surface tension of dirt and pollutants to be washed away.

The 20 stands for the average number of ethylene oxide units.

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Peg-12 Dimethicone

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Peg-12 Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

Citric Acid

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

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

Hydroxyethylcellulose

What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Stabilising

Community Rating: Mixed

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

Hydroxyethylcellulose helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

Learn more about Hydroxyethylcellulose

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Phenoxyethanol

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.

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

Parfum

What it does: Masking, Perfuming

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

Limonene

What it does: Perfuming, Solvent

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Learn more about Limonene

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 38.

Sodium Hyaluronate

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

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

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

Citral

What it does: Perfuming

Citral is a fragrance and used to add a lemon-like scent to products. It is both naturally found in plants and created synthetically. In plants, it is commonly occurring in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon tea-tree, lemon verbena, and other citruses.

The EU mandates Citral be listed separately as a fragrance. It is a known allergen and may cause contact dermatitis. Citral can also used as a masking ingredient.

The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.

Learn more about Citral

hims Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

Olehenriksen Truth Serum contains this as ingredient number 37.

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