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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum .

Published on July 02, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any 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.

General Moisturizer British Brand United Kingdom
Serum American Brand United States

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Calmwise Colour Correct

Starts at $62.00
Shop

Buy C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum

Starts at $78.00

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

Vitamin E
Exfoliators
Niacinamide
Peptides

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid (2)

Benefits

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

Concerns

Irritating
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

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

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

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 1.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 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

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 6.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 20.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 41.

4
What it does: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Astringent, Emollient, Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic
Community Rating: Loved

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract has many benefits. It contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radical molecules that damage skin cells. The antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.

Many components of tea have anti-inflammatory properties. Polyphenols and L-theanine help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. L-theanine is an amino acid that makes up most of the amino acids found in tea leaves. The caffeine in Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract helps calm inflamed blood vessels.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract also contains Vitamin Bs, linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract also has antimicrobial properties.

Research has shown both drinking Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea and applying it to the skin can help boost skin elasticity and hydration. Studies also show using tea extract may reduce sebum, or oil, production.

Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 26.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

5
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sorbic Acid is a preservative. It is the most commonly used food preservative in the world.

Sorbic Acid is a natural antibiotic and highly effective at preventing the growth of fungus. It is less effective against bacteria.

Potassium Sorbate, another commonly-used preservative, is the potassium salt of Sorbic Acid.

Sorbic Acid may worsen eczema. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

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

Learn more about Sorbic Acid

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 27.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 46.

6
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

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

Potassium sorbate is potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

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

Potassium sorbate is often used with stronger preservatives.

Learn more about Potassium Sorbate

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 31.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 45.

7
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Tocopherol

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 32.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

8
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.

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct contains this as ingredient number 34.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 40.

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

32% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
39% are disliked or very disliked
22% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
23% are disliked or very disliked
15% 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

Medik8 Calmwise Colour Correct 41 ingredients

Calmwise Colour Correct hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 47 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 1 rating
PrincezzJulie's avatar

PrincezzJulie

1 year ago · Combination Skin
Review

Oxidised
Must use within a month, else will oxidised and make my skin tone darker.

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