This brightening essence is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Allantoin to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Serine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Poe/Pop Decyl Tetradecyl Ether
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Ascorbic Acid, Pyridoxine Hcl, Allantoin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Serine, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Isopentyldiol, Propylene Glycol, PEG-8, Alcohol Denat., Poe/Pop Decyl Tetradecyl Ether, Sodium Metabisulfite, EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Medica Peel Oil
Disodium EDTA
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Panthenol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chlorphenesin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Medica Peel Oil, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare.
Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks:
In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen.
The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective.
A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model.
Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums).
Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin.
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
