What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Coceth-7
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether
EmulsifyingFullerenes
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Butylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Gluconate, Ferulic Acid, Coceth-7, Phenoxyethanol, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, Fullerenes, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pvp, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid 23%
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Glutathione
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dextrin
AbsorbentTocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningWater, Ascorbic Acid 23%, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Panthenol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Caffeine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Sulfite, Disodium EDTA, Glutathione, Adenosine, Acetyl Glucosamine, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Dextrin, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Butylene Glycol, Arginine, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Methyl Trimethicone, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Beta-Carotene
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 AcidButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
