Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum Versus Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Updated on August 20, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain AHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances and oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum 31 ingredients
Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum 22 ingredients
Free from
Safety & Ethics
American Brand
Free from
Safety & Ethics
American Brand
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum 31 ingredients
Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum 22 ingredients
Ingredients, at a glance
What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.
Notable Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients, at a glance
What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.
Notable Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
5 Concerns
Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with a ton of research to back up its benefits.
7 Benefits2 Concerns
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Methyl Gluceth-20 is a humectant. Humectants help draw moisture from the air to your skin.
Tranexamic Acid is best used for treating hyperpigmentation, discoloration, and melasma. It can also help build a stronger skin barrier.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
Inositol is a sugar alcohol naturally found in the human body. Our bodies use this ingredient in the process of growing new cells.
Betaine is a common humectant (a substance that promotes retention of moisture). It's known to be gentle on the skin and can help balance hydration.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
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.
Sodium Metabisulfite is an antioxidant and is a preservative.
Preservative
Sodium Sulfite is a preservative. Preservatives help prevent mold and bacteria from growing in cosmetics.
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.
Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is derived from castor oil and polyethylene glycol (PEG). It is used as a emollient and emulsifier.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
Benzyl Salicylate is a solvent and fragrance additive. It is an ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. This ingredient can be naturally found in some plants and plant extracts.
EU Allergen
Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
2 Concerns
Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Tranexamic Acid, 2-Methylresorcinol, Hexapeptide-2, Rice Amino Acids, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Zinc Gluconate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, Sodium Hydroxide, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyquaternium-4, Disodium EDTA, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Parfum
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.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is a form of Vitamin C.
Antioxidant5 Benefits
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Hydrogenated Polydecene is an emollient. It creates a non-occlusive film on the skin that offers extra protection for your skin barrier.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Acetamidoethoxyethanol (long name!) is a recently developed synthetic humectant. The manufacturer claims this humectant can help keep skin moisturized for over 30 hours.
Jojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
This long ingredient is a copolymer of sodium acrylate and sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate monomers.
Glycine Soja Sterols is derived from the soybean plant. Sterols are an organic compound and technically an alcohol.
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.
Antioxidant4 BenefitsMay cause irritation
Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with a ton of research to back up its benefits.
7 Benefits2 Concerns
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil comes from the bitter orange, an orange native to Southeast Asia.
Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Cera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Saccharide Isomerate comes from sugars found in corn. It is a skin hydrator.
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Squalane, Peg-8 Beeswax, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Ppg-12/Smdi Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycine Soja Sterols, Tocopherol, Glycolic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Chlorphenesin, Cera Alba, Glycerin, Terpene Hydrocarbons, Saccharide Isomerate
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with a ton of research to back up its benefits.
Its main role is to remove the top layer of dead skin cells, allowing newer skin cells to emerge.
Specifically, AHAs work by breaking down the structural "glue" holding the old skin cells in place. Getting rid of the old skin cells allows skin to regenerate newer skin cells in its place. A build up of dead skin cells can lead to tired and dull looking skin.
Due to this, glycolic acid helps with:
Fun fact: Glycolic acid increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.
When starting glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging.
The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product. Concentrations between 5-20% glycolic acid have been shown to be effective in clinical studies.
Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidGlycerin 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 GlycerinIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum 31 ingredients
Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum 22 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum 31 ingredients
ErikaGutierrez
You wouldn't think this works for acne all that much, but it totally does! I use a daily retinol at night and use this under sunscreen in the...
You wouldn't think this works for acne all that much, but it totally does! I use a daily retinol at night and use this under sunscreen in the morning and my skin is clearer than it's been since...ever. It's the Tranexamic acid! Gentle enough to be used alongside a retinol, but strong enough to brighten skin and combat acne.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum 22 ingredients
reneelovesherskin
my favorite serum
I wear this every morning, combined with the Sunday Riley C.E.O. face oil. It has a great citrus scent. I feel that it has...
my favorite serum
I wear this every morning, combined with the Sunday Riley C.E.O. face oil. It has a great citrus scent. I feel that it has contributed to lightening my dark spots and giving me a brighter complexion.
