Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum .
Published on February 15, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Price
Ingredient Info
Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum 23 ingredients
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 47 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum 23 ingredients
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 47 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum 23 ingredients
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 47 ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Water • Glycerin • Ascorbic Acid • Glyceryl Oleate Citrate • Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil • Sodium Hyaluronate • Propanediol • Bakuchiol • Morus Nigra Leaf Extract • Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract • Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract • Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract • Ferulic Acid • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Pentylene Glycol • Sclerotium Gum • Acacia Senegal Gum • Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate • Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin • Phenethyl Alcohol • Sodium Hydroxide
Water • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Ascorbic Acid • Laureth-23 • Glycerin • Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract • Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract • Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Tocopherol • Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract • Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer • Hydrolyzed Quinoa • Phytosterols • Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole • Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein • Ferulic Acid • Acetyl Glucosamine • Sodium Hyaluronate • Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane • Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane • Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane • Glycine • Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate • Sucrose • Maltodextrin • Chondrus Crispus Extract • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Isohexadecane • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylhydroxamic Acid • Caprylyl Glycol • Sorbitan Isostearate • Propanediol • Pentylene Glycol • Xanthan Gum • Butylene Glycol • Sodium Hydroxide • Chlorphenesin • Polysorbate 60 • Sodium Dehydroacetate • Potassium Sorbate • Sorbic Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 GlycerinNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, it also has plenty of benefits on your skin.
Vitamin C is best used for brightening skin. It improves dark spots, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. This is because it blocks the process of skin darkening when exposed to UV.
Remember: Vitamin C should not replace sunscreen!
Your skin uses vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen is one key component in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. Vitamin C also plays a role in regulating collagen, thus making it effective in improving wrinkles and fine lines.
Ascorbic acid shows potent antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. These antioxidants also protect skin against UV damage.
The best formulations include Vitamin E and/or ferulic acid. These two ingredients help stabilize and provide a boost in the benefits of ascorbic acid. This is because ascorbic acid becomes unstable when exposed to UV and air. In fact, you can tell your ascorbic acid has oxidized when it turns an orange-yellow color.
Ascorbic acid is generally compatible with other ingredients. However, using ascorbic acid with other active ingredients might cause irritation. Two ingredients: copper ions and benzoyl peroxide, will inactivate ascorbic acid completely.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 HyaluronateNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.
It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 37.
We don't have a description for Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract.
Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. Ferulic Acid can help reduce the formation of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
When used with Vitamin C, Ferulic Acid has shown to prevent Vitamin C from breaking down. In other words, it acts as a stabilizer.
Ferulic Acid is sometimes used to preserve food. Foods containing Ferulic Acid include: oats, rice, eggplant, citrus.
In medicine, Ferulic Acid is being studied for helping with diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular diseases.
Learn more about Ferulic AcidNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 38.
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid. This bacteria is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.
It is believed the preservation property comes from salicylic acid and ammonium salt, neither of which are involved in the fermentation process.
Learn more about Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment FiltrateNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.
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 HydroxideNaked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum contains this as ingredient number 41.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum 23 ingredients
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 47 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum 23 ingredients
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 47 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum 23 ingredients
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum 47 ingredients
traceyy
WNRP -- this vitamin C was underwhelming. I could not bring myself to finish the entire bottle as it felt irritating on my skin compared to other...
WNRP -- this vitamin C was underwhelming. I could not bring myself to finish the entire bottle as it felt irritating on my skin compared to other vitamin C serums.
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