Versus

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum Versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum

Serum
Serum
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on June 19, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 12 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens, silicones or sulfates

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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside

What's inside

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Vitamin C Complex Serum
C-Firma Fresh Day Serum

Water

Skin Conditioning

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Solvent

Ascorbic Acid

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Laureth-23

Cleansing
3 / 0

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract

Skin Conditioning

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Humectant
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Bleaching
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract

Humectant

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Hydrolyzed Quinoa

Skin Conditioning

Phytosterols

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Skin Conditioning

Ferulic Acid

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Acetyl Glucosamine

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Glycine

Buffering
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Antimicrobial
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sucrose

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Maltodextrin

Absorbent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Isohexadecane

Emollient

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Sorbitan Isostearate

Emulsifying
1-2 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Chlorphenesin

Antimicrobial
Preservative Icon

Polysorbate 60

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Sorbic Acid

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Antioxidant, Buffering, Masking

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 Acid
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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
Preservative

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.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Emulsifying

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Learn more about Polysorbate 60
Preservative

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

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

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

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Learn more about Potassium Sorbate
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

It’s often used to:

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 Propanediol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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 Hyaluronate
Buffering

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
Preservative

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
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 Water
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

When to use

717 Routines
89% use in am
11% use in pm
95% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
84 Routines
86% use in am
14% use in pm
92% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

3.50
Overall rating
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What people say
Works Well 100% Drying 33% Expensive 33%
3.33
Overall rating
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What people say
Doesn't Work 33% Hydrating 33% Irritating 33%