Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US versus Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum .
Last updated on November 03, 2023. Published on October 20, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Ingredient Info
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum 10 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum 10 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum 10 ingredients
Water • Ascorbic Acid • Butylene Glycol • Ethoxydiglycol • Glycerin • Ppg-26-Buteth-26 • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Pentylene Glycol • Tocopherol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate • Lecithin • Ferulic Acid • Panthenol • Bisabolol • Oryza Sativa Bran Extract • Propyl Gallate • Sodium Gluconate • Sodium Hydroxide • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin
Water • Ascorbic Acid • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Butylene Glycol • Peg/Ppg/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin • Ferulic Acid • Tocopherol • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Hydroxide
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 WaterPaula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 1.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 AcidPaula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 2.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 3.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
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.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolPaula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 9.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
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 AcidPaula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 13.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
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 HydroxidePaula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 19.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 20.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 21.
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum 10 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum 10 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum 10 ingredients
the best affordable vitamin c serum u can get, period. u see ACTUAL improvement in ur hyperpigmentation, no fragrance, no oily residue, absorbs quickly, has a water like texture, save for every skin type, should i say more?
the best affordable vitamin c serum u can get, period. u see ACTUAL improvement in ur hyperpigmentation, no fragrance, no oily residue, absorbs quickly, has a water like texture, save for every skin type, should i say more?
Great price, great ingredients, fresh. I notice the effects in my skin. Big but not for sensitive skin. I am an stubborn girl so I made it work. For a long time my morning routine was this and a lot of Centella and oat and hidrating...
Great price, great ingredients, fresh. I notice the effects in my skin. Big but not for sensitive skin. I am an stubborn girl so I made it work. For a long time my morning routine was this and a lot of Centella and oat and hidrating essences just to stop my skin from reacting. Now I can use it without worrying but I need a calming essence immediately after it.
Love this C serum. Easy to apply, great price and a great company.
Love this C serum. Easy to apply, great price and a great company.
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