What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV Absorber3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Collagen
Moisturising
Agar
MaskingCalcium Alginate
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingKappaphycus Alvarezii Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glucosyl Hesperidin
HumectantLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, CI 77492, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Collagen, Agar, Calcium Alginate, Xanthan Gum, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tropolone, Gluconolactone, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, CI 73360, Sodium Benzoate
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 Acid
