What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPhloretin
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glutathione
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Tocotrienols
Skin ConditioningThioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lycopene
Antioxidant
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningSuperoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Phloretin, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ferulic Acid, Glutathione, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, Glycerin, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Astaxanthin, Tocotrienols, Thioctic Acid, Tocopherol, Lycopene, Xanthophylls, Beta-Carotene, Superoxide Dismutase
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidCaprylyl 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 GlycolDimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.
Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.
Ethoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolEthylhexylglycerin (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.
Glutathione is an antioxidant naturally found in our bodies. It is made up of three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid.
As an antioxidant, it prevents oxidative damage to parts of our cell.
While glutathione is said to help with fading dark spots, the results from research are inconclusive. Further studies are needed. With that said, gluthatione has been shown to protect our skin from UV-B induced damage.
This ingredient is naturally occurring in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria.
Learn more about GlutathioneWe don't have a description for Isodecyl Neopentanoate yet.
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.
Superoxide Dismutase is found in all living cells. This ingredient is AKA as 'SOD'.
SOD is a strong antioxidant. It protects living cells against oxidative damage by breaking down radical molecules into regular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.
Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules that may damage your skin's DNA. This may help with the signs of aging. Due to its antioxidant property, it is used to help treat chronic inflammation.
In cosmetics, SOD is usually obtained from marine phytoplankton, bovine liver, horseradish, cantaloupe, and certain bacteria.
The three major families of SOD include: Copper/Zinc, Iron/Manganese, and Nickel.
When eating SOD-rich foods, our bodies break it down into amino acids before absorption. Foods that contain SOD include: melons, citrus, spinach, broccoli, kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, and blue-green algae.
Learn more about Superoxide DismutaseTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
