What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid 5%
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid 5%, Tocopherol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Matrine, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf, Ferulic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid 2%
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Polyacrylamide
Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Collagen
Moisturising
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid 2%, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Polyacrylamide, Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract, Ferulic Acid, Collagen, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Parfum
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 AcidDipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
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.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateFerulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant that can be naturally found in the cell walls of grains like rice, oats, and corn. It has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and has the ability to boost the performance of other antioxidants as well.
A well-known study found that adding Ferulic Acid to a solution of Vitamins C and E doubled the photoprotection of skin. This is why you'll often see it paired with Vitamin C or Vitamin E serums rather than sold on its own.
A 2025 review of 18 human studies found that using Ferulic Acid (0.5-1%) daily for one to three months showed improvements in:
As far as allergies go, Ferulic acid is generally well-tolerated but can cause an allergic reaction in very rare cases. It's also worth noting that Ferulic acid is often extracted from plant sources like rice bran or wheat bran, so be sure to path test if you have known grain allergies.
Outside of skincare, researchers are also looking into Ferulic Acid for its potential benefits in areas like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and heart health.
Learn more about Ferulic Acid
