Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum versus ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum .
Published on November 28, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Price
Ingredient Info
SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum 71 ingredients
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum 53 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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
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 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
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:
- Coconut Alkanes
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Peg-100 Stearate
- Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
- Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
- Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
- Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
- Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
- Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
- Glycol Distearate
- C13-14 Isoparaffin
- Propylene Glycol Stearate
- Isostearic Acid
- Retinyl Palmitate
- Glyceryl Undecylenate
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 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum 71 ingredients
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum 53 ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum 71 ingredients
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum 53 ingredients
Water • Butylene Glycol • Propanediol • Ethylhexyl Olivate • Cetearyl Alcohol • Chlorogenic Acids • Niacinamide • Lauryl Lactate • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Allyl Ester • Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Ergothioneine • Benzylidene Dimethoxydimethylindanone • Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract • Carnosine • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract • Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract • Curcuma Longa Root Extract • Olea Europaea Fruit Extract • Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract • Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2 • Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract • Coffea Arabica Leaf Cell Extract • Crocus Sativus Leaf Cell Culture Extract • Superoxide Dismutase • Ubiquinone • Plankton Extract • Micrococcus Lysate • Arginine • Zingiber Officinale Root Extract • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Linoleic Acid • Linolenic Acid • Sea Whip Extract • Bisabolol • Tocopherol • Tocopheryl Acetate • Cholesterol • Phytosphingosine • Jojoba Esters • Sodium PCA • Pentylene Glycol • Methyl Gluceth-20 • Glycerin • Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax • Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax • Lecithin • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Dicetyl Phosphate • Propanediol Dicaprylate/Caprate • Polyglycerin-3 • Ceteth-20 Phosphate • Diisostearyl Malate • Xanthan Gum • Steareth-2 • Acacia Senegal Gum • Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate • Carbomer • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Dextran • Ricinoleth-40 • Sodium Hydroxide • Citric Acid • Sodium Phytate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol
Water • Coconut Alkanes • Methylheptyl Isostearate • Cetyl Alcohol • Glyceryl Stearate • Peg-100 Stearate • Isohexadecane • Butylene Glycol • Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil • Squalane • Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil • Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil • Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Rosa Canina Fruit Extract • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture • Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture • Polymethyl Methacrylate • Glycerin • Coco-Caprylate/Caprate • Glycol Distearate • Polyacrylamide • Oleth-20 • C13-14 Isoparaffin • Caprylyl Glycol • Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine • Propylene Glycol Stearate • Xanthan Gum • Tocopheryl Acetate • Propanediol • Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum • Laureth-7 • Disodium EDTA • Ethyl Ferulate • Myristyl Alcohol • Stearyl Alcohol • Aminomethyl Propanol • Phospholipids • Sodium Hyaluronate • Isostearic Acid • Retinyl Palmitate • Ascorbic Acid • Hexylene Glycol • C12-18 Fatty Acids Methyl Esters • Lauryl Alcohol • Lecithin • Tocopherol • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin • Glyceryl Caprylate • Glyceryl Undecylenate • Parfum
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 WaterSkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
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.
SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
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 PropanediolSkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 31.
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 TocopherolSkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 41.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 48.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateSkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 42.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.
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 GlycerinSkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 49.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.
Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Learn more about LecithinSkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 52.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 47.
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 GumSkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 59.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.
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.
SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 71.
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum contains this as ingredient number 49.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum 71 ingredients
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum 53 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum 71 ingredients
ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum 53 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 4 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum.
See 4 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 15 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to ZO Skin Health Illuminating Aox Serum.
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