Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum Versus Bielenda Supremelab Energy Boost Brightening Serum with Ultra-Stable Vitamin C
This brightening serum is formulated around Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate and Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tromethamine
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Phoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract
EmollientTuber Magnatum Extract
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Folic Acid
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicOpuntia Ficus-Indica Extract
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sparassis Crispa Extract
Emulsion StabilisingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentVaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentRubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentRibes Nigrum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Spirulina Maxima Extract
SmoothingThiamine Hcl
MaskingLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Inositol
Humectant
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantLinalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Tromethamine, Water, Trehalose, C12-14 Pareth-12, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Panthenol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Propolis Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Maltodextrin, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Phoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract, Tuber Magnatum Extract, Pyridoxine, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Folic Acid, Biotin, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sparassis Crispa Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Tocopherol, Cyanocobalamin, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Thiamine Hcl, Linoleic Acid, Inositol, Astaxanthin, Caramel, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.
It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.
The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.
Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.
Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.
The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.
Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.
The scent of linalool is described as floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolWater. 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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
