Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum versus Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum .
Published on May 05, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain niacinamide, 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 oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates
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
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum 12 ingredients
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum 12 ingredients
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum 12 ingredients
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Alcohol • Dipropylene Glycol • Butylene Glycol • Niacinamide • Peg-9 • Glycol • Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid • Xylene Sulfonic Acid • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • Dimethyl Sulfone • Isononyl Isononanoate • 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid • Citrus Junos Fruit Extract • Citrus Limon Fruit Extract • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Adenosine • Phenylethyl Resorcinol • Ammonium Alum • Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Disodium EDTA • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Citric Acid • Maltodextrin • Xanthan Gum • Oxothiazolidinecarboxylic Acid • Tocopherol • Tocopheryl Acetate • Salicylic Acid • Phenoxyethanol • Linalool • Geraniol • Limonene • Benzyl Alcohol • Benzyl Salicylate • 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 WaterSoul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.
Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.
The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.
Learn more about NiacinamideSoul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
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 GlycerinSoul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
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.
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 TocopherolSoul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.
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.
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum 12 ingredients
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum 12 ingredients
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum 12 ingredients
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Mirq
Definitely not for sensitive skin
I have combo sensitive skin and it absolutely destroyed my skin barrier. My face was red, tight and burning after...
Definitely not for sensitive skin
I have combo sensitive skin and it absolutely destroyed my skin barrier. My face was red, tight and burning after second use. It smells like alcohol and have very strong scent. I will never ever use it not even on my neck or arms.
bibalapau
Hate it
My skin isn't even that sensitive, and my forehead was completely ruined. My pores got enormous, then i got an incredible amount of small...
Hate it
My skin isn't even that sensitive, and my forehead was completely ruined. My pores got enormous, then i got an incredible amount of small red pimples or something. I know my skin is kind of sensitive, but this serum was too much. Might work for some people, i know, but for me this was a no-no.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Soul Apothecary Vitamin C Brightening Serum.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum.
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