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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Originote Acne B5 Serum versus COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum .

Last updated on October 11, 2023. Published on January 04, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens or parabens

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum Indonesian Brand Indonesia
Serum South Korean Brand South Korea

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Acne B5 Serum

Shop

Buy The Vitamin C 23 Serum

Starts at $14.90

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
ph level
4

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Retinoid
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (4)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting (4)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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.

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.

3
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

4
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

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 Niacinamide

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

5
What it does: Solvent
Community Rating: Liked

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 Propanediol

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
Community Rating: Loved

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Learn more about Allantoin

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

7
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

8
What it does: Absorbent
Community Rating: Liked

Dextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.

As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.

Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.

Learn more about Dextrin

The Originote Acne B5 Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

56% are loved or liked
15% have mixed ratings
15% are disliked or very disliked
15% have no rating yet
59% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
26% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The Originote Acne B5 Serum 27 ingredients

Acne B5 Serum hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum 34 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 7 ratings
Strong Scent (2) Doesn't Work (1) Expensive (1) Absorbs Well (1) Sticky (1) Works Well (1)
laila.21's avatar

laila.21

4 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I didn't like the consistency of this serum at all.
It felt like I was putting oil to my face, but since I always use the whole product to see...

I didn't like the consistency of this serum at all.
It felt like I was putting oil to my face, but since I always use the whole product to see results this did nothing to me other than feeling uncomfortable.

ChienYun_CY's avatar

ChienYun_CY

11 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Cured my acne scars
I had mix feelings when I first bought this as I read that the smell can be off-putting. But I am glad I bought it. My acne...

Cured my acne scars
I had mix feelings when I first bought this as I read that the smell can be off-putting. But I am glad I bought it. My acne scars faded a lot more after 3 days of using it and saw great results in one week. It also didn't break me out despite containing alcohols and oils. It does sting a little on the first application but doesn't irritate my skin. The smell can be quite strong when you first spread it on, but it slowly goes away after awhile.

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