TRUology Vita C3 Versus TRUology C-Boost Intense Defense Serum
Updated on October 13, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 16 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens or silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
TRUology Vita C3 24 ingredients
TRUology C-Boost Intense Defense Serum 35 ingredients
About this product
About this product
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
TRUology Vita C3 24 ingredients
TRUology C-Boost Intense Defense Serum 35 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Astaxanthin
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingErgothioneine
Antioxidant
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Glutathione
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Ascorbic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Astaxanthin, Bisabolol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ergothioneine, Zinc Sulfate, Resveratrol, Glutathione, Ferulic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Tocopherol, Sclerotium Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
SolventCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Astaxanthin
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Masking
Glutathione
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
Cleansing
Dextran
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Fulvic Acid
Skin ConditioningPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Lecithin
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Squalane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Astaxanthin, Bisabolol, Glutathione, Ergothioneine, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ceteareth-20, Dextran, Ferulic Acid, Fulvic Acid, Plankton Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycerin 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 GlycerinTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl AscorbateMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) is a form of Vitamin C and is an antioxidant. It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.
MAP is created by combining ascorbic acid with magnesium salt. While MAP more gentle on the skin than ascorbic acid, it is thought to be less easily-absorbed into the skin.
Due to MAP's stability up to a pH level of 7, it is more stable to air and sunlight exposure than ascorbic acid. The best pH range for MAP is between 5 and 6.
Like other forms of Vitamin C, MAP has been shown to help reduce hyperpigmentation and simulate collagen production.
As an antioxidant, it helps protect your skin against the signs of aging.
Learn more about Magnesium Ascorbyl PhosphateAstaxanthin is a carotene pigment and red pigment. It is a promising antioxidant with a ton of skin benefits.
This antioxidant has great anti-aging benefits by blocking the following:
Astaxanthin is also great at soothing skin due to its ability to block molecules that signal inflammation. It is currently being studied for preventing chronic inflammatory diseases.
Plus, a study from 2012 found Astaxanthin in liposomes protected mouse skin from UV-damage.
Fun fact: Astaxanthin is responsible for giving salmon a pink color.
Learn more about AstaxanthinBisabolol is famous for its skin soothing properties. It does this by blocking inflammatory signals, helping to reduce your body's reaction to irritation.
This ingredient also interferes with the process of hyperpigmentation. This can help with reducing dark spots and uneven tone.
Bisabolol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. By fighting these free-radicals, Bisabolol may slow down signs of aging.
Studies have shown Bisabolol to have antimicrobial properties and may be a fungicide. These properties help preserve a product's shelf life.
All these properties makes bisabolol a great skin barrier helper ingredient.
Bisabolol also helps the absorption of other ingredients.
Note: Synthetic Bisabolol has been shown to be less effective.
Learn more about BisabololErgothioneine is an amino acid found naturally in mushrooms, grains, and meat. It has antioxidant and skin soothing properties.
According to a manufacturer, this amino acid helps with:
- Maintaining DNA stability and cell reproduction
- Enhances cellular immunity
- Skin brightening
- Anti-aging
- Skin soothing
Glutathione is an antioxidant naturally found in our bodies. It is made up of three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid.
As an antioxidant, it prevents oxidative damage to parts of our cell.
While glutathione is said to help with fading dark spots, the results from research are inconclusive. Further studies are needed. With that said, gluthatione has been shown to protect our skin from UV-B induced damage.
This ingredient is naturally occurring in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria.
Learn more about GlutathioneFerulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant. By fighting free-radicals, ferulic acid can help reduce the formation of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
When used with Vitamin C, Ferulic Acid has shown to prevent Vitamin C from breaking down. In other words, it acts as a stabilizer.
Ferulic Acid is sometimes used to preserve food. Foods containing Ferulic Acid include: oats, rice, eggplant, citrus.
In medicine, Ferulic Acid is being studied for helping with diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular diseases.
Learn more about Ferulic AcidGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
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.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.
This ingredient has many skin benefits:
This ingredient contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off molecules that damage skin cells.
On top of that, the antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.
Many components of tea have anti-inflammatory properties.
Polyphenols and L-theanine help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. The caffeine in Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract helps calm inflamed blood vessels.
Other compounds found in tea include: Vitamin Bs, linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.
Research has shown both drinking Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea and applying it to the skin can help boost skin elasticity and hydration. Studies also show using tea extract may reduce sebum, or oil, production.
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractWe don't have a description for Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract yet.
Zingiber Officinale is more commonly known as ginger.
Ginger root has antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and antimicrobial properties.
The antioxidant properties help protect your body from free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. As a result, ginger may help slow down signs of aging such as hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
Studies show ginger inhibits the enzyme that breaks down collagen. It also helps with:
This ingredient has no negative side-effects and is safe to use unless one has a specific allergy to it.
Ginger originates from Southeast Asia but has spread throughout the world. It is now a common spice used in many cultures.
Learn more about Zingiber Officinale Root ExtractTocopherol (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 TocopherolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
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