What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Betaine
Humectant
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingAlgin
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningNonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-2
Bleaching
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, Betaine, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Algin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ergothioneine, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract, Nonapeptide-1, Hexapeptide-2, Hexapeptide-9, Oligopeptide-1, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Allantoin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare.
Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks:
In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen.
The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective.
A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model.
Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums).
Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin.
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidWater. 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
