What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-6 Stearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether
Antioxidant
Quercetin
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Root Extract
BleachingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
Masking3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
PEG-32 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolymethyl Methacrylate
Lecithin
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tricaprylin
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cholate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Isostearyl Isostearate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Propylene Glycol, PEG-6 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Behenate, Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether, Quercetin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Morus Alba Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-32 Stearate, Glycol Stearate, Triethanolamine, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Mica, Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Dimethiconol, BHT, Polysorbate 20, Tricaprylin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Sodium Cholate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, CI 15985
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 Acid
