Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum Versus Medik8 Super C Ferulic

Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum Versus Medik8 Super C Ferulic

This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ethoxydiglycol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Glutathione

Superoxide Dismutase

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Ethoxydiglycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Methoxymethylbutanol

Propylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Ferulic Acid

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Water

Tocopheryl Acetate

Methoxymethylbutanol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Ferulic Acid, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Water, Tocopheryl Acetate

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Alternatives

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.

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