Beauty of Joseon Light On Serum : Centella + Vita C Versus innisfree Vitamin C Green Tea Enzyme Brightening Serum

Beauty of Joseon Light On Serum : Centella + Vita C Versus innisfree Vitamin C Green Tea Enzyme Brightening Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and calm redness.

This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Gluconolactone to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Centella Asiatica Extract

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Glycerin

Propanediol

Betaine

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Methyl Trimethicone

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Panthenol

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Water

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Silica

Bisabolol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Xanthan Gum

Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate

Adenosine

Fructooligosaccharides

Beta-Glucan

Butylene Glycol

Sorbitan Isostearate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Maltodextrin

Arginine

Carbomer

Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Ethylhexylglycerin

Centella Asiatica Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Betaine, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Methyl Trimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Panthenol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Water, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Bisabolol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Adenosine, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Maltodextrin, Arginine, Carbomer, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin

Erythritol

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Squalane

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Dextrin

Tromethamine

Gluconolactone

Carnosine

Niacinamide

Allantoin

Hyaluronic Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Metaphosphate

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Tocopherol

Cyclodextrin

Madecassoside

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Protease

Tranexamic Acid

Glutathione

Achillea Millefolium Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Beta-Carotene

Ferulic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Betaine, Erythritol, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dextrin, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Gluconolactone, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Panthenol, Carnosine, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Metaphosphate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cyclodextrin, Madecassoside, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Protease, Tranexamic Acid, Glutathione, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Carotene, Ferulic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

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.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

This ingredient comes from the peel of the satsuma mandarin fruit native to Japan.

Unlike other citrus ingredients, this one is not known to cause photosensitivity. This is because the citrus ingredients that cause sensitivity are high in furanocoumarins. When exposed to UV, furocoumarins bind to and destabilize your DNA, speeding up the rate of sunburn.

Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract is unique in that the peel contains very low levels of furanocoumarins and tested products with this ingredient confirmed no detectable furanocoumarins.

The peel is rich in antioxidants and lab studies show it can help brighten skin by inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for melanin production.

One study on the fermented version of this ingredient found it could help reduce UVA-induced collagen breakdown. Though it is worth noting that while results are promising, robust human clinical trials are still needed.

This ingredient naturally contains limonene and other aromatic compounds that make it a perfuming ingredient.

The official COSING database only lists this ingredient as having "Perfuming" properties at this time. The brightening, antioxidant, and skin conditioning benefits that brands market come from the research literature and from how formulators choose to use the ingredient.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.

It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

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

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

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.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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