Derma E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Brightening Serum

Derma E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Brightening Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Lactic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Cellulose Gum

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice

Maltodextrin

Lactobacillus

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Extract

Allantoin

Panthenol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Citrate

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Maltodextrin, Lactobacillus, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum

Dimethicone

Niacinamide

Lactic Acid

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Trehalose

PEG-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Benzoate

Hydroxylauric Acid

Ascorbic Acid

Avena Sativa Peptide

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Lactic Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Trehalose, PEG-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Hydroxylauric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide

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.

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.

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.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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!

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