Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Serum Versus Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum

Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Serum Versus Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum This brightening serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin. This bright

Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Serum Versus Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

This brightening serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Ascorbyl Glucoside to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Water

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Coco-Caprylate

Cetearyl Olivate

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sorbitan Olivate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Euphorbia Cerifera Cera

Sodium Hyaluronate

Achillea Millefolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Alchemilla Vulgaris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Malva Sylvestris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Melissa Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil

Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil

Primula Veris Extract

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil

Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Seed Oil

Veronica Officinalis Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil

Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract

Xanthan Gum

Glyceryl Caprylate

Parfum

Benzyl Alcohol

Dehydroacetic Acid

Citronellol

Linalool

Geraniol

Eugenol

Benzyl Salicylate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Coco-Caprylate, Cetearyl Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Sodium Hyaluronate, Achillea Millefolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Malva Sylvestris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Melissa Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Primula Veris Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Seed Oil, Veronica Officinalis Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citronellol, Linalool, Geraniol, Eugenol, Benzyl Salicylate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Dimethicone

C9-12 Alkane

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Silica

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cetyl Alcohol

Caprylyl Glycol

Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Tocopherol

Glutathione

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Phytate

Hexylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract

Urea

Mannitol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium PCA

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Trehalose

Ascorbic Acid

Glucose

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Polyquaternium-51

Ergothioneine

Triacetin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, C9-12 Alkane, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Silica, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Tocopherol, Glutathione, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Urea, Mannitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium PCA, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trehalose, Ascorbic Acid, Glucose, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Ergothioneine, Triacetin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

Be the first to review

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  4. 04What it does:
  5. 05Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  6. 06Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  7. 07Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  8. 08This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
  9. 09Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
  10. 10Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  11. 11Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  12. 12Your 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.
  13. 13Aquaporin-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.
  14. 14This 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.
  15. 15Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  16. 16Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  17. 17Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
  18. 18It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
  19. 19On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
  20. 20Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side