ERHA Truwhite Vit C & Peptide Brightening Serum Versus Elsheskin 15% Vitamin C+ Glow Advance Serum

ERHA Truwhite Vit C & Peptide Brightening Serum Versus Elsheskin 15% Vitamin C+ Glow Advance Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Alpha-Arbutin 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

Water

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Trehalose

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Ethoxydiglycol

Glycerin

Propanediol

Dipropylene Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Palmitoyl Proline

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Xanthan Gum

Bisabolol

Phenoxyethanol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract

Panthenol

Sodium Metabisulfite

BHT

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Silica

Butylene Glycol

Isoceteth-10

Caprylyl Glycol

Glyceryl Caprylate

Phenylpropanol

Palmitoyl Sh-Octapeptide-24 Amide

Glycolic Acid

Lactic Acid

Polyvinyl Alcohol

Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-5 Norisoleucyl Sh-Nonapeptide-1

Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Trehalose, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Palmitoyl Proline, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Bisabolol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Metabisulfite, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Isoceteth-10, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Palmitoyl Sh-Octapeptide-24 Amide, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-5 Norisoleucyl Sh-Nonapeptide-1

Alpha-Arbutin

Pentylene Glycol

Artemisia Capillaris Leaf Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Mel Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Caffeine

Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract

Chlorphenesin

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Sodium Hydrosulfite

Tocopheryl Acetate

Buteth-3

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

Ferulic Acid

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Tetrasodium EDTA

Arginine

Hydrolyzed Algin

Tributyl Citrate

Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Potassium Hyaluronate

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate

Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Alpha-Arbutin, Pentylene Glycol, Artemisia Capillaris Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Mel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Caffeine, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Chlorphenesin, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydrosulfite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Buteth-3, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Ferulic Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Tetrasodium EDTA, Arginine, Hydrolyzed Algin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tributyl Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate

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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.

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It 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.

On 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.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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.

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