First Aid Beauty 10% Vitamin C Brightening Serum Versus SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule

First Aid Beauty 10% Vitamin C Brightening Serum Versus SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule

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

This brightening ampoule is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic 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

Water

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Squalane

Sodium Citrate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Colloidal Oatmeal

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Glycerin

Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate

Xanthan Gum

Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate

Phenoxyethanol

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Tranexamic Acid

1,2-Hexanediol

Betaine

Centella Asiatica Extract

Zea Mays Starch

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Mannitol

Panthenol

Pentylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Madecassoside

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Arginine

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Glucose

Lactobacillus Ferment

Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Zea Mays Starch, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mannitol, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Madecassoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment

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.

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.

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.

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