Skin science article
Glytone Age-Defying C+ Advanced Antioxidant Serum Versus Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum
Glytone Age-Defying C+ Advanced Antioxidant Serum Versus Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum This brightening serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Tocopheryl Acetate to brighten dull-looking skin. This anti-aging serum is formulat
Glytone Age-Defying C+ Advanced Antioxidant Serum Versus Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum
This brightening serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Tocopheryl Acetate to brighten dull-looking skin.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Propanediol
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Diheptyl Succinate
Glycerin
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Pentylene Glycol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Maltodextrin
Squalane
Hydroxyacetophenone
Punica Granatum Seed Extract
Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate
Sodium Citrate
Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract
Vitis Rotundifolia Fruit Extract
Polysorbate 60
Citric Acid
Sodium Phytate
Sorbitan Isostearate
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Geranium Maculatum Extract
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Ergothioneine
Water, Propanediol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Diheptyl Succinate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Squalane, Hydroxyacetophenone, Punica Granatum Seed Extract, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Citrate, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Vitis Rotundifolia Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 60, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Ergothioneine
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Ceramide NP
Tocotrienols
Tocopherol
Ubiquinone
Thioctic Acid
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Ferulic Acid
Beta-Glucan
Superoxide Dismutase
Epigallocatechin Gallate
Glutathione
Xanthophylls
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Lupinus Albus Seed Extract
Curcuma Longa Root
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Phenoxyethanol
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ceramide NP, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Thioctic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ferulic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Superoxide Dismutase, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Ergothioneine, Glutathione, Xanthophylls, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Glycerin, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Phenoxyethanol
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ergothioneine is an amino acid found naturally in mushrooms, grains, and meat. It has antioxidant and skin soothing properties.
This amino acid helps with:
Maintaining DNA stability and cell reproduction
Enhances cellular immunity
Skin brightening
Anti-aging
Skin soothing
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.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.