IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum Versus Vanicream Vitamin C Serum

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum Versus Vanicream Vitamin C Serum

This hydrating serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate to hydrate skin.

This brightening serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Carnosine to brighten dull-looking skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Water

Glycerin

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Limonene

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Cetyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate

Stearic Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Panthenol

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Glycine Soja Sterols

Linoleic Acid

Phospholipids

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Squalene

Propylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glucosamine Hcl

Hexylene Glycol

Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate

PEG-8

Pisum Sativum Extract

Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract

Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate

Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract

Tocopherol

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Disodium EDTA

Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil

Yeast Polysaccharides

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Carbomer

Eugenol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Citric Acid

Benzoic Acid

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Ascorbic Acid

Sodium Lactate

Polysorbate 20

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract

Taurine

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Potassium Sorbate

BHT

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Darutoside

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Arginine

Leucine

Lysine

Sodium Benzoate

Valine

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limonene, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Panthenol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalene, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glucosamine Hcl, Hexylene Glycol, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, PEG-8, Pisum Sativum Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopherol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Yeast Polysaccharides, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Carbomer, Eugenol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 20, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Taurine, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Potassium Sorbate, BHT, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Darutoside, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Arginine, Leucine, Lysine, Sodium Benzoate, Valine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Diisooctyl Succinate

Pentylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Carnosine

Ceramide NP

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide Ng

Ceramide As

Phytosterols

Stearyl Alcohol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

1,2-Hexanediol

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Water, Glycerin, Diisooctyl Succinate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Carnosine, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Phytosterols, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol

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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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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:

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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