Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Kriim Vitamin C Booster Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum

Kriim Vitamin C Booster Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots. This brightening serum is formulate

Kriim Vitamin C Booster Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This brightening serum is formulated around 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

Water

Ascorbic Acid

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Citric Acid

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Squalene

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Plankton Extract

Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract

Sodium Phytate

Xanthan Gum

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Glycine Soja Oil

Beta-Sitosterol

Beta-Carotene

Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

Tocopherol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalene, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Plankton Extract, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Sodium Hydroxide

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Metabisulfite

Dehydroacetic Acid

Phytic Acid

Oligopeptide-1

Water, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phytic Acid, Oligopeptide-1

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.

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. 03Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
  4. 04Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
  5. 05Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
  6. 06Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
  7. 07Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
  8. 08Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  9. 09Like 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.
  10. 10However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  11. 11Due 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.
  12. 12In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  13. 13While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  14. 14Most 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.
  15. 15Rosacea 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.
  16. 16However, 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…
  17. 17Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
  18. 18This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
  19. 19Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
  20. 20While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl…
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

The Inkey List Seakelp Serum

The Inkey List Seakelp Serum The Inkey List Seakelp Serum ingredients explained: Aqua (Water/Eau), Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Levulin…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side