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Skin science article

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum Versus Olival Professional Peptide Serum P

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum Versus Olival Professional Peptide Serum P This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Salicylic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Pa

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum Versus Olival Professional Peptide Serum P

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Salicylic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ascorbic Acid

Cyclohexasiloxane

Glycerin

Alcohol Denat.

Potassium Hydroxide

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Polysilicone-11

Dimethicone

Propylene Glycol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Tocopherol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Adenosine

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Poloxamer 338

Salicylic Acid

Polyacrylamide

Toluene Sulfonic Acid

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Disodium EDTA

BHT

Laureth-7

Parfum

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Hydroxide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysilicone-11, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Poloxamer 338, Salicylic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Toluene Sulfonic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Laureth-7, Parfum

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Butylene Glycol

Carbomer

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Polysorbate 20

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Citric Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide

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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.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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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. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
  6. 06Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
  7. 07Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
  8. 08It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
  9. 09Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
  10. 10A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
  11. 11Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  12. 12Like 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.
  13. 13However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  14. 14Due 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.
  15. 15In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  16. 16While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  17. 17Most 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.
  18. 18Rosacea 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.
  19. 19However, 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…
  20. 20Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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Product index

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Comparison edit

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