Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum Versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum Versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Glycerin

Sodium Levulinate

Sodium Anisate

Salvia Sclarea Oil

Citrus Grandis Seed Extract

Hyaluronic Acid

Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf

Tocotrienols

Ferulic Acid

Matricaria Maritima Powder

Sodium Phytate

Xanthan Gum

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Tocotrienols, Ferulic Acid, Matricaria Maritima Powder, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose

Ascorbic Acid

Dipropylene Glycol

Propanediol

Ethoxydiglycol

Sodium Hydroxide

PPG-26-Buteth-26

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Bisabolol

Decylene Glycol

Tocopherol

1,2-Hexanediol

Sphingomonas Ferment Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bisabolol, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Decylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol

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.

Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant that can be naturally found in the cell walls of grains like rice, oats, and corn. It has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and has the ability to boost the performance of other antioxidants as well.

A well-known study found that adding Ferulic Acid to a solution of Vitamins C and E doubled the photoprotection of skin. This is why you'll often see it paired with Vitamin C or Vitamin E serums rather than sold on its own.

A 2025 review of 18 human studies found that using Ferulic Acid (0.5-1%) daily for one to three months showed improvements in:

As far as allergies go, Ferulic acid is generally well-tolerated but can cause an allergic reaction in very rare cases. It's also worth noting that Ferulic acid is often extracted from plant sources like rice bran or wheat bran, so be sure to path test if you have known grain allergies.

Outside of skincare, researchers are also looking into Ferulic Acid for its potential benefits in areas like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and heart health.

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 Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

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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