Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair 20% Vitamin C Serum Capsules Versus Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair 20% Vitamin C Serum Capsules Versus Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin. This brightening moisturizer is

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair 20% Vitamin C Serum Capsules Versus Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer

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

This brightening moisturizer is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Ascorbyl Glucoside to brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Dimethicone

Ascorbic Acid

Trisiloxane

Dimethiconol

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Dimethicone/Vinyltrimethylsiloxysilicate Crosspolymer

Tocopheryl Acetate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate

Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract

Dimethicone, Ascorbic Acid, Trisiloxane, Dimethiconol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Dimethicone/Vinyltrimethylsiloxysilicate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract

Water

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Butylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Squalane

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate

Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Propanediol

Jojoba Esters

Tocopherol

Acetyl Zingerone

Cetyl Palmitate

Caprylyl Glycol

Cetyl Alcohol

Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax

Sodium Hydroxide

Sorbitan Olivate

Sorbitan Palmitate

Helianthus Annuus Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Sodium Phytate

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Lecithin

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Glycine Soja Oil

Lysolecithin

Bacillus Ferment

Citric Acid

Polyglutamic Acid

Beta-Sitosterol

Phytic Acid

Squalene

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Squalane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Propanediol, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Acetyl Zingerone, Cetyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Lecithin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Lysolecithin, Bacillus Ferment, Citric Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Beta-Sitosterol, Phytic Acid, Squalene, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

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.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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. 03Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  4. 04Like 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.
  5. 05However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  6. 06Due 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.
  7. 07In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  8. 08While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  9. 09Most 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.
  10. 10Rosacea 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.
  11. 11However, 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…
  12. 12Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  13. 13Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  14. 14Your 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.
  15. 15Aquaporin-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.
  16. 16This 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.
  17. 17Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  18. 18Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  19. 19Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
  20. 20It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

Continue reading

Related articles