Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Clinique Fresh Pressed™ Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C 10%

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Clinique Fresh Pressed™ Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C 10%

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

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Acetyl Glucosamine to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Dimethicone

Squalane

Butylene Glycol

Acetyl Glucosamine

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Molasses Extract

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Algae Extract

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Alcaligenes Polysaccharides

Caffeine

Sucrose

Betaine

Whey Protein

Salicylic Acid

Glycine Soja Protein

Sodium Hyaluronate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Propylene Glycol Dicaprate

Helianthus Annuus Seedcake

Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Tromethamine

Xanthan Gum

Potassium Sorbate

PEG-8

Calcium Chloride

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Citrate

Disodium EDTA

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Molasses Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Algae Extract, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Alcaligenes Polysaccharides, Caffeine, Sucrose, Betaine, Whey Protein, Salicylic Acid, Glycine Soja Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, PEG-8, Calcium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

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.

Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.

Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:

Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.

One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.

While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.

The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.

Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.

Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It 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.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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