Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Drunk Elephant Bouncy Brightfacial

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Drunk Elephant Bouncy Brightfacial

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

This brightening overnight mask is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Salicylic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture.

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

Azelaic Acid 10%

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Salicylic Acid 1%

Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil

Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Pentylene Glycol

Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

Niacinamide

Phloretin

Allantoin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Behenic Acid

Glutathione

Linoleic Acid

Tocotrienols

Thioctic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Ergothioneine

Cholesterol

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Eos

Ceramide NP

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Amylopectin

Ellagic Acid

Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate

Caprooyl Phytosphingosine

Caprooyl Sphingosine

Squalane

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Acetyl Glucosamine

Punica Granatum Extract

Dextrin

Sebacic Acid

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Ceteareth-25

Sorbitan Isostearate

Polydextrose

Cetyl Alcohol

Caprylyl Glycol

Chlorphenesin

Polysorbate 60

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Azelaic Acid 10%, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Salicylic Acid 1%, Glycerin, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Niacinamide, Phloretin, Allantoin, Ferulic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Behenic Acid, Glutathione, Linoleic Acid, Tocotrienols, Thioctic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Ergothioneine, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Amylopectin, Ellagic Acid, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Squalane, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Punica Granatum Extract, Dextrin, Sebacic Acid, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Tocopherol, Ceteareth-25, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polydextrose, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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