Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Serum

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Squalane to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate 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

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Squalane

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

C9-12 Alkane

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Pullulan

Sclerotium Gum

Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate

Glutathione

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate

Phloretin

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Metabisulfite

PPG-8-Ceteth-20

Gluconolactone

Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer

Citric Acid

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Silica

Lecithin

Xanthan Gum

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Benzoate

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Water, Propanediol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Squalane, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, C9-12 Alkane, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Glutathione, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Phloretin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metabisulfite, PPG-8-Ceteth-20, Gluconolactone, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Silica, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Chondrus Crispus Extract

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.

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.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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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