Revolution Beauty 12.5% Vitamin C Super Serum Versus Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum

Revolution Beauty 12.5% Vitamin C Super Serum Versus Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Glutathione to brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Ascorbic Acid

Glycerin

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Dimethicone

Xanthan Gum

Polyacrylamide

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Laureth-7

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Limonene

Sodium Hydroxide

Citral

Linalool

CI 77891

Water, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Laureth-7, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Linalool, CI 77891

Propanediol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Polyglyceryl-10 Tristearate

Ethoxydiglycol

Dicaprylyl Ether

Caprylyl Glycol

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract

Glutathione

Acetyl Cysteine

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Ergothioneine

Tocopherol

Gluconolactone

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Silica

Calcium Gluconate

Phenoxyethanol

Propanediol, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Polyglyceryl-10 Tristearate, Ethoxydiglycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Water, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract, Glutathione, Acetyl Cysteine, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Ergothioneine, Tocopherol, Gluconolactone, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, 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.

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 Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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