SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid Versus Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid Versus Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ethoxydiglycol

Ascorbic Acid

Glycerin

Propylene Glycol

Laureth-23

Phenoxyethanol

Tocopherol

Triethanolamine

Ferulic Acid

Panthenol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Laureth-23, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Triethanolamine, Ferulic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Glutathione

Superoxide Dismutase

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethoxydiglycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Ethoxydiglycol (aka Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether) is one of the cosmetic world's quiet problem solvers.

In a formula, it is a solvent that dissolves tricky ingredients that don't want to mix in and helps spread ingredients evenly across your skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling

This makes it great for hard-to-dissolve actives like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and self-tanner DHA.

It also has mild humectant and penetration enhancer abilities so it can help some actives absorb a little deeper.

The penetration boost is backed by lab research: studies using human skin samples found it improved how well an active dissolves into the upper layer of skin rather than tearing down your skin barrier. Reviews of its mechanism also describe it interacting gently with the lipids and water in your outermost layer of skin.

Just know this penetration-enhancing effect is not universal. It helps a lot in some formulas and did very little in others (so the benefit really depends on the specific product).

Safety-wise, the evidence is reassuring. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it's safe for use in cosmetics and recognized it as non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-comedogenic in skincare.

Typical leave-on skincare usage lands around 1-10%. The EU has sets caps of 2.6% in non-spray products, 10% in rinse-offs, 7% in oxidative hair dye, and 5% in non-oxidative hair dye.

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.

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