Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster versus Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot 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 Niacinamide and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots. 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 Alcohol Butylene Glycol Niacinamide PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin Ceramide AP Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane Isononyl Isononanoate 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Citrus Junos Fruit Extract Citrus Limon Fruit Extract Sodium Citrate Sodium Hyaluronate Adenosine Phenylethyl Resorcinol Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate Disodium EDTA Hydrogenated Lecithin Citric Acid Maltodextrin Xanthan Gum Oxothiazolidinecarboxylic Acid Tocopheryl Acetate Salicylic Acid Linalool Geraniol Limonene Benzyl Alcohol Benzyl Salicylate Parfum Water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Ceramide AP, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Isononyl Isononanoate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Oxothiazolidinecarboxylic Acid, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Salicylic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Parfum 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. Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant kn