Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

reviv serums Reviv-C 36% Vitamin C Serum Versus Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum

reviv serums Reviv-C 36% Vitamin C Serum Versus Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum Detailed comparison of reviv serums Reviv-C 36% Vitamin C Serum versus Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum. This brightening serum is formulated around 3-

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reviv serums Reviv-C 36% Vitamin C Serum Versus Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum Detailed comparison of reviv serums Reviv-C 36% Vitamin C Serum versus Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum. 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. No concerns 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Dimethyl Isosorbide Cyclopentasiloxane Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Butylene Glycol Propylene Glycol Ethoxydiglycol Isodecyl Neopentanoate Phloretin Caprylyl Glycol Tocopheryl Acetate Ferulic Acid Glutathione Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract Phenoxyethanol Ethylhexylglycerin Alcohol Glycerin Punica Granatum Seed Oil Astaxanthin Tocotrienols Thioctic Acid Tocopherol Lycopene Xanthophylls Beta-Carotene Superoxide Dismutase 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Phloretin, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ferulic Acid, Glutathione, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, Glycerin, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Astaxanthin, Tocotrienols, Thioctic Acid, Tocopherol, Lycopene, Xanthophylls, Beta-Carotene, Superoxide Dismutase Ethoxydiglycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare. Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks: In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen. The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective. A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model. Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums). Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin. Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created. Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin. Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on). Dimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula. Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed. It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself). Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels. 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 backe