SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum Versus Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum

SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum Versus Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum Detailed comparison of SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum versus Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum. This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Glutathione to brighten dull-looking skin. Water Butylene Glycol Propanediol Ethylhexyl Olivate Cetearyl Alcohol Chlorogenic Acids Niacinamide Lauryl Lactate Dimethyl Isosorbide Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Allyl Ester Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Ergothioneine Benzylidene Dimethoxydimethylindanone Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract Carnosine Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract Curcuma Longa Root Extract Olea Europaea Fruit Extract Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2 Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract Coffea Arabica Leaf Cell Extract Crocus Sativus Leaf Cell Culture Extract Superoxide Dismutase Ubiquinone Plankton Extract Micrococcus Lysate Arginine Zingiber Officinale Root Extract Ceramide NP Ceramide AP Ceramide EOP Linoleic Acid Linolenic Acid Sea Whip Extract Bisabolol Tocopherol Tocopheryl Acetate Cholesterol Phytosphingosine Jojoba Esters Sodium PCA Pentylene Glycol Methyl Gluceth-20 Glycerin Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax Lecithin Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate Dicetyl Phosphate Propanediol Dicaprylate/Caprate Polyglycerin-3 Ceteth-20 Phosphate Diisostearyl Malate Xanthan Gum Steareth-2 Acacia Senegal Gum Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate Carbomer Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Dextran Ricinoleth-40 Sodium Hydroxide Citric Acid Sodium Phytate Ethylhexylglycerin Phenoxyethanol Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chlorogenic Acids, Niacinamide, Lauryl Lactate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Allyl Ester, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ergothioneine, Benzylidene Dimethoxydimethylindanone, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Carnosine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica Leaf Cell Extract, Crocus Sativus Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Superoxide Dismutase, Ubiquinone, Plankton Extract, Micrococcus Lysate, Arginine, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Sea Whip Extract, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Jojoba Esters, Sodium PCA, Pentylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Lecithin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Propanediol Dicaprylate/Caprate, Polyglycerin-3, Ceteth-20 Phosphate, Diisostearyl Malate, Xanthan Gum, Steareth-2, Acacia Senegal Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dextran, Ricinoleth-40, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Benzimidazole Diamond Amid These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. 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. Ergothioneine is an amino acid found naturally in mushrooms, grains, and meat. It has antioxidant and skin soothing properties. This amino acid helps with: Maintaining DNA stability and cell reproduction Enhances cellular immunity Skin brightening Anti-aging Skin soothing 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. Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax is created from the common sunflower. Sunflower seed wax is made up of long chain non-glyceride esters, a small amount of fatty alcohols, and fatty acids. This ingredient is often used to enhance the texture of products. The fatty acid properties also help hydrate the skin. 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