Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum Versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum

SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum Versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum Detailed comparison of SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum. This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol to brig

This source-based comparison does not add ratings or recommend a winner.

SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum Versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum Detailed comparison of SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum versus Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum. This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles. Water Pentylene Glycol Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media Glycereth-7 Triacetate Shea Butter Ethyl Esters Glycerin Ethoxydiglycol Lactococcus Ferment Lysate Whey Protein Chlorella Vulgaris Extract Saccharide Isomerate Dimer Tripeptide-43 Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract Hydroxyacetophenone Tocopheryl Acetate Propanediol Xanthan Gum Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 Polyacrylate-13 Polyisobutene Sclerotium Gum PEG-12 Dimethicone Lecithin Pullulan Butylene Glycol Sodium Citrate Polysorbate 20 Aminomethyl Propanol Disodium EDTA Phenoxyethanol Ethylhexylglycerin Water, Pentylene Glycol, Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Glycereth-7 Triacetate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Whey Protein, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Dimer Tripeptide-43, Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Sclerotium Gum, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Lecithin, Pullulan, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin Dimethyl Isosorbide Ascorbic Acid Laureth-23 Tocopherol Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract Ferulic Acid Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract Gluconolactone Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer Sodium Hyaluronate Oryza Sativa Bran Extract Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane Caprylhydroxamic Acid Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate Sorbic Acid Sodium Benzoate Caprylyl Glycol Chondrus Crispus Extract Water, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Laureth-23, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract, Ferulic Acid, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that: The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure. Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations. 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. Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula: Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses. On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations. Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%. 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