Product and ingredient reference
Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum
Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum Ingredients in Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 10 ingredients including Ethoxydiglycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum Ingredients in Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C+ Perfecting Serum explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 10 ingredients including Ethoxydiglycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate A serum with 10 ingredients, including vitamin C. 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. We independently verify ingredients, backed by peer-reviewed research. Suggest an update. Ethoxydiglycol 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Dimethyl Isosorbide Isodecyl Neopentanoate Glutathione Superoxide Dismutase Ethylhexylglycerin Caprylyl Glycol Phenoxyethanol Ethoxydiglycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol 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. 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. Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C. THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!). Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a gre No written reviews yet. Be the first to review this product. Search reviews by skin type, ingredient, or keyword. Allies of Skin is a American brand We're dedicated to providing you with the most up-to-date and science-backed ingredient info out there. The data we've presented on this page has been verified by a member of the SkinSort Team. · Updated May 7, 2026 • Added by bradley_gilbert