Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum Versus La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum Versus La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkl
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum Versus La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum
This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Salicylic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Niacinamide
Glycereth-7 Triacetate
Lactic Acid
Sd Alcohol 40-B
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Ascorbic Acid
Collagen Amino Acids
Superoxide Dismutase
Glycine
Carnitine Hcl
Ubiquinone
Hexylresorcinol
Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Isoquercetin
Mandelic Acid
Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Phytic Acid
Citric Acid
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
Butylene Glycol
Xanthan Gum
Polysorbate 20
T-Butyl Alcohol
Sodium Hydroxide
Polysorbate 80
Denatonium Benzoate
Benzyl Alcohol
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Water, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Glycereth-7 Triacetate, Lactic Acid, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Collagen Amino Acids, Superoxide Dismutase, Glycine, Carnitine Hcl, Ubiquinone, Hexylresorcinol, Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Isoquercetin, Mandelic Acid, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 80, Denatonium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Cyclohexasiloxane
Alcohol Denat.
Potassium Hydroxide
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Polysilicone-11
Dimethicone
Propylene Glycol
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Tocopherol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Adenosine
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Poloxamer 338
Salicylic Acid
Polyacrylamide
Toluene Sulfonic Acid
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Caprylyl Glycol
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Laureth-7
Parfum
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Hydroxide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysilicone-11, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Poloxamer 338, Salicylic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Toluene Sulfonic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Laureth-7, Parfum
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
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.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.