Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum Versus Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum Versus Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the lo
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum Versus Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Contour 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 anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinyl Acetate and Caffeine to soften the look of wrinkles.
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
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Dimethicone
Dipropylene Glycol
Behenyl Alcohol
Silica
PEG-400
Batyl Alcohol
Methylparaben
Carbomer
Dimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer
Trisodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Retinyl Acetate
Alcohol
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
BHT
Polyquaternium-51
Parfum
Potassium Hydroxide
Caffeine
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
PPG-3 Dipivalate
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
CI 77492
Tocopherol
Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract
Linalool
Limonene
Sodium Metabisulfite
Triisostearin
Uncaria Gambir Extract
Citronellol
Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract
Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate
Geraniol
Cellulose
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Hydroxyproline
Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Methicone
Tetradecene
Eucheuma Serra/Grateloupia Sparsa/Saccharina Angustata/Ulva Linza/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract
Saccharina Angustata/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Ascorbyl Dipalmitate
Water, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Behenyl Alcohol, Silica, PEG-400, Batyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Dimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, Trisodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Acetate, Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, BHT, Polyquaternium-51, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PPG-3 Dipivalate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, CI 77492, Tocopherol, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Sodium Metabisulfite, Triisostearin, Uncaria Gambir Extract, Citronellol, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate, Geraniol, Cellulose, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Methicone, Tetradecene, Eucheuma Serra/Grateloupia Sparsa/Saccharina Angustata/Ulva Linza/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract, Saccharina Angustata/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ascorbyl Dipalmitate
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
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.
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 does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
SD Alcohol 40-B is created by denaturing ethanol with tert-Butyl alcohol and denatonium benzoate. It is a solvent and astringent.
The 'SD' stands for 'specially denatured'. Denatured alcohol means the structure has been altered.
The 40-B is given by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. This is in accordance to the method of how the alcohol was denatured.
This ingredient is a solvent alcohol.
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.