KORRES Apothecary Wild Rose Spotless Serum with 15% Vitamin Super C Versus Biossance Squalane + 10% Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

KORRES Apothecary Wild Rose Spotless Serum with 15% Vitamin Super C Versus Biossance Squalane + 10% Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate and Rosa Canina Fruit Oil to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

This brightening serum is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Squalane to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Glycerin

Squalane

Tocopheryl Acetate

Bisabolol

Dictyopteris Polypodioides Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Lactic Acid

Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract

Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Pancratium Maritimum Extract

Panthenol

Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract

Sodium Chloride

Tocopherol

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Citronellol

Geraniol

Linalool

Wild Boar Oil

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Dictyopteris Polypodioides Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lactic Acid, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Panthenol, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Wild Boar Oil

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Citric Acid

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Acacia Senegal Gum

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Gluconate

Sodium Citrate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

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.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

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!

Similar Comparisons