Olehenriksen Banana Bright+ Eye Crème Versus Biossance Squalane + 10% Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

Olehenriksen Banana Bright+ Eye Crème Versus Biossance Squalane + 10% Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate 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

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Isododecane

Coconut Alkanes

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glycerin

C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate

Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Cocoyl Proline

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Ascorbic Acid

Gold

Glutathione

Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract

Citrus Paradisi Peel Extract

Glucosyl Hesperidin

Tocopherol

Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide

Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract

Morus Alba Root Extract

Linoleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Jojoba Esters

Caprylyl Glycol

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Propanediol

Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate

Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate

Polyglyceryl-6 Ricinoleate

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Polyacrylate-13

Butylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Citrate

Polyisobutene

Beheneth-5

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Behenyl Alcohol

Sodium Hydroxide

Sorbic Acid

Sorbitan Isostearate

Citric Acid

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Stearic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Oleic Acid

Sorbitol

Silica

Sodium Benzoate

1,2-Hexanediol

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Mica

Titanium Dioxide

CI 77891

CI 77491

Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isododecane, Coconut Alkanes, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Cocoyl Proline, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Gold, Glutathione, Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi Peel Extract, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Tocopherol, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Root Extract, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Jojoba Esters, Caprylyl Glycol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Ricinoleate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylate-13, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Citrate, Polyisobutene, Beheneth-5, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Sorbitol, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77891, CI 77491

Squalane

Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Acacia Senegal Gum

Sodium Gluconate

Ethylhexylglycerin

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

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.

Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.

The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).

Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

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.

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