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

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

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

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

Squalane

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Isododecane

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Mica

Coconut Alkanes

CI 77891

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Cetearyl Methicone

Silica

Phenoxyethanol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Xylitylglucoside

Dimethicone/Vinyltrimethylsiloxysilicate Crosspolymer

Anhydroxylitol

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Stevioside

Polysilicone-11

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Xylitol

Tocopherol

Parfum

Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate

CI 77491

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glucose

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Citrate

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Ascorbic Acid

Aroma

Sodium Chloride

Citral

Limonene

Linalool

Water, Squalane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isododecane, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Mica, Coconut Alkanes, CI 77891, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Cetearyl Methicone, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xylitylglucoside, Dimethicone/Vinyltrimethylsiloxysilicate Crosspolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Stevioside, Polysilicone-11, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xylitol, Tocopherol, Parfum, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, CI 77491, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glucose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ascorbic Acid, Aroma, Sodium Chloride, Citral, Limonene, Linalool

Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Citric Acid

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Acacia Senegal Gum

Sodium Gluconate

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.

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.

This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

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.

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!

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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