SkinCeuticals vs SkinMedica — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
Phloretin CF
9/10 · SkinCeuticals
| Phloretin CF | Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | SkinCeuticals | SkinMedica |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 9/10 ★ | 8.6/10 |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight watery serum | Lightweight, fluid serum |
| Finish | Quick-absorb | Even, bright |
| Skin Types |
| Targets |
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| Cons |
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| Verdict | The CE Ferulic for combination/oily skin. Phloretin CF replaces tocopherol with phloretin (an apple-derived antioxidant), keeping the 10% L-ascorbic acid + 0.5% ferulic acid backbone but with a lighter, less oil-leaning texture. Better for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin where CE Ferulic feels heavy. Same antioxidant network in the basket — vitamin C primary, phloretin secondary, ferulic stabilising — and the same 4 a.m. orange-mid-tone shift that signals oxidation when it's gone too far. Not cheaper than CE Ferulic but worth it if your skin pushes back against the original. | SkinMedica's Lytera 2.0 is the physician-dispensed depigmentation serum — tranexamic acid (plasminogen activation inhibition), niacinamide (melanosome transfer inhibition), phenylethyl resorcinol (tyrosinase inhibition), and tetrapeptide-30 (melanocyte signalling modulation). Four mechanisms targeting pigmentation at four different stages. Allergan's physician-channel brand delivers the multi-mechanism approach dermatologists wish prescription hydroquinone offered. |
