SkinCeuticals vs The Ordinary — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
Phloretin CF
9/10 · SkinCeuticals
| Phloretin CF | Multi-Antioxidant Radiance Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | SkinCeuticals | The Ordinary |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 9/10 ★ | 8.7/10 |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight watery serum | Watery-light gel-serum with a faint amber tint from annatto seed |
| Finish | Quick-absorb | Dewy, fresh, slightly luminous |
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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. | The Ordinary's Multi-Antioxidant Radiance Serum is the brand's most polished morning serum — a daily AM brightener built from eight antioxidant technologies that's easier to use than a pure L-ascorbic acid product and arguably more effective for skin that can't tolerate active vitamin C. Ascorbyl Glucoside is the gentler, more stable vitamin C derivative that hydrolyzes into ascorbic acid on the skin. It's joined by ergothioneine (a potent intracellular antioxidant), stabilized EGCG (green tea polyphenol that stays active in formula), tocotrienols (vitamin E's super-form), Korean ginseng for circulation and glow, and tremella mushroom for hydration. The peptide pair — Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2 and Heptapeptide-6 — adds a cell-signaling element rare at this price. The annatto seed extract gives it a faint warm tint that makes skin look immediately more even. Apply morning under sunscreen; the formula is alcohol-free and fragrance-free, so it layers under anything without pilling. At $20, it sits in the sweet spot between drugstore vitamin C derivatives and prestige multi-antioxidant serums that cost five times more. |
