SkinCeuticals vs The Ordinary — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
Phloretin CF
9/10 · SkinCeuticals
| Phloretin CF | Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | SkinCeuticals | The Ordinary |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 9/10 ★ | 8.5/10 |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight watery serum | Watery serum |
| Finish | Quick-absorb | Lightly tacky, sinks in fast |
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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. | Deciem's flagship peptide serum and the successor to the discontinued Buffet + Copper Peptides 1% — eight peptides in one bottle plus copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) at the high #4 placement, which is the slot that earns the bottle its blue tint and the price tag. The peptide line-up is the most credible single-bottle stack on the market at this price tier: copper tripeptide-1 for tissue repair and signaling, acetyl hexapeptide-8 (the 'Botox-mimic' Argireline) for expression-line softening, pentapeptide-18 for similar muscle-relaxant signaling, palmitoyl tripeptide-1/-38 + tetrapeptide-7 (the Matrixyl 3000 family) for collagen-and-elastin upregulation, plus dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate (Syn-Ake) and the ARG-TRP-DIPHENYLGLYCINE peptide (anti-fatigue) rounding it out. The amino acid + sugar NMF blend in the second half of the deck mimics the skin's own moisture factors. Use cases: AM or PM, layered as the treatment step under moisturizer; pairs cleanly with vitamin C in AM (peptides survive C just fine despite older internet folklore). The watery vehicle stays compatible with retinoids in PM. At $32 / 30ml it's the cheapest credible 8-peptide stack in skincare — adjacent prestige multi-peptide serums (Drunk Elephant Protini, Niod CAIS) sit at 3-4x. |
