SheaMoisture Papaya & Vitamin C Brighter Days Ahead Serum
Works for
MoisturizingHelianthus annuus seed oil, Simmondsia chinensis seed oil + 2 moreWorks
“This serum with a potent blend of Papaya, Vitamin C and Yuzu Lemon, helps to brighten the skin as it delivers hydration.”
This product can help soften the skin and reduce its moisture loss with emollients and occlusives: butyrospermum parkii butter, helianthus annuus seed oil.
Keep in mind that this product does not contain effective ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. This is why an additional product with humectants like glycerin or hyaluronic acid can be helpful (apply it before this product for the best results).
ExfoliationNo ingredient credited for this claimNot delivered
“This serum with a potent blend of Papaya, Vitamin C and Yuzu Lemon, helps to brighten the skin as it delivers hydration.”
This product does not contain effective exfoliating ingredients. It might be able to deliver physical exfoliation, that is scrub off some of the dead cells on the surface of the skin. We do not recommend physical exfoliation, because it is not uniform (some bits of skin can get exfoliated too much while others not at all). It can also traumatize the skin and aggrevate acne and other skin conditions.
Evens skin toneTetrahexyldecyl ascorbate ~3.1–4.6%, below the ~4% it needsUnder-dosed
“With daily use, this energizing serum reduces the appearance of dark spots and discoloration to reveal a more even skin tone.”
Effective ingredients missing or their concentration is too low
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy4 strong irritants: Citrus junos peel extract, Carica papaya fruit extract + 2 more — patch-test recommendedHigh risk
Comedogenic1 ingredient rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale1 flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Helianthus annuus seed oil~23–35%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A great emollient due to its high linoleic acid content. One of the most effective plant oils in helping skin hydration and repairing skin barrier function
More about Helianthus annuus seed oilSimmondsia chinensis seed oil~9–13.4%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Softens the upper layer of skin and helps restore the healthy skin barrier. Has shown to help calm down inflammation in skin. It is a stable oil, meaning that it retains its properties even when exposed to air.
More about Simmondsia chinensis seed oilTocopheryl acetate~5.4–8.1%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
More about Tocopheryl acetateVitis vinifera seed oil~4.4–6.6%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A great emollient that can also have anti-oxidant properties
More about Vitis vinifera seed oilTetrahexyldecyl ascorbate~3.1–4.6%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
More about Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbateCitrus junos peel extract~2–3%
- Irritation risk
- High
Carica papaya fruit extract~1.3–1.9%
- Irritation risk
- High
Butyrospermum parkii butter~1.4–2.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
A great moisturising ingredient that softens the skin and reduces water loss from its upper layer. It also can be helpful in protecting skin from free radicals
More about Butyrospermum parkii butterMelaleuca alternifolia leaf oil~0.3–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- High
An essential oil that can be irritating. Has some anti-bacterial properties
More about Melaleuca alternifolia leaf oilCitrus aurantium dulcis peel oil~0.35–0.8%
- Irritation risk
- High
An essentil oil from orange peel. Potential allergen and can be irritating
More about Citrus aurantium dulcis peel oilIngredient list view
Helianthus annuus seed oil, Simmondsia chinensis seed oil, Tocopheryl acetate, Vitis vinifera seed oil, Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Citrus junos peel extract, Carica papaya fruit extract, Butyrospermum parkii butter, Melaleuca alternifolia leaf oil, Citrus aurantium dulcis peel oil
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| SheaMoisturePapaya & Vitamin C Brighter Days Ahead SerumYOUR PRODUCT | marie veroniqueC-Therapy Serum | Glow Jar8% AM Vitamin C Serum | DermadoctorKakadu C High Potency Evening Oil | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 65% | 63% | 59% |
| Price | $21.98 | $120.00+$98.02 | $41.45+$19.47 | $28.93+$6.95 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Key difference | — | Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate | Vitamin C | Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride |
| Irritancy | High | Medium | Low | Medium |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
More alternatives: Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power SerumDeVita Luxe C17 Serum
Product summary
"SheaMoisture - Papaya & Vitamin C Brighter Days Ahead Serum" could be helpful for: Moisturizing, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
About the brand
According to Cruelty-Free Kitty "SheaMoisture" is cruelty free, but its parent company is not.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 6 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2
- 3Effect of topically applied lipids on surfactant-irritated skinonlinelibrary.wiley.com
- 4
- 5
- 6
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