Works for:
based on ingredients and %- Moisturizing
Doesn't work for:
based on ingredients and %- Exfoliation
- Evens skin tone
Can it cause trouble?
- Irritation risk: high
- Comedogenic risk ingredients: 1
Key actives
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.
Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
This serum with a potent blend of Papaya, Vitamin C and Yuzu Lemon, helps to brighten the skin as it delivers hydration.
Source: Shea Moisture
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).
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
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
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.
A great emollient that can also have anti-oxidant properties
Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
With daily use, this energizing serum reduces the appearance of dark spots and discoloration to reveal a more even skin tone.
Source: Shea Moisture
Effective ingredients missing or their concentration is too low
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.
Exfoliation
What does the product description say?
This serum with a potent blend of Papaya, Vitamin C and Yuzu Lemon, helps to brighten the skin as it delivers hydration.
Source: Shea Moisture
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.
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Moisturizing | |
| Exfoliation | |
| Evens skin tone |
Total Promises Fulfilled score: 25/100.
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Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
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| Product | Similarity | Price | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
 SheaMoisture Papaya & Vitamin C Brighter Days Ahead Serum | Current | $21.98 | |
 marie veronique C-Therapy Serum | 65% | $120.00 | |
 Glow Jar 8% AM Vitamin C Serum | 63% | $58.00 | |
 Medik8 C-Tetra+ Intense Serum | 62% | $47.20 | |
 Dermadoctor Kakadu C High Potency Evening Oil | 59% | $39.99 | |
 DeVita Luxe C17 Serum | 58% | $42.95 |
Key Actives
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.
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
A great emollient that can also have anti-oxidant properties
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
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.
Potential irritants
An essential oil that can be irritating. Has some anti-bacterial properties
An essentil oil from orange peel. Potential allergen and can be irritating
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.
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.
A great emollient that can also have anti-oxidant properties
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.
Comedogenic ingredients
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
All ingredients
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
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.
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.
A great emollient that can also have anti-oxidant properties
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.
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
An essential oil that can be irritating. Has some anti-bacterial properties
An essentil oil from orange peel. Potential allergen and can be irritating
Ingredient 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
- Effect of Olive and Sunflower Seed Oil on the Adult Skin Barrier: Implications for Neonatal Skin Care
- Topically Applied Sunflower Seed Oil Prevents Invasive Bacterial Infections in Preterm Infants in Egypt
- Effect of topically applied lipids on surfactant-irritated skin
- Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible implications for neonatal health in developing countries
- Double-blind, half-face study comparing topical vitamin C and vehicle for rejuvenation of photodamage
- Application of tetra-isopalmitoyl ascorbic acid in cosmetic formulations: Stability studies and in vivo efficacy