Green Tea Enzyme Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
The 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid is the genuine, well-placed active here and does the real brightening work. The green tea enzyme, tangerine, ferulic acid and niacinamide are all present but low enough on the label to be supporting cast rather than co-stars, so treat the name’s promise of double-duty brightening and exfoliation as more marketing than dosed reality. Still a reasonably priced, gentle vitamin C option.
- Evidence19 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: moderate evidence
- Gluconolactone (PHA): moderate evidence
- Green Tangerine: limited evidence
- Niacinamide: moderate evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency19 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: dosed at a studied level
- Gluconolactone (PHA): present, but below a studied dose
- Green Tangerine: present, but below a studied dose
- Niacinamide: present, but below a studied dose
How strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability6 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: clear dropper
- Air- or light-sensitive actives (Green Tangerine), so packaging is scored.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation4 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 0 of 4 actives disclose a concentration
- 4 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Gluconolactone (PHA), Green Tangerine
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value12 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $19 per month to use
- $32 for 30 ml, used about twice a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 1.7 months
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Ethyl Ascorbic Acid | n/a | Studied |
| Gluconolactone (PHA) | n/a | Light |
| Green Tangerine | n/a | Light |
| Niacinamide | n/a | Light |
Led by 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid high on the ingredient list, the more stable vitamin C form that converts to ascorbic acid in skin. Niacinamide, green tangerine (Citrus Reticulata) peel extract and a green-tea-derived protease (the "enzyme" in the name) all appear, but far enough down the label, after thickeners like xanthan gum and gluconolactone, that they read as supporting touches rather than headline doses. Ferulic acid shows up too, but dead last on the ingredient list, more marketing mention than antioxidant-stack dose. It comes in a clear dropper bottle, worth knowing since the formula is not opaque-protected.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.