Back to School: A B Vitamin C's of Skincare

After an extended hiatus from blogging (summer vacay, catching up on work before and after vacay, and birthdays), I'm back!  And in spirit of the back to school season, I thought it would be fitting to do a little educational post on the skincare benefits of Vitamin C.  But first, here's a little guide to some of the skincare products I've been trying and trying to find lately, all of which I'll be blogging about as I try products.

I'm on the lookout for the best of the best products to update my skincare regimen.  Here's what I'm trying to find.  And if you readers out there have any favorites to suggest that I try, please let me know.

• A creamy eye cream for day that combats dark circles and works under my eye makeup and undereye concealer (many eye creams make the undereye concealer run or crepe)

• A Vitamin C serum for day that does not feel sticky and works underneath makeup 

• A lightweight day moisturizer with a high SPF (30 or better)

• An eye cream for night that combats fine lines and firms the eye area

• A hydrating serum for night that firms skin and combats lines and hyper-pigmentation

• A hydrating night moisturizer with anti-aging benefits

• A spot treatment for hyper-pigmentation (sun spots)

• A spot treatment for occasional breakouts that works quickly and effectively  

• A weekly glycolic peel

• A weekly moisturizing mask

First up for discussion: Vitamin C serums.  Until very recently, Vitamin C molecules were too large and unstable to be applied directly to the skin and would not penetrate the skin deeply enough to make any visible difference.  Now, thanks to skincare research geniuses, "they" have devised a way to break down the Vitamin C molecules and transport it deep below the skin's surface.  The result is serums that brighten the skin, combat sun spots, prevent sun damage, firm and boost collagen production, and increase cell renewal.  The increased cell turnover makes your skin more radiant, reduces pore size, and both prevents and corrects wrinkles.  If it sounds like a miracle serum, that's because it is.

To get the the maximum benefit, you want to use it just once a day during the a.m. only.  And you MUST use it with sunscreen of at least SPF 30 if you're just driving and outside for a few minutes here and there, and a higher SPF if you're in the sun for any extended period of time.  The SPF is essential because while the Vitamin C helps prevent and treat hyper-pigmentation, it also makes your skin more vulnerable to sun damage if you don't wear an SPF because of the increased cell turnover.  With that caveat out of the way, I give you the three Vitamin C serums I've tried to date and my thoughts:

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
Ole Henriksen is one of the latest and greatest active naturals skincare lines.  It combines science with homeopathy for a truly great skincare line, free of harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates.  This particular serum features 10% Vitamin C for the anti-aging benefits together with Vitamin E for hydration and other active naturals like green tea and grapefruit extracts.  The result is a serum that smells great, smooths the skin, and gives the complexion a radiant glow.  Overall, my skin looked healthier after about a week of consistent use.  On the downside, it's a little sticky, which does not work well underneath makeup.  I like the results of this serum, but I really want to find a Vitamin C serum that wears well underneath makeup since it's a daytime serum.


Murad Active Radiance Serum
This serum contains Vitamin C, AHA, and Myrtle extract to help improve the skin's texture and radiance, as well as to treat and prevent sun spots.  This serum is supposed to boost collagen production and guard the skin against damage from free radicals.  My skin definitely felt smoother to the touch and looked more radiant immediately after using the serum.  After a few days of consistent daily use (remember, use Vitamin C serums just once a day, a.m. only), my skin's texture and skin tone were noticeably improved.  This serum is not as sticky as the Truth Serum, but it's still a bit on the sticky side.  Not so much that I would be dissuaded if it was a serum that I could use at night, but since I wear makeup regularly, and the stickiness doesn't disappear even after 15 minutes or so, it's not the best choice for me.  I did try it once on a non-makeup day and after I let it dry for a good 20 minutes and then applied moisturizer and let that dry, my skin felt soft and non-sticky to the touch after another hour or so.  I did not attempt to apply makeup over it, but I think that if I had, it would have been alright. It's just quite a long wait before my skin is makeup-safe and not getting tacky clumps of makeup on my face (not a good look).  Overall, I like this serum and its effects very well.  I am just determined that there is another makeup-friendly Vitamin C serum out there.


SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
This Vitamin C serum came highly recommended from my aestheticism, who offered me a sample.  I later learned that it's a three-time Allure Magazine best serum winner.  It's easy to see why.  This serum combines a very potent formulation of Vitamin C in the form of 15% pure L-ascorbic acid with the hydrating and reparative benefits of Vitamin E.  It has all the same antioxidant benefits as the other Vitamin C serums, but in a more aggressive dosage of Vitamin C, and with ferulic acid and Vitamin E for extra antioxidant power.  This serum feels like it's quenching the skin's thirst while leaving it soft and bright, not at all greasy and thankfully, not sticky.  Makeup goes on smoothly.  I suppose it was inevitable that the best Vitamin C serum I've tried to date would be about twice the price of the other two.  And yes, you get what you pay for in SkinCeuticals products, their quality is unrivaled.  However, as $141, it's still far more expensive than any other skincare product I've ever purchased.

I'm still milking my deluxe sample for now and using very sparingly.  I'm hoping to find another serum that works as well, but if I can't, here is my plan and some tips for you readers who might consider this purchase: you can get SkinCeuticals products on www.spalook.com, which is always on ebates (usually around 5-10% cash back -- check out ebates for Sephora and ULTA cash back as well -- http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=zblRc6RSUiGkpTMojoGM1g%3D%3D). Additionally, Spalook virtually always has coupon codes going to get $25 off of a $100 purchase or $50 off of $200 or 20% off or something like that.  Look for them in a general google search, although the codes are often on the main page of Spalook itself.  Further, SkinCeuticals does sell this serum in discounted kits with other full-sized serums, saving you some money collectively.  Finally, Spalook often has gifts with purchase for SkinCeuticals.

So, yes, I am considering making this obscene purchase given the aforementioned discounts and promos.  Vitamin C serums are the holy grail of anti-aging serums right now.  And the beauty of them is that they are ideal for women in my age group (20 and 30-somethings) looking to correct some early sun damage and prevent any further damage.  And the SkinCeuticals has been praised as the best of the best, so it is probably worth the investment.  Being the bargain huntress that I am, I am still going to hunt down samples and trial sizes of other Vitamin C serums and see if I can't find a better deal.  But at the end of the day, this is probably the single most important category of skincare product that I can buy for my skin, so I may just have to cut cost-corners elsewhere.  I will keep you posted on any other worthwhile Vitamin C serums I find.

Face Anti-Aging by Ole Henriksen