water, ethoxydiglycol, ascorbic acid, glycerin, propylene glycol, laureth-23, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, triethanolamine, ferulic acid, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate IMPROVES THE APPEARANCE OF DARK SPOTS, WHILE BRIGHTENING SKIN'S COMPLEXION: Our powerful pure Vitamin C serum with Hyaluronic acid working together with Vitamin E and Ferulic acid clears skin imperfections, and even helps with acne and lightens acne scares. I’ll share with you the full list of ingredients in a few seconds but here I want to get your attention to explore the key ingredients that truly make this product unique and special. L-Ascorbic acid Pityrosporum Folliculitis/Malassezia folliculitis or simply known as Fungal Acne is a persistent acne-like condition that commonly responds poorly to traditional acne-treating methods. Unlike most cases of Acne where bacteria is the culprit, Fungi is the culprit of Fungal Acne (Hence the name!). There are certain classes & groups of ingredients that have been shown to promote and feed the growth of the Fungal Acne, Fungi such as fatty acids, oils, esters, polysorbates and fermented ingredients. This water-based Vitamin C serum is often called the best SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic dupe and it is just a fraction of the price. I do really like this one. It has:

the same key ingredients (Vitamin E and ferulic acid) to increase the effectiveness of the Vitamin C Paula’s Choice and Skinceuticals also get bonus points for including an additional pH balancer to help set the pH of the formulation to be just right (which can increase the concentration of the active ingredient and its benefits, Samuels, 2010). I applied Skinceuticals to the left side of my face, and Dr.Brenner to the right side of my face every morning for 1 month, adjusting for irritation. I also applied the same sunscreen to my entire face after applying the vitamin c serums.

Smell Evolution: Smell evolution is part of the Vitamin C experience, but we’ve smelled some that just isn’t right. If your ham-smelling serum takes on a expired meat broth odor, it might actually be expired. To help keep this product fresh for as long as possible, you can also buy a smaller empty bottle with dropper to decant some into. This means you don’t have to keep opening the original bottle every day, introducing more oxygen into the product. Both Timeless and Paula’s Choice are certified cruelty-free, but I couldn’t find any information on a cruelty free designation regarding Skinceuticals, so I am assuming they are not cruelty-free. All in all, I think the Paula’s Choice ingredient list and formula is a closer match to Skinceuticals than the Timeless one. Serum Color and Subsequent Oxidation I solemnly swear to research skin care and beauty products, ask my dad (the chemist) for advice, and share those findings with you! Learn More

Almost every morning I use a Vitamin C serum to helps protect against environmental damage and help p revent premature signs of aging. In addition to providing antioxidant protection, Vitamin C can also boost collagen production and help fade hyperpigmentation. I definitely consider it a skincare staple. But all of these benefits don’t happen overnight, so I really believe that with Vitamin C (and most active ingredients) consistency and patience is key. So we decided to put a few of these formulas to the test to see if there were any tips we could provide in sussing out and finding the “better” dupe. What Vitamin C Knowledge You Need Going Into this Test Your skin uses Vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen production plays a role in having a strong skin barrier and having plump skin.

C E Ferulic is formulated at the correct percentages of active ingredients and has the right pH levelto maximize the anti-aging capabilities of Vitamin C. Based on color alone, Timeless is the clearest serum. But I am not entirely sure that just because it is clear that that means that it hasn’t oxidized. One reason for this is that my Timeless bottle formed crystals around the opening and if I wasn’t careful to wipe those off every time, I rubbed crystals on my face (which hurt). So even though the serum didn’t change color over time, it did crystallize, which I believe is a sign of oxidation.

Parabens are a large group of preservatives which are used to prevent bacteria growing in cosmetic formulations. There's still a lot of support for avoiding parabens following the better safe than sorry route. If you do we completely support you! Rapid color change: Feel free to use our test results as a guide. Anything from a clear to amber is fine. Anything darker or when the formula takes on multiple hues, it might be time to let it go. These include: Amodimethicone, Behenoxy Dimethicone, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Cetearyl Methicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Copolyol, Dimethiconol, Methicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Stearoxy Dimethicone, Stearyl Dimethicone, Trimethylsilylamodimethicone. Timeless says this serum includes 20% vitamin C, doesn’t state anything about the percentages of vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, or ferulic acid included in this formula. My Dad the Chemist’s review of SkinCeuticals vs. Dr. Brenner vs. Timeless vitamin C serum

I think they all have a similar consistency and absorb equally well. When I was doing the split face comparison I couldn’t tell a difference between how they felt once I applied the Timeless and Skinceuticals on my skin. Smell If you've ever used a skincare, makeup or beauty product that's made your skin look and feel smoother tempoarily - it's likely contained Silicone. They are a popular class of ingredients found in cosmetics due to their smooth, soft, easy-to-spread and smooth properties that help creates an artificial layer/barrier on top of skin or hair (commonly found in conditioners). Timeless uses a 20% Vitamin C formula, 1% Vitamin E, and 0.5% Ferulic acid at pH of 2.4. Timeless is not fungal acne safe due to Polysorbate 80. Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients. Because Dr. Brenner Vitamin C Serum includes a higher percentages of ascorbic acid, it may cause more irritation especially if you’re not used to applying vitamin C to your skin. However, the inclusion of a high percentage of hyaluronic acid (1%) (compared to the unstated percentage in SkinCeuticals) may help offset that irritation, while delivering the brightening effects of this active ingredient. My final thoughts on these Vitamin C serums from SkinCeuticals, Dr. Brenner, and Timeless