It only feels right to begin my official blogging status with a first (useful) blog post, about my current favorite skincare item: The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% from Deciem.
Main Ingredient : L-Ascorbic Acid (the most direct form of vitamin C)
What does it do? : It brightens my skin and gives it a luminous glow. To me, it makes my outer-most layer of skin almost translucent. Also, when vitamin C is used in the morning, it has some UV-protection ability.
How does it feel? : Beware when you first dispense it, as it has a consistency of somewhat runny lotion. More surprisingly, as it touches the skin, it will feel a bit gritty, almost like a finely milled scrub, as this lotion contains a suspension of pure vitamin C powders that aren't dissolved in the formulation, due to its lack of water. (So it is literally vitamin C powders rubbing against your skin, and it definitely feels like it at first.) This was intentionally done so that the ascorbic acid (which is notorious for going bad quickly) doesn't oxide and lose its anti-oxidative ability while sitting in your cabinet. I find it helpful to use a watery toner/mist/first essence type before this product, so that the powders can be dissolved right upon application and absorbed into the skin.
Why this one over others? : There are tons of vitamin C serums out there, some containing ascorbic acid and others containing its derivatives, such as ascorbyl palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and etcetera. These derivatives became popular because pure ascorbic acid isn't stable in most formulation and elements (such as water, air, sun) while these derivatives withstand oxidation better and can be either water soluble or fat soluble (e.i. more options for the cosmetic formulators to create nice-feeling textures of serum & cream we all enjoy). BUT, the potency of vitamin C's anti-oxidative activity is the strongest with the pure ascorbic acid, as other derivatives eventually need to be converted back to its pure form to be effective in the skin layer. Also, I like that it is a single-main-ingredient product = less possibility for my skin to react to a certain ingredient. (My skin is very, very selective and... crazy. Will explain further in other posts.) Another reason: I believe it is Squalane in this product that gives me a nice glow and well prepped skin for makeup application. Finally, it's CHEAP!! Cheap and effective is a way to go in my book :)
When do I use it? : In the morning, after toner.
Where can I get it? : Deciem.com, Beautylish.com, ASOS.com
How much? : $5.80
Full Ingredient List : Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Coconut Alkanes, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Trihydroxystearin, BHT.
Final Thought :
This isn't going to be the most eloquently formulated product you've ever come across that feels like silk on your skin, nor is there anything luxurious about it. In the end, however, it works as a great option to add vitamin C in your skincare regimen, it works under the makeup when paired with watery toner to properly dissolve the serum and pat it in to be absorbed into the skin, and it give a luminous glow to the skin (if you like that, that is). And, to me, this is the first vitamin C serum that actually worked to brighten up my skin to a noticeable degree. At just $5.80, I just don't see why I'd ever discontinue using this as long as it is available on the market! :D
Tina