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Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,295
Registered: ‎03-27-2010

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....

S...ugh, that's a lot of wasted money. Thanks for the information.  What brand do you purchase?  Do you know a cruelty free Vitamin C with excellent efficacy.


@SilleeMee wrote:

@phoenixbrd,

I bought two bottles of Mad Hippie, it was on sale somewhere. Got it home and one of the serums was light brownish-yellow and the other one was very pale-yellow colored. I tossed the brownish one, it was obviously oxidized. The other yellow colored one had a pH of 5!  Ended up tossing it, too. So that was the first and last time I ever bought that brand.


 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,245
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....

[ Edited ]

@SilleeMee wrote:

@phoenixbrd,

I bought two bottles of Mad Hippie, it was on sale somewhere. Got it home and one of the serums was light brownish-yellow and the other one was very pale-yellow colored. I tossed the brownish one, it was obviously oxidized. The other yellow colored one had a pH of 5!  Ended up tossing it, too. So that was the first and last time I ever bought that brand.


@SilleeMee,

 

Hmmm, the Mad Hippie Vit. C serums may have been OK.  The Vitamin C in Mad Hippie is Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP), a stabilized, water soluble derivative of Vitamin C.  It is light and oxygen stable and does not degrade in formulas containing water.  It is most stable above pH 6.5 and may discolor in formulations below pH 6.  SAP is one of the Vitamin C derivatives that converts to ascorbic acid once it has been absorbed in the skin, so a low pH is not necessary for penetration or stability like it is with Vitamin C serums made with L-ascorbic acid.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,608
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....


@River Song wrote:

@SilleeMee wrote:

@phoenixbrd,

I bought two bottles of Mad Hippie, it was on sale somewhere. Got it home and one of the serums was light brownish-yellow and the other one was very pale-yellow colored. I tossed the brownish one, it was obviously oxidized. The other yellow colored one had a pH of 5!  Ended up tossing it, too. So that was the first and last time I ever bought that brand.


@SilleeMee,

 

Hmmm, the Mad Hippie Vit. C serums may have been OK.  The Vitamin C in Mad Hippie is Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP), a stabilized, water soluble derivative of Vitamin C.  It is light and oxygen stable and does not degrade in formulas containing water.  It is most stable above pH 6.5 and may discolor in formulations below pH 6.  SAP is one of the Vitamin C derivatives that converts to ascorbic acid once it has been absorbed in the skin, so a low pH is not necessary for penetration or stability like it is with Vitamin C serums made with L-ascorbic acid.


@River Song,

Yes, I know...you are right about the map and its stability at the higher pH. But the map is just that...it is STABLE at high pH, but that does not make it penetrable at the higher pH. It's my understanding that C serums, no matter what kind (laa or map) must have a pH of 3.5 or less in order for it to penetrate. 

 

Are you saying that once the map converts to aa while on the skin, it also turns acidic? If so, how long does this acidification take? That's interesting! I really never gave it much thought. Now you have me wondering...again! ..LOL!Woman Very Happy

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,608
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....

@phoenixbrd,

I have been making my own C serums for many years. I like to be certain of what goes into this type of serum and making it fresh assures me of it's efficacy. My C serum is not just something I have thrown together in a bottle. It's been reasearched and has a long history behind it. I have used many good commercial brands but I hated spending money on them! Woman Happy

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,245
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....


@SilleeMee wrote:

@River Song wrote:

@SilleeMee wrote:

@phoenixbrd,

I bought two bottles of Mad Hippie, it was on sale somewhere. Got it home and one of the serums was light brownish-yellow and the other one was very pale-yellow colored. I tossed the brownish one, it was obviously oxidized. The other yellow colored one had a pH of 5!  Ended up tossing it, too. So that was the first and last time I ever bought that brand.


@SilleeMee,

 

Hmmm, the Mad Hippie Vit. C serums may have been OK.  The Vitamin C in Mad Hippie is Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP), a stabilized, water soluble derivative of Vitamin C.  It is light and oxygen stable and does not degrade in formulas containing water.  It is most stable above pH 6.5 and may discolor in formulations below pH 6.  SAP is one of the Vitamin C derivatives that converts to ascorbic acid once it has been absorbed in the skin, so a low pH is not necessary for penetration or stability like it is with Vitamin C serums made with L-ascorbic acid.


@River Song,

Yes, I know...you are right about the map and its stability at the higher pH. But the map is just that...it is STABLE at high pH, but that does not make it penetrable at the higher pH. It's my understanding that C serums, no matter what kind (laa or map) must have a pH of 3.5 or less in order for it to penetrate. 

 

Are you saying that once the map converts to aa while on the skin, it also turns acidic? If so, how long does this acidification take? That's interesting! I really never gave it much thought. Now you have me wondering...again! ..LOL!Woman Very Happy

 

 


Yup, Google it!  The Vitamin C derivatives, some water soluble, some oil soluble, convert to ascorbic acid after they penetrate the skin, within the skin.  From what I've read, they penetrate the skin just fine at a higher pH.  They don't need to be in an acidic formulation like L-ascorbic acid.  The derivatives are totally different animals and are intriguing because you can add other ingredients with them that don't like to be in acidic formulations, like EGF (epidermal growth factor).  In addition, the derivatives don't act as exfoliants, like L-ascorbic acid serums do, because the pH is much higher for the derivatives, thereby making them ideal for sensitive skin that can't handle exfoliants at a low pH.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,608
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....

@River Song,

Thank you explaining this to me.Woman Happy Appreciate it! You are so smart.Woman Very Happy

 

I just wanted to say that the map is a booger to dissolve! Takes forrrrever! Woman MadWoman LOL

Valued Contributor
Posts: 657
Registered: ‎11-01-2010

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....

My aging skin has been helped tremendously by Consult Beauty 's Regenerol products. The pads, serum and cream are sold on Evine.

Cellular-C+Firming is the best C-Serum that I've ever used. It is sold online from Cellularskin.
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,152
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....

 

Thanks for all the replies, and beneficial info.  Going too start with a Vit.C for daytime...then add a pm serum soon. Smiley Happy

 

 

~love hard~~play hard~~be kind~~~life is short~
Super Contributor
Posts: 770
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Looking for a new Serum for aging skin....

[ Edited ]

@Mz iMac wrote:

@deja vu"and too old for freckles...sun damage ! "

 

Interesting!  Never heard of sun damage freckles.  Are you saying that you were not born w/freckles but got them latter in life because of sun damage?


All freckles are dependent on sun exposure, no one is born with them. It is genetic, but the freckles don't appear until skin is exposed to the sun.

 

There's a really good video online by SciShow called "Why do we get freckles" - easy to find if you search.