Beauty

[pupwhipped]

Have a couple questions about Vitamin C serum, please. Seems I want to be a user of the product but yet really don't like using it either. Ha! I've bought two so far and both ended up sitting in the fridge with not much attention being shown to either one of them by me. I got both out tonight expecting them to be oxidized but they both still looked good as far as color. The brands I have are Timeless and The Ordinary. I applied one on my left hand and one on my right. They both are tingling mightily!!! 😬 Does that mean they are still effective? Also, from the very beginning the Timeless has had this woodsy kind of smell. Does anyone else notice a smell with the Timeless Vit. C? I've never cared for The Ordinary product as it has the feeling of tiny particles in it...it's gritty. I think there are two versions in that brand and I likely should have purchased the other one. Anyway, I would appreciate any comments. And please know that even if I don't respond directly back to you I do thank you for your time and thoughts.

pup    

[beach-mom]

Hi @pupwhipped ! If I were you I would call @Shanus . She can help you with this.  (I got Josie Maran's version, but haven't started using it yet. I do plan to!). 

[Harpa]

Neither have oxidized. I know the Timeless is L-ascorbic acid, not sure about the Ordinary.

If both tingled on your hands, I would hesitate to put them on your face.

Can I steer you away from the L-ascorbic acid, where it might be too harsh for some. Can you find one with MAP - magnesium ascorbyl phosphate; or THD - tetrahexlydecyl ascorbate, and there are other forms that work better for those with sensitive skin.

We can suggest specific products, if you want.

[pupwhipped]

Thank you both @beach-mom and @Harpa. And to answer the question about The Ordinary, it is L-ascorbic Acid also. The description for it reads:

Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA 2% from The Ordinary is a water-free, silicone-free, suspension of 23% pure L-ascorbic acid. This water-free suspension with a powdery finish is great for those looking for solutions for uneven tone / signs of aging / antioxidant support. 

There are lots of reviews complaining about the grittiness but I guess I didn't even read those. I think I thought it's cheap, I'm going to try it. Ha! It does not have a smell so that's a plus. But speaking of smell, the Timeless one is stinky. When I got up this morning I got a whiff of my hand and I could still smell a little of that "woodsiness." Phew! I really can't see using it now on my face...I don't think I could stand it. And also to back up a bit, I did use both of these products some when I first got them and neither one really burned my face so as not to use them...the burning seemed more pronounced on my hands. I just didn't care for the feel of them and stuck them in the fridge. The grit is what got me on The Ordinary one, and I think the smell was there on the Timeless originally but not as bad as now. I really would like to know if anyone else senses a distinct odor with this product...I've wondered if mine was old to begin with. It was kinda sticky, too, which I did not like so I never committed. I really would like to get in the habit of using at least a little Vit. C everyday. But maybe I'm sounding a bit like Goldilocks here..."this one's too gritty, this one's too sticky/stinky." LOL!!! I'm looking for one that's "just right."😄 

Sorry for the long winded reply but I won't be online for probably the majority of the day. My husband has a procedure today...he's been "prepping" for it since yesterday if you get my drift. Thanks again!   

[Harpa]

@pupwhipped  I actually have a brand new Timeless, but I haven't used it. Just went to check it out, but clearly, it has oxidized. I didn't even open it.

I never was impressed w/ the Ordinary (anything). The grittiness, it seems is because it was not well blended. (I had made a serum once, and I remember mine was a little gritty.)

Maybe you had used something on your hands that affected the L-ascorbic, and that's why they stung.

I can heartily recommend Dr. Brenner's L-ascorbic. There is 0 irritation. I like it's formulation better than Timeless. Both of these are inexpensive. I use this, along w/ THD.

[kate2357]

@pupwhipped 

I'm not an expert on any of this ... but I have been using the Dr Brenner's item  @Harpa mentioned and I have had no adverse reactions at all. No smell that I can discern.

I got it from Amazon after someone on board recommended it and have been using since late Feb of this year. I didn't even notice until I looked at it again that it has hyaluronic acid in it as well. 

[JudyL]

I use Timeless Vit C but have had no issues with stinging or it oxidizing.  Hope you find one that works for you.

[Harpa]

@kate2357  @pupwhipped 

Also the ferulic acid.

[kate2357]

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@Harpa wrote:

@kate2357  @pupwhipped 

Also the ferulic acid.

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@Harpa 

I don't have a clue what ferulic acid is supposed to do so I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I only know about the hyaluronic acid because that topic is a current thread.

As I said, I am so not an expert on any of this stuff, just wasn't my thing until recently to pay attention to the beauty board. I would buy a brand then stick w/ it for a long time if it didn't cause me to break out. I used Victoria Principal, then went to Hydron, then had hormonal acne really bad and went to Proactive, then went to Dr Denese .... yadda yadda. But then these folks change their formulas or raise their prices and I move on. 

[JeanLouiseFinch]

I have used Dr. Brenner's before, it's a fine product.  Currently, though, I've been using the Naturium Vitamin C.  I was under the mistaken impression that it contained THDA but it doesn't.  The company had a VC oil for awhile which had it.  The serum has a combo of SAP, l-ascorbic acid, and Kakadu Plum with added ingredients to stabilize the product, brighten the skin, and technology to encapsulate. I like it quite a bit.