It is an undisputed fact that vitamin C is good for you. From providing protection against immune system deficiencies to lowering the risk of heart disease, it is a multi-functional powerhouse that keeps sickness at bay.
But did you know that it is good for your skin, too? Nope, you’re not reading that wrong! In fact, vitamin C helps in boosting collagen production, lightening hyperpigmentation, and repairing damaged skin. In fact, all these skin benefits is precisely why vitamin C is the most searched for beauty product in 2017 alone, with people claiming that the inclusion of it in skincare has changed the beauty world as we know it.
One of these revolutionary game changers when it comes to vitamin C beauty products? The SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. Known for its ability to brighten skin tones, erase wrinkles, and boost skin firmness, it is a product that has certainly reached a cult-like status, with local celeb Joanne Peh being a fan! She uses the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic to defy signs of aging, as well as to counteract the long hours of filming under the sun along with a lack of sleep as she balances her duties as a mother of two.
But is it really as it effective as everyone claims it to be? With this in mind, we set out to find out more about the product.
(Psst! Stay tuned if you want to stand a chance to try the product out for yourself!)
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic: everything you need to know about it
Launched in 2005 (yup, SkinCeuticals was way ahead of the game when it comes to this powerful vitamin), the SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic is formulated with Vitamin C, E and Ferulic Acid that gives your skin up to 8 times more protection against environmental aging, with the ability to reduce wrinkles and fine lines by 40%.
That’s right, it means protection and prevention of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation… the list goes on. Widely considered to be The Gold Standard amongst consumers and experts alike, it has been one of SkinCeuticals’s best selling product over the last decade or so.
Still, we can’t help but feel a little apprehensive, though. Can one product really have quite so much impact on one’s skin?
With our curiosities piqued, we decided to put it to the test by pitting it against another commercial vitamin C serum. Ready to see if the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic truly lives up to its hype, or if it’s just a fraud wrapped in a pretty bottle? We know we are.
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic review: is it a good antioxidant?
One of SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic’s biggest selling point? The fact that it is formulated with Vitamin C, E, and Ferulic acid, all of which are antioxidants that we know are immensely beneficial for both your skin and health. To test this out, we are going to look at how good it is at preventing oxidation as compared to another popular vitamin C serum.
To do this, we enlisted the help of… an apple?! Yup, since apples brown quickly from oxidation, it seemed like the perfect candidate for our experiment. Whichever browned quicker or looks more brown is clearly indicative of it being the less capable antioxidant.
We kicked things off by slicing our apple into half, dripping SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic on one half…
And the other vitamin C serum we have on the other.
We then proceeded to leave it alone for the next few days, coming in to check on its progress at 12, 24, and 72-hour intervals. By the time we hit the 72-hour mark, well, we had our answer.
As you can tell, the side of the apple that we dripped SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic on experienced significantly less browning and look fresher, which means it works just as it claims. This also further proves that it is capable of protecting your complexion from environmental aggressors damage our skin. Nice!
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic review: how does it measure up to other vitamin C serums in the market?
Now, we get that reading the labels of your skincare and makeup products can be a real drag (and sometimes impossible to understand, especially with the looong list of ingredients), but it’s a good skill to have, especially when it comes to discerning between a good vitamin C serum and a poor one.
According to experts, the optimal amount of vitamin C a good serum should contain is from 15-20%, and it should also be formulated with L-Ascorbic Acid, which is recognised as the purest and effective form of vitamin C there is.
According to our extensive research, the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic claims to be formulated with the ideal 15%. Hmm, we’ll see about that! (And if the other vitamin C serum on the market measures up, of course!)
To test this out, we decided to use iodine solution (which turns clear when it reacts with pure Vitamin C). If the serums really have 15% worth of vitamin C in their formula, a drop or two of it into our iodine solution should turn it from cloudy brown to clear quickly. Interesting!
The first step involved making our iodine solution, of course. We carefully added 10 drops of iodine to half a beaker of water, stirring it thoroughly to ensure an even mix.
Once that was done, we decanted it into two separate beakers.
One would be for SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, and the other would be for the other vitamin C serum. We stipulated that each beaker would only receive two drops of the respective serums.
We opted to try out the vitamin C serum we had on hand, first, slipping two drops into the solution before stirring. And while the shade did go a little lighter, it was certainly not as clear as hoped.
Then, we moved on to the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. Two drops, a quick stir, and voila!
The effect was instantaneous. It was almost entirely transparent, with it resembling clear water, and most people wouldn’t have been able to tell that there’s iodine content in it! Suffice to say, there’s no question as to the high level of vitamin C content in SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic.
At this point, there’s no doubt that SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic delivers on its antioxidant and vitamin C properties, but there’s no better way to judge a product than by using it on actual skin, right? And so, for our final test, we let one of our writers try the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic for herself.
Here’s what she thought of the product!
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic review: our writer’s review
Reviewer: Emily
(Right): Skin prior to using the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic (Left): Close up of hyperpigmentation.
I’ve never experienced any major skin issues, but lately, I’ve been noticing that my hyperpigmentation has been getting more obvious than before. This mostly has to do with me not heeding my mother’s advice on putting on sunblock (sigh) and also because I’ve been spending more time outdoors. So, naturally, I was pretty excited to try out the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic.
According to my research, the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is to be used to be after cleansing and toning, with 4-5 drops being sufficient for multiple areas, such as your dry face, neck, and chest. I did so dutifully, and found that while the scent is a tad too strong for my taste, I do like the lightweight texture and how quickly it absorbs into the skin.
Left: before using SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. Right: After using SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic.
I started seeing changes after about two weeks of sustained use. As you can tell, my hyperpigmentation appears a little lighter than before, and my overall skin tone is a lot more radiant, too! I put it on before my sunscreen several times a week, and it seems to be helping to prevent the formation of new hyperpigmentation spots as well. In general, my skin appears firmer, bouncier, and more radiant than before, which is a definite plus point. A cult skincare product? No doubt about it.
The SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is available at selected dermatologists, doctors, and premium medical spas, which you can view here. It retails for S$248 for 30ml.
