Here’s another The Ordinary skincare review-Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%. This one is a brightening serum with stabilized Vitamin C derivative. It retails for $12.90 and comes in a 30ml dark glass dropper bottle. Details per Deciem:
Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant, brightens the skin tone and reduces signs of ageing. In its pure form, Vitamin C is unstable in water. Ascorbyl Glucoside is a water-soluble derivative of Vitamin C. It is much more stable in water but it is less potent than direct L-Ascorbic Acid. Being more compatible with water allows for a very pleasant serum texture. It is considered a gold standard of Vitamin C derivatives due to its high stability and comfortable use, but it’s impossible to achieve extremely high L-Ascorbic Acid potency with this solution. Aside from the general benefits of pure Vitamin C, Ascorbyl Glucoside has been shown to offer specific skin brightening benefits.
The dark glass vial is good for this type of serum. Vitamin C serums when exposed to light can oxidize and that defeats the whole purpose. This description from Deciem describes this so well:
The best property of any powerful antioxidant is also its worst property—it oxidizes. Basically, antioxidants bind to free “radicals” of oxygen so that your cell’s don’t. The problem is that they may bind to oxygen in the bottle before you even buy any product claiming to contain antioxidants. And since Vitamin C has a very strong ability to bind to free radicals of oxygen, as soon as it’s dissolved in water, it starts to oxidize and change the colour of the solution (from clear to slight orange and later to dark orange). When this change happens, two things occur: 1) the activity of Vitamin C becomes disabled and 2) far worse, the “antioxidant” formulation actually turns into a “pro-oxidant” formulation. Many clinical skincare brands have filed patents that claims to stabilize Vitamin C in water and many have fought amongst themselves on whether or not they have breached each other’s patents. These patents and fights are simply meaningless because these respective formulations continue to show oxidation and change colour, while consumers believe that since there is a patent, this colour change might be OK. A patent grant does not verify that the function described actually works—a patent is not a validation of a discovery; it is simply an exclusivity to a position claim. Very simply, if a Vitamin C formula turns colour, the Vitamin C is oxidized and the formula becomes potentially damaging to the skin.
The texture is a clear thick liquid, it has no scent. It’s not greasy and leaves no residue. It sinks in fairly quickly. No stinging or adverse effects for me. It not the strongest Vitamin C serum I’ve used, but it was good. For $12.90 you can’t beat trying it. Out of the 3 Vitamin C formulas I ordered this one is my favorite for day use. I have another I like for night use. This reminds me of a cheap Ole Henrikson Truth Serum style product. Nothing really fancy or advanced, but sometimes basic and cheap is good.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Ascorbyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Triethanolamine, Aminomethyl Propanol, Isoceteth-20, Xanthan gum, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.
I find that this product froths occasionally when I rub it in my hands, is that normal for its chemical composition?
Not that I remember. I would ask them though.