Is Vitamin C serum supposed to be clear?
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free skin care · Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:21 pm

From my understanding Vit C serum is supposed to be clear. Once it turns yellow that means it's been oxidized and therefore has no use. I just purchased a bottle of Skinceutical Vit C + E ferulic serum. It has a tiny tinge of yellow to it. Wondering it I will still get benefits of using this serum? Also, the directions says to apply it in the morning. Am I able to apply it in the AM as well as PM? Also, should I be putting it in the fridge to prolong the life?

free skin care · Sat Dec 17, 2011 6:24 am

You might be best to contact the manufacturer and get answers straight from the horse's mouth.

free skin care · Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:30 am

When Vit. C serum turns orange, yellowish brown it is bad and no longer effective. It is supposed to be clear. That is why the packaging of the serum is so vital..dark glass and airtight pumps..

free skin care · Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:00 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

You might be best to contact the manufacturer and get answers straight from the horse's mouth.

That "horse's mouth" tells folks that they can continue to use it even if it's blood red.. Shock

(I suppose they have to tell that lie, in order to get their exorbitant price.)

1st stage of oxidation is when water comes in contact with L-AA (when it's formulated).. This is not a danger to skin.

2nd stage of oxidation is when discoloration becomes apparent.. pale yellow should still be safe and effective, but once you see it looking amber (or darker) you should definitely pitch it..(When/if you DIY your C serum, you will seldom, if ever, see any discoloration! I never have..This tells me that retail C serums spend way too much time on a shelf, before you even purchase.. Sad

)

When L-AA becomes totally oxidized it becomes "pro-oxidant" and if applied to your skin it will generate free radicals.

Anyway, hope that helps folks Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:03 pm

Oh I hope mines o.k its stll the same colour it was when I opened it almost clear but with a slight pale yellow tinge I thought that was o.k.

I would also like to know if it is better to store it in the fridge.

free skin care · Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:09 pm

I read on here somewhere that some manufacturers add colour so that its hard to tell once it goes off (pretty crappy if you ask me).

So you might check with the manufacturer and if they say that the normal colour is yellow, that's something to take into account.

I also heard that Vit C stays in your skin for up to 72 hours, so there's little point in using it more often. This is why I only use it every other day and alternate it with other topicals.

There's also been some discussion on here about applying C at night, since otherwise it won't be able to really "do ite work" in the skin. If applied in the morning, its busy battling daylight instead. If you're just using it for the extra sun protection, I guess that's fine but I rely on my sunscreen for that.

I hope I got that right... that was my understanding, anyway.

free skin care · Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:41 pm

LoriA Yes that's exactly the same as I have read I don't see the point of using in the a.m as thats what sunscreen is for, you may as well get the full antioxident benefits of vit c at night thats what I do

free skin care · Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:07 pm

I got a sample set of 7 3-ml drams from CSS, and I've used the phloretin maybe 4 times so far and it's now a very pale yellow. Kinda makes me apprehensive about buying a 1 oz bottle.

free skin care · Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:23 pm

"pale yellow should still be safe and effective"

Thanks Kassy. You posted at the same time I did so I missed it earlier! I wasn't clear about this.

And Flick24, I seem to recall hearing that many refridgerate theirs.

free skin care · Sun Dec 18, 2011 6:31 pm

"Cellbone" is one that comes to mind which adds Idebenone to all of their C serums.. Idebenone will turn anything you put it in bright orangy/yellow.. I hate the bloody stuff..

Here's the ingredient list for their 15% C Serum;

Ingredients:

Water, L-Ascorbic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Propylenglycol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Zinc Sulfate, Bioflavonoides, Idebenone, Alpha Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica, Menthol

There's no good reason to put "menthol" in their either, unless they are hoping that the little stinging it causes, will make folks think "oooh, it must be working, it stings."

As far as the sting goes, it is totally a personal skin thing.. Not everybody will experience it and it isn't an indication to whether a product is effective or not.

Random thoughts that might help from a bunch of posts:

- Refrigeration is good if your using a product that looks discolored when you open it, or you don't have a cool dark place (away from humidity) to store it in.. Actually that's probably not always true.. Confused

I live in Florida and mostly just leave it in my bathroom medicine chest.. That's for a fresh DIY product though, can't advise you on retail.

- I'm not religious about day/night use but when I'm using it in the DAY, I make sure it's fully absorbed before I go out in the sunshine..(I wouldn't want the heat/sun/UV rays to oxidize it while it's sitting on my face.. Once it absorbs into the deep skin cells you're good to go and it will remain there for 72 hours.. Nighttime use is great too because the antioxidants will devour those free radicals while you sleep.. It's all good! What's really nice at night is if you apply a thin layer of a good skin oil about 30 minutes after your vit C, and a little while before beddy-bye.. Use an oil that's loaded with antioxidants and fatty acids!

free skin care · Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:17 am

flick24 wrote:

Oh I hope mines o.k its stll the same colour it was when I opened it almost clear but with a slight pale yellow tinge I thought that was o.k.

I would also like to know if it is better to store it in the fridge.

It sounds fine to use. I do find that refrigeration does help it stay fresh longer.

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