variations on DIY vitC serum?
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 7:38 pm

Hi-Just wondering if anyone out there has made the vitC serum without propylene gylcol or glycerin? Since I can't seem to find PG here and glycerin is just too sticky, I just mixed a pinch of the vitC crystals with some grapeseed oil and the next day, I noticed an improvement in my skin. However, the 3rd day, there seems to be no effect and my pores seemed stretched out. Would the serum with PC maintain the effect of the first day?

Just curious ^^

free skin care · Wed Apr 26, 2006 4:53 am

Hi jemstar,

Did you mix the Vitamin C crystals with water and then add the oil?

If you can't find PG [did you check with your local pharmacist? That's where I got mine here in Canada.] and you don't want to use glycerine ... why not just use water?

Vitamin C serum made just with water is fine, although it will only last a couple of weeks.

The other option, that I read in one of the many Vitamin C threads on this board, is to use KY as your mix ... since it's bascially water and PG. Do a search on Vitamin C on these boards or on KY and you should be able to find the right product to purchase.

Water and oil don't mix ... whereas PG and water do mix ... as does glycerine and water. I guess I just don't see the value in substituting grape seed oil for PG ... and I don't know if the oil interferes with the active at all.

That said, I do put Vitamin E and Lecithin with my Vitamin C serum ... but it's necessary that I shake it vigorously prior to each use because the lecithin isn't enough of an emulsifier to blend the Vitamin E with the water/PG portion.

HTH

Mary

free skin care · Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:59 am

hpjrt wrote:

Hi jemstar,

Did you mix the Vitamin C crystals with water and then add the oil?

If you can't find PG [did you check with your local pharmacist? That's where I got mine here in Canada.] and you don't want to use glycerine ... why not just use water?

Vitamin C serum made just with water is fine, although it will only last a couple of weeks.

The other option, that I read in one of the many Vitamin C threads on this board, is to use KY as your mix ... since it's bascially water and PG. Do a search on Vitamin C on these boards or on KY and you should be able to find the right product to purchase.

Water and oil don't mix ... whereas PG and water do mix ... as does glycerine and water. I guess I just don't see the value in substituting grape seed oil for PG ... and I don't know if the oil interferes with the active at all.

That said, I do put Vitamin E and Lecithin with my Vitamin C serum ... but it's necessary that I shake it vigorously prior to each use because the lecithin isn't enough of an emulsifier to blend the Vitamin E with the water/PG portion.

HTH

Mary

Wow, this can get a little confusing....I've read that to not use water only as it immediately begins to degrade, that is unless you use it right way, and make it fresh every time you use it.

Also, Mary, how much Vit. E. do you use to make yours, and can you use it alone in the C serum without the Lecithin?

free skin care · Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:43 pm

Hi Gayle,

Well ... yes, Vitamin C degrades fairly quickly. Indeed, the moment you pick an orange from a tree, the Vitamin C within it begins to degrade.

However, it's not an instantaneous degradation.

Certainly the less water you have in the serum, the longer it will last ... however, you do need water with l-ascorbic acid for it to dissolve.

If you doubt the integrity of your serum, you can do a little "in home" experiment. [I got this from another thread or forum ... can't recall which.]

Take an apple and cut it in half. Use a drop or two of your Vitamin C serum and coat half of the exposed flesh. Now ... leave both halves exposed to the air. If your Vitamin C is still "effective" ... the half that's coated with it will stay white ... while the other side will turn brown.

I tried this and left the apple halves for a couple of days. The coated side was just starting to turn brown at the edges ... and this is with the serum exposed to open air.

As for the Vitamin E ... I use the contents of one capsule [400 IU of Vitamin E]. I suppose you could leave out the lecithin ... I just included it because it's an emulsifier ... and even those it isn't enough to emulsify, I continue to put it in. Laughing

Mary

free skin care · Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:29 pm

I'm about to make mine with Aloe Vera Gel as an alternative. I'll let you know how I like it.

Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:26 am

hi hpjrt,

thanks for your suggestions, I got out the ol bottle of glycerin (10%) and mixed it with some evian spray (80) and added the vitC crystals (10%) in a small 10ml dark bottle. The crystals melted with a few shakes and then I applied and voila- the same skin effect of the first day that i used it- Yah!

I should try it with vitE though. Also, here, there is a vit c serum that has gotten great reviews with chitosan (crab/prawn shells)... hmm

m there must be an utimate formula out there....

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