Vitamin C is an ingredient that I love, and I am constantly on the lookout for more Vitamin C serums to try. Another ingredient that I was intrigued with was Alpha-Arbutin and its ability to significantly reduce hyper-pigmentation and given that I do have a bit of melasma, I really did want to give Alpha-Arbutin a try.
When I saw Cassandra Bankson recommend this product and given it had both Vitamin C and Alpha-Arbutin, I just HAD to get my hands on the product we’re reviewing today – The Ordinary – Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutine 2%
The Ordinary products are not available in retail stores in India, however, these can be purchased online either through their platform, online aggregators like Cult Beauty, Lookfantastic etc., as well as many Instagram resellers.
On the Deciem website, the serum retails for $12 for a 30ml bottle.
I picked this up from Cult Beauty UK, where it currently retails for £10 – I picked this up on discount, effectively for £6.67, which came up to approx. INR 640 + Customs (You never know when you’d end up paying Customs. I paid approx. INR 332, the overall cost coming up to INR 972)
The Ordinary – The Abnormal Beauty Company
DECIEM, the parent firm of the skincare brand The Ordinary, and nine other brands, launched in 2013. They call themselves "The Abnormal Beauty Company" as they set themselves to breaking most of the existing norms in the beauty industry.
With the motto, "Clinical formulations with integrity", the brand focuses on developing products that hero the key active ingredients, with simple clinical formulations, and without adding a plethora of other ingredients. And here's the kicker - majority of their products are affordable ($5 to approx. $35) which is approx. INR 370 to about INR 2,600. You might say that is quite a pretty penny, and not exactly affordable, however, we need to keep in mind that you're getting the necessary key active ingredients (best suited for your skin needs) in good formulations and without unnecessary additives.
All DECIEM products, across all their brands including The Ordinary, are free of sulphates, parabens, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone & methylisothiazolinone (preservatives that have been known to sensitize the skin), animal oils, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde (preservative), mercury, and oxybenzone (chemical sunscreen active).
Also, DECIEM does not test on animals and are vegan, and do not support any affiliates who would.
What’s in my product?
Ingredients: Propanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin
Green - Yay!! Blue - Good/Fair Orange - Bleh! Red - Nope!
The few The Ordinary (TO) products that I have tried had quite long ingredients list, so when I saw this – I was pleasantly surprised.
Let’s jump right into the short and sweet ingredient list -
1. Ascorbic Acid (Pure Vitamin C)
Ascorbic Acid is the pure form of Vitamin C, and I have harped one too many times on how beneficial it is. As I have mentioned about it in my earlier blogs, will just be highlighting its proven benefits and points to keep in mind.
(Sneak Peak: I’m going to be putting up a blog in the What’s on the Label segment soon dedicated purely to Vitamin C)
What are the benefits?
Antioxidant & UV Protection - Vitamin C is one of the best antioxidants available to us, and there are multiple studies showing that skin treated with topical application of ascorbic acid witnesses lesser skin redness and decreased tumor formation after UV exposure. This also means this would be an added layer of protection when worn under sunscreen
Boosts Collagen Production - Vitamin C is naturally found in our skin and plays an important part in the synthesis of collagen. Studies have shown that Ascorbic Acid (across different concentrations) when used over periods of approx. 3 – 6 months have significant improvement in skin hydration, wrinkles, and fine lines.
Hyper-Pigmentation - Vitamin C and especially Ascorbic Acid works to inhibit an enzyme called tyrosinase which helps in the production of melanin in our skin, effectively reducing the ability of the enzyme to produce the extra melanin that cause brown / dark spots. Vitamin C has also been proven to be able to reduce or fade away existing spots.
Points to keep in mind
Unstable - Ascorbic Acid is extremely unstable and oxidizes extremely quickly. Exposure to light, air and water furthers the oxidization process – in your product you will see this as your product slowly turning copper to brown in colour. Oxidized Ascorbic Acid contains a number of free radicals and can sting and sensitize your skin. Always make sure your Vitamin C product comes in a tinted or opaque packaging, preferably with a pump dispenser. Additionally, Vitamin C products that come in open jars would be more or less pointless
Skin Penetration - Vitamin C and specifically Ascorbic Acid is a water loving ingredient, and your skin loves oils (basically lipids). The best formulations with Ascorbic Acid will be completely water free with more oil like ingredients to help penetrate the layers of skin. The alternative to this, in the scenario that your Vitamin C product does contain water is to have it at a low pH (below 3.6). For this reason, it is always better to go for Vitamin C products as serums or spot treatments rather than moisturizers.
Layering - While I have mentioned multiple times earlier that Niacinamide and Vitamin C are okay to pair, there is one exception – avoid pairing Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide. With regards to this product, the company FAQs mention that this product should not be paired with almost everything! Another aspect is AHAs / BHAs – the reason why people recommend not layering the two together is that it can be too harsh for the skin. Personally, for me, I do layer them in the same routine, however, I ensure that there are steps in between the two to make the effect milder.
Skin Sensitivity - The higher the concentration of Ascorbic Acid, the higher the chances of it seriously sensitizing the skin. People with sensitive to extremely sensitive skin and rosacea prone skin, Ascorbic Acid might not be a great idea for you! Please do always patch test and look for derivatives of Vitamin C which are more gentle on the skin first before trying Ascorbic Acid
2. Alpha-Arbutin
Arbutin is a naturally derived from plants such as bearberry, cranberry, blueberry, etc. When applied topically, arbutin breaks down into glucose and hydroquinone (gold standard for skin lightening).
There are essentially two types of arbutin, alpha and beta, with alpha arbutin being more stable and effective than beta arbutin, and hence is more widely used.
Alpha-Arbutin is water soluble and is considered one of the best naturally available ingredients to help inhibit pigmentation – it works in a similar manner to Vitamin C, by inhibiting tyrosinase.
Studies have shown that Alpha-Arbutin is effective in treating hyper-pigmentation, age spots, and acne related pigmentation (Post Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation).
Alpha-Arbutin works well with all other actives, and in fact works very well with Vitamin C – Alpha-Arbutin helps stabilize Ascorbic Acid and together they work well in improving the skin tone, brighten the skin as well as reduce any pigmentation.
Alpha-Arbutin is extremely safe, and in fact it is considered to be an alternative for hydroquinone, especially for those whose skin is unable to tolerate hydroquinone.
Please Note: Hydroquinone is the gold standard when it comes to skin lightening, and there has been a lot of aversion to any product with hydroquinone in it. While I am against products that market themselves as “skin lightening” and “fairness creams”, in my opinion, it isn’t an ingredient’s fault nor should we look at an ingredient as a monster. The issue is how products have been marketed by large companies and a society that gives importance to fair skin. Ironically, even if the products did contain hydroquinone, there isn’t a single product that has actually effectively worked in every person who has tried it. Let’s focus on breaking the societal standards of fairness and hold companies accountable for furthering the bias towards darker skin tones.
3. Propanediol
Propanediol is a naturally derived, absolute multi-tasker than you should be happy seeing in your skincare. It is essentially a glycol, that can help enhance the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
Apart from this acts as a humectant and has wonderful moisturizing abilities, while can also act as solvent, boost the efficiency of preservatives and even to a small extent have some fragrance.
Propanediol is an alternative to propylene glycol, is very well tolerated by most skin types, most likely will not cause any skin sensitivity, is sustainably produced from corn sugar as well is Ecocert approved.
My thoughts on the product
I wish I could say that I loved this product, but I can’t, neither did I dislike it and honestly I am so confused – this product deserves atleast a 4 / 5 at the same time some aspects also make me want to give this product like a 2.5 / 5.
Before I confuse all of you guys as well, let’s break this down as usual into packaging, touch & feel, how-to-use, and changes I’ve noticed in the time frame that I’ve been using the product.
1. Packaging
Like most of TO packaging, the outer
packaging is a white cardboard box with information on the product, directions for usage, skin issues the product targets, the ingredients list and company information on it.
The product comes in a dark brown tinted bottle that is claimed to be “UV Protective Packaging” and comes with a dropper. The issue with the dropper is that it could lead to potential oxidization of the product as it will get exposed to air and possible moisture in the air each time I open the bottle. The labelling on the bottle also specify product details, and directions of use.
I love the simplicity of TO’s packaging and colour schemes (white, black and grey), the product looks very elegant on your vanity, does a really good job and for the price point it’s at – is a steal!
2. Touch & Feel
Now this is where all my issues start
with this product, and all my confusion as well.
The serum is a lightweight product with both an oily as well as watery aspect to it. You’d need about 3 – 4 drops to cover your face and neck, and spreads very well.
The issue for me is how this absorbs – well, it does not! On application it spreads well, but it doesn't absorb - It was like there was a layer of an oily substance on top of which there was a little bit of water. You can see the same on the video.
It honestly confused me. I thought I was applying it wrong, tried patting, rubbing and spreading, using the dropper directly on my skin (Yeesh) but it all felt the same.
This stays like a thick oily layer on top so applying anything over this, atleast for me, seems impossible – in fact I don’t move around a lot or lie down because I’m scared I’ll transfer the product onto everything I touch.
After application, I have to wash my hands everytime as there’s always product left on it, also the dropper lid is now becoming yellow as the product transferred when I close the lid has started to oxidize (some parts are even dark brown). In all the photos, you'd see that the lid is yellow - that's the product getting transferred and subsequently oxidizing.
The product is a clear liquid and has no colour – good to identify in case of oxidization.
While applying the product, there is a bit of heat created – I’ve noticed this in other Ascorbic Acid products as well – and there’s nothing to worry about this.
It was a metallic smell, however, this dissipates over 5 – 10 mins and isn’t overpowering.
3. How-to-Use
The general rule of thumb while using any skincare products is to go from thinnest to thickest in terms of consistency. While this a serum, it is viscous and creates a film on top that might not let other product absorb completely. I would recommend applying this as the last layer in your skincare routine.
The packaging of the product recommends to “Apply a few drops to face in the AM and PM as part of your skincare regimen. Avoid use around eyes. Use sun protection in the AM. If irritation occurs, cease use and consult a physician. Use on as directed on unbroken skin. Patch testing prior to use is advised.”
If you are using any Vitamin C product in the day time, you HAVE to follow it with SPF. When exposed to sunlight, Vitamin C oxidizes and will end up sensitizing your skin.
The issue with this product is it is going to take atleast half an hour to completely absorb into your skin (can take longer if it’s humid), and applying SPF or any other product over it seems near impossible.
Unless you are staying at home AND do not get direct sunlight at all, I would recommend using this only in the night time.
I am one of the few lucky souls who does not get any sunlight through the day, and used this product both AM and PM. But if I knew I was stepping out (which rarely ever happened – Thank you Covid-19), I would not apply this serum.
Another point to keep in mind is to ensure that your skin is completely dry, or the product you might have applied underneath has to be completely dry.
4. Changes I noticed in over a month
I have normal to combination skin (oily T-Zone), my skin doesn't breakout very often, but I do get very painful deep-seated pimples during my time of the month. My skin concerns are mostly unevenness of skin tone, dark spots/moles on my face - I lost count of how many of those I have, whiteheads on the nose, appearance of fine lines on my forehead and around my eyes, and a small degree of sensitivity. I do have a bit of melasma on the sides of my face. I also have dark circles that refuse to let go despite everything I do for them. My skin tolerates acids quite well, and I have not had any skin irritation or peeling even with higher concentrations of acids.
I used this twice a day (AM & PM) for 5 weeks and used this as a part of my PM routine for another month post that – Overall, a little over 2 months.
Honestly, I am not really impressed with this – Vitamin C does take a lot of time (3 months or more) to show their benefits, and especially given that this does have a lesser concentration (8%) I do think it would take a lot more time for it to show it benefits, maybe 4 – 5 months.
This product is already almost 75% done and would not last another 2 – 3 months.
When I was using this twice a day, I definitely did notice a slight brightness and glow that my skin had.
There’s negligible difference I noticed on my melasma – I attribute any difference actually to my constant use on niacinamide and weekly high concentration chemical exfoliation.
In between I had a bout of skin sensitivity, and I noticed that applying this serum did tingle a little but not too much.
Final Thoughts
I don’t dislike the product, but given how much of a hassle it is to apply and lack of significant difference I noticed in over 2 months, in addition to a number of other better pure Vit C products available – I would not want to repurchase it!
At the same time, for the days I’m indoors and want a simple routine, I do reach out to this – cleanse and go for this directly – it does hydrate and keeps moisture locked in.
Even in the night if you want to keep it simple and use this, you will wake up with a nice glow on your face – just ensure the product is atleast half absorbed before sleeping.
Overall Rating: 3 / 5
This can be used by all skin types, however, those with sensitive skin should do a patch test before using this. For dry skin types, if you want to use this product, I would recommend applying a light moisturizer first and then following up with the serum after the moisturizer has been completely absorbed. Alternatively, after this product has absorbed into your skin, you can apply a moisturizer as well.
Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist. The product review is my personal opinion on the product, and what I understand from articles available online. The overview on ingredients has been sourced from websites that specifically look to provide information on commonly used ingredients in skincare and make-up.
Wherever I have mentioned a specific fact or figure, these have been sourced from published Journals, Paula’s Choice Ingredient Dictionary or INCI Decoder, and Journal sources listed on these websites. Information gathered from specific websites will be referenced as well.
I neither take credit for this information, nor can I guarantee the accuracy of these facts and figures and do not take responsibility for the same.
My main aim is to help people understand the various ingredients in their skincare and how those ingredients work, to help make intelligent purchase decisions with regards to skincare. If I have made any error or mistake, please do let me know, and we can work together to make the necessary changes.
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