Topical Vitamin C, Vitamin E & Ferulic Acid – Experiment Conclusion

Watch what you buy: not all vitamin C is created equal. (Photo by audreyjm529)

This post marks the end of my experiment with SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic acid, a skincare product with vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid. The idea was to see whether applying the product on my face would result in "more youthful looking skin" as promised.

Unlike with many other experiments, this time I didn't divide myself into treated and control groups, but applied the stuff on my entire face instead. Exact comparisons between now and then are thus difficult, but I think I can safely say that there have been no significant visible improvements. Granted, things haven't changed for the worse, but a "more youthful looking skin" has not manifested itself either.

That said, I can't say I'm disappointed in the product. The fact that it contains l-ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol in an absorbable form makes it better than probably 90% of anti-aging creams out there. The science seems to back up the claim that the combination of the two is photoprotective, and according to one study, the addition of ferulic acid further adds to the effect.

So basically, I have more faith in the protective effects than the repair effects of the product; even though SkinCeuticals claims it also helps build collagen. Perhaps a longer time is needed to see improvements in collagen production, but then again, I began the experiment last summer, so it's been almost eight months of meticulous (well, almost) application.

The good thing about the product is that it absorbs well. After less than a minute it's not even noticeable on the skin. The bad thing is that it's ridiculously expensive. Granted, a small amount will get you pretty far, but still, I can't see this one becoming mainstream anytime soon with the current price tag.

Another thing that worried me was that in some of the small sample bottles I purchased for the experiment, some of the liquid had turned from light yellow to dark orange, which means the ascorbic acid had oxidized. I'm not sure whether just getting rid of the oxidized parts away gets rid of the problem completely, but discarding a whole bottle would be like pouring liquid gold down the drain (speaking of which, I actually did manage to pour some of the stuff down the sink by accident). In any case, I don't recommend putting the oxidized liquid on your face.

So what is the final verdict? Even though I failed to see visible improvements, I still consider the product much more promising than a lot of other stuff out there, simply because the ingredients are things that have actually been shown to do something instead of just sounding impressive. The price is not quite right, but if a good deal comes along, I think I'll grab it.

For more information on skin care, see these posts:

How I Accidentally Grew Hair on My Left Temple with Retinol - Experiment Conclusion
1,000-8,000 mg of MSM Has No Effect on Hair & Nails - Experiment Conclusion
How to Get Natural Sun Protection by Eating the Right Foods
Biotin Supplements for Hair & Nails - Experiment Conclusion