If lipstick can have a national day all to its won, then why can’t Vitamin C? Shoot, we’re living in crazy times; we need to celebrate everything!
Sooooo, in case you haven’t marked it on your calendar yet, April 4 is National Vitamin C Day. 😺 I plan to celebrate by eating a bunch of mandarin oranges (but only the kind with the leaves attached!) and contemplating one of my favorite skincare ingredients.
(Vitamin C)
My favorite Vitamin C serum for the longest time has been SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic. If you want a serum that does everything — helps with fine lines, firmness and dark patches — this is the stuff! When I use it consistently along with sunscreen, my face (especially my cheeks, which is where I have most of my hyperpigmentation), looks noticeably smoother and more even-toned.
Unfortunately…it’s hella crazy expensive at $166 for a 0.50-oz. bottle.
(Yes, OMG!)
But it really works well for me.
SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic isn’t the only Vitamin C serum in the SkinCeuticals line though. There’s also Phloretin CF, which is for helping to fade post-acne marks, and their new Silymarin CF, which is an oil-free version for blemish-prone skin.
Here’s a handy-dandy chart to help figure out which one should be best for you…
If you’re looking for a Vitamin C serum at a lower price point, Vichy’s is also good IMO, and it’s $28.50 for 0.34-oz. I went through two bottles and saw a subtle improvement on the uneven areas on my cheeks. It doesn’t pack the same punch as Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, but it still works (albeit more slowly), and — added bonus — you can find it at drugstores. I got mine on sale at Walgreens.
While we’re on the subject of skin schtuff, here’s a heads-up for my oily-skinned friends about a sunscreen I tried from REN. REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 is a face sunscreen made with 22% zinc oxide SPF and a very flat, uber-matte finish.
Right now my skin is dry, so it’s not the best fit for me, but if I had super oily skin like I did in my teens and early 20s, I’d be totally into it. It cuts down ALL OF THE SHINE and then some.
FYI, zinc sunscreens typically leave a white cast, and this one does too, but it’s very subtle. I’d say that if you’re lighter than I am (I’m a MAC NC42), you’ll be fine, but if you’re darker, it could leave a purplish-gray tint behind.
Other than sunscreen, the only makeup I’m wearing in this pic is JOY (seriously, where are my eyebrows, haha). I took this pic right after I got my first COVID vaccine shot yesterday!
I got weirdly emotional right after it happened… It was a mix of relief and happiness. I kept thinking of this exact time last year, when I thought that “all of this” would only last two weeks.
Yeah, I was a bit off with my estimate there. 😬 It’s been a LONG year, am I right?
Anyway, I practically danced on the way out, and I kept thinking of that song where all the people yell, “Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, SHOTS!”
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Linda says
March 31st, 2021 at 11:41 amHope you feel okay after your vaccine. I got mine back in December – two reasons, I’m old (lol) and I’m a working RN. Love the song “Shots” by Imagine Dragons.
Karen says
March 31st, 2021 at 11:56 amHi Linda,
I was a little dizzy right afterwards, and was told by the pharmacist to drink lots of water, so that’s what I did. My arm is CRAZY sore, and I was super sleepy all day yesterday and last night. Today I feel much better though!
I haven’t heard that song, I’ll have to look it up. 🙂
Glad that you’ve been able to have that extra layer of safety at your job!
Maricar says
March 31st, 2021 at 11:49 amThanks for reviewing this, Karen! I’ve been considering the Silymarin and have heard so many good things about CE Ferulic, but at that price, I hesitate. Still thinking about this though!
Karen says
March 31st, 2021 at 11:57 amHi Maricar,
When I was using CE Ferulic consistently a few years ago, my skin looked really good – very toned. I do have to say that wearing sunscreen makes a HUGE difference. When I fall off the wagon I can immediately tell the difference!
Tatiana says
March 31st, 2021 at 11:59 amWait! How did you get a Covid vaccine? CA is only vaccinating people over 65 until tomorrow. And I could only find an appointment to get a vaccine all way east of Sacramento on Friday. I swear non of this makes sense. The roll out is so haphazard it’s making me bonkers.
Does the SkinCeuticals C Ferulic leave your skin sticky? What about the Vichy one? So many of the C serums I’ve tried leave my skin sticky and then ball/pill up if I put moisturizer and sunscreen on top.
I think I might get the oil free one for Dear Daughter to see if it helps her acne marks. Then again, I think I’m more bothered by her acne than she is.
Megan says
March 31st, 2021 at 12:52 pmYay, Karen! So glad you were able to get the vaccine. I was able to get my first shot last week. I’ve never been so excited for a needle! I am hopeful that everyone who can be vaccinated will have that opportunity soon.
I’ll throw out another budget vitamin C serum rec. Mad Hippie makes one and it’s around $30 for 1oz. I bought it at Whole Foods but I think the brand is available elsewhere as well. I’m sure it doesn’t give the kind of results the SkinCeuticals does but I think it’s worth a try.
I’ve had my eye on the vitamin C serum by Youth to the People and am thinking about it with the upcoming Sephora sale.
Efra says
March 31st, 2021 at 1:44 pmSkinceuticals is one of those brands in my bucket list, so when I become crazy rich I’m going to buy all the stuff. For me vit c works well with marks, but I stopped using it when the derm changed my regime. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative C E Ferulic, the Timeless version is known to have the same concentration of actives and many people say the results are similar.
About the sunscreen, I still have a love-hate relationship with mineral sunscreens, because I have found better formulas with the new filters.
BTW, I’m really happy for your vaccine shot, I’m still hoping my parents would get theirs at the end of April *fingers crossed*
Renee says
March 31st, 2021 at 5:52 pmSo glad you got the vaccine, Karen! I’m an RN and got mine a while ago and even though I had some side effects, the relief was worth them all!
Nikki Wogoman says
April 1st, 2021 at 12:07 amYay, Karen! I hope you’re one of those people who do better after their 2nd dose than after their 1st!
Right now most areas are having a vaccine surplus, so people who don’t technically qualify in their area can get on waitlists at their local vaccine-administering pharmacies and get called in when people who qualify cancel their appointments-better in an arm than in the trash, after all. I highly recommend this method!
I haven’t told very many people yet, but I was able to get on a vaccine waitlist near me (southwest Ohio, small metro area). I got my 1st dose in the 1st half of March, and my 2nd dose is April 7. My arm was sore for about 4 days-it was more of intermittent cramps the day of (despite the fact that I had to work after!) and then settled into a more traditional vaccine muscle ache the day after-but otherwise I had no side effects. If I do have more side effects after my 2nd dose, my work schedule is currently arranged in a way that would allow me pretty much a full day to manage them, and I can always call in on the 2nd day if I need to.
Karen C. says
April 1st, 2021 at 7:30 amYaaaaaayyyyy for shots shots shots!!! I got both of mine last month – woot! And I bawled the whole way there and home – ha! Tears of joy!
The 2nd one didn’t emotionally effect me as much (still a little) 🙂
No side effects for me; just slightly tired the next day after #1 and nothing after #2, other than a sore arm. No more sore than a regular flu shot, though.
Here’s to getting back to normal!!!
Julie says
April 1st, 2021 at 12:41 pmI’m glad you got your vaccine! I’m a physician so I got my first shot December 31st. I was definitely a little emotional sitting in my car afterwards, but I was so grateful and relieved. I spent so much time worrying about my colleagues at work and my family in the last 12 months. It really wore me down, but now the vast majority of my co-workers are vaccinated and everyone in my immediate family has received at least once vaccine. It is a huge relief for me. I love your blog even though I really only wear powder and foundation these days. No one can see anything else behind the two masks I’m required to wear at work!
Anne says
April 2nd, 2021 at 3:38 amYay for the vaccination! Completely understandable to get emotional afterwards, it is after all the first step out of a seemingly endless pandemic!
Anne recently posted … Juno & Co Miracle Moonshine Cream – Skincare or Primer? | Doctors Review
Kim says
April 5th, 2021 at 12:15 pmCongrats on the vaccine! I get my second shot in 10 days. Crossing my fingers for no side effects, especially since I never would have known I had covid without a positive test (then losing taste and smell). Some people I know had much worse reactions to the vaccine than the virus. But, it’s all worth it to get back to real life! Remind me of that if I get sick. HAHA!