Vitamin C loses its potency very quickly, so making your own fresh serum is a great option. There are lots of recipes out there.

I haven't made/used any for a while, but I found this Vitamin C (L Ascorbic Acid) powder that dissolves very well.

I started using this product a few months ago and I love it!

Glow Maker

Since then I have ordered several of their products. The prices are really good and the story behind the brand is interesting.

Maelove

I now use their day and night cream, the Moonlight Retinol serum, and the Triple AHA cleanser.

I have tried many, many time to use a Rx Retin A but my skin never gets used to it and I am always dry and flakey when using it. The Moonlight serum does not cause any irritation. It's bright yellow and still look yellow when you put it on but since you only use it at night it's not a big deal.

Take a look at The Ordinary brand. Ultra sells it. Very well priced, good quality. I use a number of their products

Since the holidays I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of youtube videos on skincare, hair, and makeup. Search Vitamin C serum and there are a ton of videos from makeup artists, beauty vloggers and even some dermatologists.

If price is no object, there is one by SkinCeuticals that gets lots of great reviews. https://www.skinceuticals.com/c-e-ferulic-with-15-l-ascorbic-acid-635494263008.html

I plan on getting the one by The Ordinary soon as it also gets great reviews and is waaay cheaper.

Make sure it comes in a dark glass bottle.

The Maelove Vit C serum is supposedly virtually the same as the SkinCeuticals one but $120.00 less. It comes in a dark bottle with a dropper.

I make my own using the vitamin C powder Terriks posted above. It's really easy. I use the 20% recipe listed in this link.

https://www.theyouthist.com/the-simplest-diy-vitamin-c-serum/

On the recommendation of my dermo because I live in a very dry climate I bought one bottle of the pricey Skinceuticals CE Ferulic serum (not from her though). It is lovely. She is a believer in CeraVe across the board but in certain situations, sometimes the big guns are needed. She says I have a lot catch up to do due to the very dry climate and I couldn't find a good enough product that didn't irritate my eyes. Now I have several moisturizers on her recommendation.

Now if I could only remember to use it each day. I keep it under the sink so it stays in a dark place but since out of sight, out of mind too :( When I do remember, it makes a noticeable difference.

Knowing that I can't reasonably keep up that sort of budget, I bought a bottle of Drmtlgy C E F serum. I haven't received it yet, but it's supposed to be good. They are having a sale right now (30% off) so I thought I would give it a try while I still have some Skinceuticals left so I can compare and see if I can go budget-friendly. If it's a dud, I plan on getting a similar serum from The Ordinary. I have some of their other products and I do like them very much. Very affordable. Good luck. It is overwhelming out there in skincareland.

ETA this serum https://www.cerave.com/skincare/serums/skin-renewing-vitamin-c-serum is what my dermo would normally recommend for a vitamin c serum.

I use Oly Hendrickson Truth Serum. I really like it. One time I ran out and after a few weeks I could really see the difference in my skin without it; the glow was gone.

I have dry, sensitive skin and Vitamin C doesn't agree with me - I get even more dry and sensitive. You may wish to try a less expensive one like Timeless or The Ordinary to see if it works for you before trying a more expensive one like Skinceuticals. Also, don't start out by using it every day - start using it maybe twice a week and increase slowly.

I found this Vitamin C powder from Good Molecules that comes with a little scoop to measure it out.

https://getgoodmolecules.com/collections/products/products/vitamin-c-booster-powder

Updating for those who may interested. The bottle of Drmtlgy C E F serum, which is supposed to be a dupe for Skinceuticals CE Ferulic serum has arrived. I used it this morning so the following is an immediate, not long term observation. It is clear in color. Skinceuticals is amber colored. Drmtlgy is thinner in consistency and requires more product to cover the same amount of space on the skin than Skinceuticals does. It smells like hotdog water, whereas Skinceuticals smells like bacon. (neither odor lasts longer than a few minutes as far as I can tell, unless I go noseblind to the odor and smell like those things all day long)

I've read that the Skinceuticals C E Ferulic serum uses a highly researched and patented process to mix their ingredients. Apparently, this, and also their ingredients themselves are what make it so special and worth the price tag. Who actually knows, just reporting what I've read in the past.

I notice right away that the magical and soothing effects of the Skinceutical serum is not present in the Drmtlgy serum. My skin looks the same as it did before I put it on, and it doesn't feel soothed, whereas the Skinceuticals serum makes an instant improvement in the appearance and feeling of my dry climate and sun damaged skin. :( In fact, my skin is sort of stinging. Perhaps this is what Bluebell experiences with her Vit C serums and shared with us.

My plan for this week is to use the Drmtlgy serum in place of the Skinceuticals and see what happens. Early on though, it's not looking like I have found a budget friendly dupe for the pricey C E Ferulic serum, just yet.

Thank you Sea Sea, Ihave been looking forward to your review!

I hope it helps you make a decision!

I use the Obagi Vitamin C 20% strength and love it!

Angie (Hot & Flashy on YT) raves about the Timeless one. I haven't tried it yet because the shipping costs are too high for me in Canada. It's very reasonably priced though with frequent sales.

I recall enjoying the Skinceuticals sample but the price. Yikes. How long is a bottle supposed to last again?

I've also tried Dr. Brenner's (via Amazon). Very affordable and a purported dupe for the Skinceuticals. I wasn't wowed enough after a bottle to reorder. Or maybe there were duties to pay on top of shipping making it a not so inexpensive option for me?

Didn't enjoy the texture of The Ordinary's one. It was a while ago and I'm not which one it was at the time. They've expanded their Vit C offerings since, I believe. It was a gritty cream base.

Right now, I have a bottle from Reversa (Cdn brand). 15 or 20%? Its texture reminds me of The Ordinary's but it pills under sunscreen so it's a no go for me for daytime which is when I wanted to use it (as an antioxidant). So, the $60 bottle is pretty much sitting in my medicine cabinet untouched.

L'Oreal also has a Vit C serum, I believe? Haven't heard much about it though.

Dr. Shireen Idriss (sp?) had a recent YT video on Vit C where she talks about the importance of it being L-ascorbic acid and not a derivative.

Bluebell66's advice to start slowly with Vit C is sound. I have very sensitive skin and it doesn't take long for my skin to feel practically torched every time I introduce acids in my routine, Vit C included. A higher % is not necessarily better.

Good luck! Hope you report back. :)

It's good to get minds together on a topic.

I haven't tried tartenmeup's suggestion of Timeless yet. Might have to make a mental note. There's so many choices out there...which are good, which are blah?

Well, I'm on day 3 I think of Drmtlgy C E F serum. It's ok. If I hadn't known and used the Skinceuticals serum first, I might be more pleased not being aware of the different experience I am having with the two. I'll stick with it for the week, but I'm missing the Skinceuticals serum already. Have been from the start. There's something special in that bottle that makes my skin pleased. We are all so different, so what works for one person can be a fail or not worth the price for another. I have sensitive skin and even more sensitive eyes. Even jojoba oil burns my eyes. Doesn't have to get in my eyes, just the fumes it seems. Anyhow, of the thousands of choices out there, most are irritating to my eyes, then skin, to a lesser degree. Skinceuticals serum doesn't irritate my eyes or skin (very soothing to my skin) and this Drmtlgy doesn't irritate my eyes, but my skin is still feeling a bit stingy, so hmm. Not sure what's up with that.

Also for anyone who can do math, which I can't, the Skinceuticals serum takes two drops to cover my face and most of my neck. The Drmtlgy is taking 6 drops to cover face and then 3 more drops to cover neck. So that's two drops vs nine. Maybe, in the long run the Skinceuticals serum is averaged out to be the same cost? Perhaps less. I don't know.

@SEA SEA while I am always up for a good bargain, I do not mind to spend money for quality skin care items. So, if the Skinceuticals works best for you, I would go for it. I read that NourishMax is also a good brand??? I also read that Vitamin C serum should last from 3-6 months. Make sure it has ferulic acid which will help it not break down. DO NOT STORE IT IN YOUR BATHROOM! I was surprised to read you can actually store it in the fridge. But the smallest bottle you can. I've linked an article I found.

how to make vitamin c serum last longer

Thank you Tina. Good to know.

For all who are interested, Target has 20% off beauty this week and the Timeless Vit C is included. I know Canada does not have Target but will they ship there?

RNmomof2, yes, Target used to ship to Canada but I can't find the info on their site now. I know that between the exchange rate, customs and duties, I never found it to be worth my while.

Good to hear, Feathers11! (Just checked and they offer free shipping to Canada as well. Yay.)

Their Vit C powder comes with a spoon but what's the end result percentage-wise when you mix it with a moisturizer? Usually Vit C products have a percentage on the label.

I use vegetable glycerin on some days and vitamin C serum or hyaluronic acid on others. At least for me, the vegetable glycerin doesn’t make my skin feel dry, which the other two can do if I use them everyday.

the Skinceuticals serum takes two drops to cover my face and most of my neck

Two drops? I don't actually count the drops, only put a small amount in the palm of my hand and use on face, neck, chest and hands (tops, not bottoms). Now I feel like I've been using too much. LOL

I use the Phloretin CF, instead of C E Ferulic based on my dermatologist recommendation. She has a D.O.S.E. machine, and I get that mixed at her practice when needed. Any other SkinCeutical products I order from Dermstore (Dermstore dollars, plus Rakuten rebates) plus they have SkinCeutical sales that are 20-30% off.

I use the DOSE and Phloretin CF in the morning, and Resveratrol B E at night. I really like the A.G.E. Eye Complex, Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50 and Antioxidant Lip Repair. A little goes a long way on all three of those products. Same for the Simply Clean face wash.

My dermatologist also does several sales during the year. A SkinCeuticals month, plus other specials, like DOSE Day. On Black Friday, she does 20% off gift cards which can be used for any service or product at her office.

Tartanmeup, I started with a lesser amount and experimented—like a 1 to 5 powder to moisturizer ratio. I gradually went to about 1 to 2, and that is tolerable. I mix it in the palm of my hand before applying each time. It stings a bit initially, but no other negative effect. I’m using it about 3-4 nights a week.

Glad to see this thread show up again.

Update:

I'm back on the Skinceuticals CE Ferulic drops. I gave the Drmtlgy drops quite the trial and while they aren't bad, they are not 'all that' for me. I couldn't get over the stinging my skin would experience with it. I don't know if something in their formula is irritating to me, or perhaps since I have to use more drops to cover the same amount I'm getting an overdose? I was not experiencing a noticeable difference/improvement/soothing in my upset skin with Drmtlgy CEF drops, so bummer. As of a couple days ago I'm back to Skinceuticals and my skin is happier. Tried to be more budget friendly and it didn't work out.