Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Super Glow Serum with 10% L-Ascorbic Acid + Kojic Acid

Most Helpful Positive Review

Dermatologist recommended!

I am a board-certified dermatologist. This is my personal favorite vitamin C serum and the one that I recommend to my patients. This serum contains the exact same, highly-effective combination of ingredients as the gold-standard SkinCeuticals serum, at just a fraction of the cost. It also has additi...onal ingredients that are proven to fight redness and pigmentation issues. Vitamin C is a very difficult product to formulate in a way that's effective and shelf stable. Unfortunately, all of the best serums that use the effective form of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) tend to feel tacky and have an unpleasant smell (for example, SkinCeuticals is known to smell like hotdog water)— obviously not ideal, but that's just a small price you pay in order to reap the benefits of a highly beneficial skincare ingredient. If a vitamin C serum doesn't feel slightly tacky or have an odd smell, it likely doesn't contain L-ascorbic acid and therefore, isn't formulated in a way that's effective, shelf stable, or leading to any long term benefit for your skin. As far as vitamin C serums go, I think the smell of this one is actually not bad..even somewhat pleasant. They've done a good job of masking the underlying "hotdog water" smell of all ascorbic acid-containing products. Yes, it goes on slightly tacky, but it eventually dries down and the tackiness goes away after a moisturizer is applied. It works well under my moisturizer, sunscreen, and makeup. I have sensitive, dry, acne-prone skin and am currently taking Accutane— making my skin extra sensitive this winter. When used once a day in the morning, my skin has no problem tolerating this serum and I have not experienced any breakouts or irritation. Incorporating vitamin C into your skincare routine is well worth it, but the results are not immediate. It takes several months of consistent, daily use to see the full benefits. This product does leave a nice "glow" immediately after using it, but the real benefits take place several months down the road, so I encourage you to stick with it and be patient. I highly recommend this product!