Rated 4.01 out of 5 stars
376 Reviews
I have been using this for about a 2 months. At first I was hesitant cos not only is it oily, it felt so hot when I put it on my face. I felt like running to go wash it off. But I thought just leave it on and see how it goes. That first week it went well. My face didn't caught fire haha cos that's what it felt like. I use it about 3 times a wk and now I know to just use 4 drops at most. And wait for at least 10 mins before putting on moisturiser. I don't know how but it made such a difference. I somehow look younger. I can't quite pinpoint what it is but even my mom commented so that is something. I'm 41 with oily skin. And 4 kids. It's important to mention the kids haha.
I've been using this product for 2 months now. I notice that my dark spots and acne scars have faded nicely. Not sure whether that is due to the vitamin C or the alpha arbutin. Either way, I like the effect. What I don't like is how this product feels on my face. It pills up a lot, which is a rather strange feeling when you apply a skincare product. I will keep using this but I don't think I will repurchase.
2
Shearine from Nashville, Tennessee
I was wanting a waterless vitamin C plus an inhibitor for pigment. You definitely get that with this product but that oily feeling is a complete turn off. It take for ever to sink in. Please keep in mind before buying!
Kas from Seattle, WA
The texture of this was weird. I dont mind the oil but there were some sandy bits in it. I did only use this once so I dont know how effective it is. The reason that I only used it once was because the smell was HORRIBLE. Like burnt plastic that lingered for a few hours after application. Ive tried several vitamin c products from The Ordinary and theyve all disappointed me so far.
4
Nadia from undisclosed
wow , just wow . I was just trying to incorporate acid on my skin and I'm grateful that my skin can tolerate this . After a few usage, my face is glowing and seems like my closed comedones dissapeared . I dont know how but it seems like I have a healthy skin. The drawback is this need to be finished less than 3 months IMO bcoz it started to lose it efficiency if holds too long.
3
Curious from undisclosed
Bought with expectations. I research all ingredients . All day vitamin C needs water free formula mix. Arbutrin is formulated in a water base.. what's the outcome going to be? Contraindicated ingredients .
1
Kelly from Illinois
The smell of this product is so unpleasant that I had to throw it away.
5
Sunflower04 from undisclosed
Started using it around February Mid. I was very sceptical about using a vitamin C serum but another brand was prescribed by the dermatologist and I decided to give this a try instead. And did I hit the jackpot !!! With four months of usage ( with a gap day in between) this became my forever love !!! All the tans from the scorching Saudi Arabian heat and harsh Indonesian sun? Gone. All the uneven skin tones from months of not caring after suffering from depression? A thing of the past. This is magic in a bottle ! Also as I slowly started caring for myself, I started finding my lost self. So cheers to the Ordinary, not only my skin glows now, I glow with added confidence. - I used this every other night at first then daily any time after sunset, it suited me better that way - Make sure you use a broad spectrum sunscreen while using this - Store it in the refrigerator for added longevity
from Michigan
This caused a stinging itchy sensation. I had to stop using it.
May1sky from undisclosed
Love this, non irritating, easily blends into skin and leaves my skin feeling hydrated and ready for sunscreen in the morning. To early to say if helping with hyperpigmentation and melasma, but am hopeful with prolonged use that it will help.
jebuskrist from undisclosed
i use it after hyaluronic acid 2% serum and before pycnogenol 5% anhydrous serum and i always use sunscreen after natural moisturizing factors. it makes my face even and I have freckles and pigmentation and scaring sun damage and signs of aging. i apply it in the morning i have combination skin.
Dark spot eraser from undisclosed
I bought this product a month ago and I have actually seen a real difference! I don't mind the oily feel since I have dry skin. I only ever use 2 drops in the morning and follow it up with sunscreen and my complexion has never been more even. And mind you, I added this product since I felt like my skin hit a plateau, and I saw a big difference even after 2 weeks. I HIGHLY recommend if you're looking for a more even skin tone with little to no irritation. Ps it paired well underneath my makeup after I let it fully absorb.
Cath from undisclosed
I really wanted to like the product since I am loyal to the brand and the ingredients sounded like the solution to all my problems. However, my experience wasn't pleasant. Every time I would use it, it left a strange, urine-like smell on my hands, and the product would oxidize on my skin and made my complexion look yellow and my blackheads darker. Unfortunately, despite ignoring the unpleasantries and following the instructions, I did not see any brightening on my dark spots. I have to note this is something strange because I've NEVER had a bad experience with The Ordinary until I tried this. If I could get a recommendation on what to do or explain why is this happening I would really appreciate it.
Js from undisclosed
I have just started using ordinary in my skin care routine. This goes on feeling smooth from the bottle but as soon as I put it on my face, it starts to feel gritty and I believe that it is my skin sloughing off. It's just a little bit and does not cause any irritation or breakouts or anything like that. This is only day three that I've been using it so I will continue and see if that eventually stops.
Yiyi from undisclosed
I really want to incorporate this product into my routine but it is too oily on my skin and leaves my skin very sticky, I'm wondering if I can mix it into my moisturizer since that would make it less sticky. But I am worried if this is going to affect the efficacy.
ShayM from undisclosed
The ordinary products are great, other than few hiccups. But when it comes to vitamin c they always get it wrong. The packaging always should be in an airless pump, if not the product doesn't last or lose the effectiveness.
from chico,ca
This product gave my face tingly and slightly burning sensation. I have normal to sensitive skin. I didn't notice a huge difference after a couple of months..
Sierra from Portland, MI
I have noticed a difference in my skin such as decreased acne and my skin does feel smoother and a little softer, which are the primary reasons I was looking for a decent product that included vitamin c. I haven't been using this product for very long, only about a week, so I'm going to continue to use it. I have noticed that it is important to let this soak into your skin for a few minutes (2-3) before applying moisturizer, or your face will get streaky looking. Overall, application feels really nice and a little goes a long way. The only disappointing feature is that you can't get it close to your eyes, even though I've ben told vitamin c is great for that area for dark circles and that was the biggest reason I invested in a vitamin c product in the first place. Will definitely continue use though!
Leslie from SW Louisiana
Tried this serum as a companion to the eye serum. LOVE them together. Every product tried from this line has been beneficial to my skin Love the line.
snaaa from undisclosed
Hi! My mother is 50 yrs old and she has been using this Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% serum every night on full face for the past 1 year, and she uses your Hyaluronic acid every morning as well. My question is that she has been suddenly experiencing some deep fine lines around her eyes area recently and I'm wondering if it's because of this? The lines are deeper than ever and her eye area is very dry now. Overall, a great product! Just wondering if this could be a reason for her dry eye area? Any tips for what else could be done to help this issue? Thank youu!! x
Mimi Gray from undisclosed
Im73 and had dark spots on my face. My daughter suggested this product plus Rose Hip oil. After using them for 4 months, I've noticed the dark spots are lightning dramatically and I'm complimented often on how lovely my skin is. The price is amazing and I will continue to use them and see if the spots fade completely. I'll return to report my progress.
Ally from undisclosed
I bought this 2 months ago and sadly, it breaks me out every time I use, even though my skin should have gotten used to it by now. :( I really hope I get past this because I'm trying to fix upper lip hyperpigmentation. I had high hopes for this serum.
RG from undisclosed
I got this one for free in the store and was hesitant to try it cause my face always gets bad reactions for vitamin c so when I had the courage to do try it, I was really happy with the results!!! My redness faded and my skin texture never felt smoother than before. I recommend you use this in the morning and like a Vitamin C serum. I use this on dry face (after water based serums and treatments) then leave it for 30mins and continue with your routine. AND PLEASE PLEAASE USE SPF WHEN YOU USE THIS. This method works for my oily acne prone skin so I hope it works for you too. ❤️
Chels0720 from undisclosed
I bought this after seeing vitamin c being recommended. Most of my products already have multiple key ingredients so I just wanted a simple vitamin C serum. Found this one and it already has alpha arbutin (another ingredient I wanted to implement), so I decided to try this out. A lot of people do not research how to build a skincare routine properly. I used this over the course of six months. Before, my skin was dull and had a lot of stubborn dark spots leftover from bad acne I used to have, and I also have smile lines and a line in my forehead from facial expressions combined with not using sunscreen as a kid on my face. I used this in the morning. I have combo/oily skin so I don't wash my face with a designated cleanser in the morning, just warm water or sometimes I'd use micellar water and rinse if I felt like I got super oily overnight or I sweat a lot. I'd follow with my BYOMA spray which is water based so I would let it dry down first, which I do with most products anyways so they each have a chance to absorb into the skin, but is recommended for this Vit C serum anyways. I use a Paulas Choice niacinamide toner and then follow with this (important to note that I did test to make sure that combining the two wouldn't irritate it since I do have slightly sensitive skin), and letting both products dry before using the next product. Then I use my moisturizer which changes depending on the weather conditions and what my skin is needing. And of course a sunscreen. Your products won't do much of anything noticeable if you don't follow with a sunscreen. You're wasting money then. Any good your products do will be counteracted by sun damage if you go without a sunscreen, and some products may cause redness and irritation if you go without sunscreen as well. While I saw great results without this product, inserting this product definitely stepped up my skin appearance. My skin has a much greater glow, my lines around my mouth and forehead have lessened TREMENDOUSLY. I don't expect them to go away within a few months because it was years of sun damage and I am an expressive person too lol. I know some people referenced piling. I only noticed piling when I didn't let my products dry down as much as I usually do because I was in a rush. I stopped using this because I simply just forgot I needed it until I noticed that my skin was looking rather dull and while my lines didn't "come back", they had become more emphasized, especially during the winter months. So the lines were quite as deep as they used to be but the crinkle was still noticeable. I ordered it asap and now my face is bright and happy again.
Gallaeci from undisclosed
It says on the description that "Vitamin C and Alpha Arbutin are less stable in formulations that contain water and use of them combined in formulations containing water is highly discouraged", but the moisturiser recommended to be used after this product contains water. I'm a bit confused, so does that mean the water in the moisturiser won't affect the stability of this formula? What about water based toners used before this product? Would they make it less stable as well?
Isabel from Brooklyn. NY
Excellent product beautiful place bad customer service