Why is CE Ferulic the best?

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Great news! Through February 20, you can score the best-selling and Glamour-award-winning SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum for 15% off at Dermstore with the code SKINC15. This rarely happens—and the promo code is good for the brands’ entire skin-care line, so read up on the best SkinCeuticals’ products here and get to shopping. 

On paper, it sounds like it would be tough to fall in love with Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Serum. It’s a $166 investment, smells like hot dogs, and isn’t packaged in a millennial pink bottle. And yet, as with all great tales of love, none of this seems significant because the ending (bright, glowing, luminous skin) is so compelling you’ll completely forget about the rest.

Since its launch, C E Ferulic has become one of the most widely adored products on the market—and not just by pros. Sure, dermatologists have voted it the best overall vitamin C serum, and almost every editor I know owns a carefully guarded stash, but shoppers also love it. Look at Skinceuticals C E Ferulic reviews on any given website, and five-star ratings abound. Glamour readers swear by its ability to bring dull, damaged skin back to life—so much so that it won a Beauty Award in our Readers’ Choice category. (Says Ali N. from Utah: “I am not exaggerating when I say that Skinceuticals C E Ferulic completely changed my skin. Monthly acne? Poof. Gone. Fine lines—what fine lines? People say my skin has never looked better.”)

To understand its mass appeal, you just have to look at the star ingredient: vitamin C. The antioxidant is one of the few ingredients experts unanimously recommend for its protective and brightening properties. When formulated to penetrate within the deeper layers of your skin, vitamin C combats free radicals from UV light and environmental aggressors. It also helps stimulate collagen and even skin tone—two clearly visible effects that accompany its invisible shielding properties.

Not all formulations do it equally well, though. Derms tend to prefer L-ascorbic acid (a pure form of vitamin C) because it’s more likely to reach the skin depth where it’s most effective. The problem is it’s highly unstable and works best at a concentration between 10% and 20%, so brands need to formulate carefully to deliver something that actually works. That’s one area where Skinceuticals has definitely done its research. Aside from its 15% concentration of L-ascorbic acid, the brand has also conducted 16 clinical studies on the benefits of this formula alone.

While the hero of the formula is undoubtedly the L-ascorbic acid, the accompanying 1% vitamin E plus 0.5% ferulic acid are there to help it reach its full potential. According to dermatologist Morgan Rabach, M.D., cofounder of LM Medical, the vitamin E “stabilizes vitamin C for maximum skin protection, and ferulic acid helps lower the pH level, so your skin can use the vitamins easily.” The result is a stable, powerful serum that gets the job done.

Sarah Wu

Like all good serums, a little of this stuff goes a long way. I grab it every morning, immediately after washing my face, so that the actives are the first thing to touch my skin. To apply, I dispense a scant four or five drops from the tinted bottle (the dark glass helps preserve the formula and keep it from breaking down). The lightweight liquid absorbs quickly after I pat it in, leaving me free to move on with the rest of my routine. It leaves behind a faint whiff of hot dog for the first few minutes, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for the good of my complexion. Plus, the smell goes away quickly.

This brings me to the visible results—because as much as I love a science-backed product that tirelessly prevents skin damage, I also need to see something happening. With continued use, you definitely will. The collagen-boosting, brightening properties work together to fade dark spots from my monthly breakouts and give me an underlying glow that gets better and better with time. If there’s one product I would recommend adding to your daytime routine to make it infinitely better, it’s this one.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum

See all 249 winners from the Glamour Beauty Awards, here. Sarah Wu is a writer in Berlin. Follow her on Instagram @say.wu.

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There are some skincare products that seem to grab the spotlight with everyone from dermatologists, skin experts and celebrities lauding it.

One such big name beauty item is SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum, which is hailed as one of the best anti-ageing, brightening serums on the market.

NOTE TO READER: While the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum is usually priced at $233, it’s currently on sale at Adore Beauty for a limited time. Score 15 per cent off the total price, bringing it down to $198.05.

As someone who’s suffered adult acne in the past and now has the scars, or stubborn post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIHP), to prove it, I decided to see if the popular serum was as good as the hundreds of five star reviews online claim.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum, Adore Beauty, $186.40 (down from $233)

WHAT IS SKINCEUTICALS C E FERULIC SERUM?

According to specialist plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon at EST Clinic in Victoria, Dr Frank Lin, the 12-ingredient, potent antioxidant serum is perfect for fading my PIHP thanks to its high and stable 15 per cent vitamin C content.

“SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic sees the antioxidant properties of vitamin C, augmented with vitamin E and stabilised by ferulic acid, and this combination plays an important role in brightening and smoothing the uneven skin tones and pigmentation left behind by acne scarring,” Dr Lin told news.com.au.

THE SKIN BENEFITS

Faded PIHP isn’t the only potential upside that comes from slathering on this serum, with other benefits including improving skin firmness, reducing fine lines and preventing free radical damage and discolouration.

“Vitamin C is the most abundant antioxidant in skin and is important not only in sun protection, but in replenishing dermal collagen and wound healing,” says Dr Lin. “SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum’s effectiveness and potency stands out from other vitamin C serums available on the market, and is widely regarded by skin specialists around the world as the benchmark in antioxidant vitamin C serums.”

Like using sunscreen to prevent sun damage, using this serum is a preventative measure - so while you might not see instant results - it’s ensuring pesky free radical damage isn’t affecting your complexion.

HOW TO USE IT

Once a day - ideally in the morning - apply four or five small drops (a little goes a long way) to your face, neck and chest and massage it in gently. Ensure you slather a layer of sunscreen over the top as the serum’s vitamin C content can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. If you’re someone who’s only got the time and inclination to go all out with your skincare routine at night (me too), a SkinCeuticals spokesperson assures me that’s perfectly fine, too.

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IS IT OK FOR SENSITIVE SKIN?

A SkinCeuticals spokesperson told news.com.au that if you have sensitive skin, it’s recommended you use SkinCeuticals Serum 10 AOX+ instead (buy it here from Adore Beauty), as it offers similar results but the percentages of ingredients are lower.

Alternatively, you can use SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic every second day to start with and always closely monitor how your skin reacts.

IS SKINCEUTICALS C E FERULIC PREGNANCY SAFE?

While there are no ingredients in the serum that would cause any issues in pregnancy, it’s strongly recommended that if you’re expecting you speak to your doctor or healthcare professional before you use this product.

THE VERDICT

My first impression of the product after depositing a few drops onto my skin was, hang on, what in mascara’s name is that smell? A sniff of the bottle confirmed the strange scent did indeed belong to the serum.

It can only be described as a cross between smoky barbecue chicken and nail polish. No, not what I expected but strangely, it’s a welcome departure from the cloying, overpowering fragrances in other skin care.

If anything, the left-of-centre fragrance only helps to assure me the serum is going to be good - why else would a gazillion beauty lovers rave about it otherwise?

Turns out this theory stacks up. After around five months of use, my skin does look brighter and I swear a few of the more stubborn PIHP spots on my cheeks are a little less pronounced. Best of all? I know it’s a long-term skin play in that every day it’s protecting my skin from more damage.

If the reviews on Adore Beauty are anything to go by, many others have seen similarly promising results, too. After one week of use, one reviewer said, “My skin appeared plumper, less dehydrated and definitely smoother”. While another said, “I have noticed a massive improvement in my skin clarity with a lot of my lighter pigmentation being completely faded”. While the $233 price is almost as confronting as the smell, I’m only halfway through the 30ml bottle after three months of (near) daily use, so if you can take a cost-per-use approach, the price is easier to justify.

Would I recommend it? If you’re serious about your skincare like me, most definitely.

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THE BUDGET DUPES

Simply can’t afford the high price point? You don’t need to miss out, there are some great options on the market that won’t drain your bank balance and will brighten your skin.

The Ordinary Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution, $30

Lauded for its high quality formulations that are wallet-friendly, The Ordinary’s Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution is a great option for anyone on a budget. Containing 15 per cent ascorbic acid (vitamin C) that’s incredibly stable, this serum will protect your skin and help to reduce pigmentation. It might feel a little oily as you apply it, but you can be rest assured it’s actually an oil and water-free solution. This simple but effective solution has won legions of fans, with one Adore Beauty reviewer stating, “I have a few stubborn acne scars that have been fading as a result of this.”

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Paula’s Choice BOOST C15 Super Booster 15% Vitamin C with Vitamin E + Ferulic Acid, $68

A very similar formula to the SkinCeuticals serum, this Paula’s Choice option is packed with all of the good stuff. There’s 15 per cent stabilised vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid and the addition of peptides that help to smooth skin. It’s earned hundreds of five-star reviews, with one Melbourne-based convert writing, “It is seriously a game changer. It has transformed my skin by evening out skin tone, brightening it and reducing my pigmentation very significantly. I will never stop using it.”

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A news, beauty and lifestyle journalist, Edwina is news.com.au's best of editor, where she's passionate about discovering and sharing dazzling new products, gift ideas, deals and more. With over a decade of experience in the Australian media industry, Edwina's words and opinion pieces have appeared in print and digital publications like The Sydney Morning Herald, Vogue.com.au, body + soul, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Courier Mail, Mamamia and more.

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