Everything to Know About Vitamin C & 7 FREE Vitamin C Serum Formulas + Ecocert / Natural Recipes

taralee
5 days ago
19 min read

Vitamin C is a well known and a clinically studied ingredient that I would argue is the most sought after ingredient in the beauty industry.

But that doesn’t mean you should start cutting up those lemons & oranges to rub all over your face. In fact, that could actually do more damage to your skin. The acidity of these fruits could irritate or burn the skin and even cause photosensitivity. —Which is a fancy word for increased sensitivity to the sun, that means, easier sun burns.

Even if you find fun recipes online using fruit on your skin, I really don’t recommend this. But you do you girl. I’m not gonna stop you from doing what you love, I can just offer my advice.

So what makes Vitamin C so special anyway?

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that helps fight free radicals.

But wait, what are free radicals? I’m glad you asked,—because I swear that is all people talk about in the beauty industry.

Free radicals are essentially unstable molecules in the air that can damage our skin. Free radicals are everywhere. They come from the sun, environmental pollution, smoke, other toxins, chemicals & even us, our own bodies produce free radicals. Protecting our skin from these free radicals can help slow down the signs of aging and overall help achieve a healthier, brighter, and more youthful appearance to the skin.

The best way to fight off free radicals —you guessed it! ANTIOXIDANTS!!

& since Vitamin C is packed full of antioxidants and is one of the most well studied ingredients in the beauty industry, which makes this ingredient the most sought after ingredient.

Overall Vitamin C is said to help with slowing down the signs of aging, improving the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles, fades dark spots, can help with acne, and prevent sun damage. I’ll link below to some studies to back up all these claims.

L-Ascorbic Acid / Ascorbic Acid

L-Ascorbic Acid is the chemical name for Vitamin C. So when looking for Vitamin C in a products ingredient list you would look for L-Ascorbic Acid, not Vitamin C.

The same goes for us home crafters. If you want the most natural form of Vitamin C, look for L-Ascorbic Acid, but there is a catch. Yes, this ingredient is too good to be true! It is so freakin unstable. L-Ascorbic Acid hates oxygen and it hates light. Which last time I checked, is literally everywhere and inescapable. So this makes L-Ascorbic Acid an extremely hard ingredient to formulate with. This is why you will notice that vitamin C serums on the marker that contain L-Ascorbic Acid are extremely expensive. It’s because they are difficult formulas to formulate and a lot of trial and error goes into creating these stable vitamin C formulas. Often times you also need to add in a lot of other additional ingredients to keep the L-Ascorbic Acid stable. For example, other antioxidants like Vitamin E and Ferulic acid can help keep L-Ascorbic Acid stable. Along with the addition of chelating agents, a dark bottle that light can’t enter, and an airless pump bottle to dispense the product to prevent further oxygen from entering the product. You will know your L-Ascorbic Acid has destabilized when it starts to turn into a yellow, orange, or a brown color.

Formulating w/ L-Ascorbic Acid at Home

So for all these reasons I just mentioned, I haven’t shared a formula using L-Ascorbic Acid. But today I want to, but first, lets talk a bit more about how to formulate with L-Ascorbic Acid. I purchased mine from lotioncrafter.com so I will be sharing their formulating guidelines.

L-Ascorbic Acid easily dissolves in water. Sparingly soluble in absolute ethanol (2g/100ml), and insoluble in fats and lipids(oils).
Typical use rate: 1-4%
pH when dissolved in water is 2.2 - 2.5 (this is why you can’t just dissolve L-Ascorbic Acid in water and apply it directly to your face. It will burn because the pH is too low. You need to raise the pH in order to safely apply it to your skin.)
L-Ascorbic Acid is most stable when it’s in an anhydrous or silicone base as opposed to a aqueous base.
Ferulic Acid and Vitamin E are said to help boost the stability of L-Ascorbic Acid

Since I am not a chemist and since Ascorbic Acid is so hard to formulate with, I wanted to try some example formulas provided by lotioncrafter.com. So lets take a look at their easiest “stable” vitamin C formula.

Double C Serum by: LotionCrafter

83% LotionCrafter EL40 INCI: Dimethicone (and) Dimethicone Crosspolymer

10% L-Ascorbic Acid

7% Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Directions: (Provided by lotioncrafter.com) This is not my formula or my directions!!

If your L-ascorbic Acid is lumpy, sieve it first and then combine it with the LotionCrafter EL40 and mix until smooth.
Add Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and mix well.
For best stability, pour into a dark airless pump bottle.
No pH adjusting is needed

According to lotioncrafter.com “Our Double C Serum combines water soluble ultrafine L-Ascorbic Acid powder with oil soluble Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate in an anhydrous (water-free) silicone base for high potency and stability.

Based on a study by Drs. Fitzpatrick and Rostan published in Dermatological Surgery, March 2002 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11896774?dopt=AbstractPlus), using 10% Ascorbic Acid and 7% Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, a lipid soluble analog. These are combined in an anhydrous polysilicone gel base which acts as a “dermal patch” releasing the water soluble acid slowly and the lipid soluble analog rapidly.”

So even though L-Ascorbic Acid is water soluble, as you can see, it can still be formulated with in an anhydrous silicone base. This also allows for much better stability of the L-Ascorbic Acid.

Thoughts on Double C Serum by: LotionCrafter;

I noticed I am not reaching for this serum too often. If I don’t wear makeup that day, I really don’t want to put this on my skin. I think it’s because it’s a silicone base, which feels heavy on the skin when I don’t want to wear makeup. On days that I do where makeup, it doesn’t bother me at all. I also notice that when I rub it into my skin, I do feel the vitamin C powder. It isn’t abrasive and after rubbing it in for a few seconds it goes away and it doesn’t effect makeup going over top, so it doesn’t seem to be a problem. Overall, I think this makes a great makeup primer. If you like silicone base primers, then I think this formula would make a great primer.

Here is another L-Ascorbic Acid formula provided by lotioncrafter.com. This one is called…

C&E Intensive Serum by: lotioncrafter.com

Again, this is not my formula. But this formula is super similar to the one we just made. The main difference is they have added in Microsilica Sphere “for aesthetics and sebum control” & they added in Vitamin E for it’s “skin benefits”. So I would say this formula is better for those with oily skin as it can help balance the oil production, but the first formula can also work for oily skin types. It really just comes down to if your skin likes silicone based products or not

17% LotionCrafter LC995 (Cyclomethicone)

6% MicroSilica Spheres

55% LotionCrafter EL3045 INCI: Cyclopentasiloxane (and) C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

10% L-Ascorbic Acid

7% Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

5% Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols T50)

Directions: (Provided by lotioncrafter.com) This is not my formula or my directions!!

Mix LC995 with MicroSilica Spheres or RiceMATTE Cosmetic Powder.
Add mixture to EL3045 and mix until smooth.
Add balance of ingredients one at time with thorough mixing.

Thoughts on C&E Intensive Serum by: lotioncrafter.com

Overall my thoughts are pretty much the same as the first one. But this one is thinner and this one would work better for those looking for a mattifying effect.

Now I want to share one last formula provided by lotioncrafter.com. This one is a water based Vitamin C serum using L-Ascorbic Acid. I did change the formula a bit. Instead of 0.5% Phenoxyethanol in phase C. I added in 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus in phase A.

C&E with Ferulic Acid Serum by lotioncrafter.com

Phase A

46.05% Distilled Water

0.35% Triethanolamine

0.5% Liquid Germall Plus

0.5% DL Panthenol

0.5% Ferulic Acid

Phase B

0.1% HMW Hyaluronic Acid

Phase C

20% Ethoxydiglycol

10% Propylene Glycol

3% Glycerin

3% Laureth-23

1% Mixed Tocopherols 95%

Phase D

15% L-Ascorbic Acid

Phase E

Q.S Triethanolamine or Citric Acid Solution 50%

Directions: (Provided by lotioncrafter.com) This is not my formula or my directions!!

Combine Water and Triethanolamine in Phase A, add balance of Phase A ingredients and stir until mixture is clear. It will be slightly yellow due to the color of the Ferulic Acid.
Sprinkle Phase B ingredient on surface of Phase A and mix well. Let it sit for a minimum of 1 hour (up to 3 hours) to hydrate completely and then mix it until it is a uniform consistency. If you are using our Mini-Pro Mixer, the mixture may get frothy, but this will settle out. You can minimize this by popping the mixer on and off instead of mixing constantly.
Combine and heat Phase C ingredients to 60°C (140°F) and remove from heat. Gently stir to combine.
Add Phase C to Phase A/B with whisking until combined solution is clear. If using our Mini-Pro Mixer, pop it on and off to reduce frothing.
Add Phase D and mix until clear.
Test the pH. Adjust to final pH 3.0 - 3.5 with drops of Triethanolamine if the pH is too low, or Citric Acid Solution 50% (provided in kit) if the pH is too high. Makes approximately 200 grams or 6.66 ounces of serum. Ingredients can be cut in half to make only 100 grams or 3.33 ounces of serum at a time.

Notes:Q.S. is an abbreviation for the Latin quantum sufficiat, quantum sufficit, or quantum satis, phrases which all mean "as much as suffices" or "quantity required.”

I made a 50 gram batch and ended up using 0.07 grams of Triethanolamine to get the pH between 3.0 - 3.5

Thoughts on C&E with Ferulic Acid Serum by lotioncrafter.com;

I really did try super hard to like this serum, but I just can’t get over the consistency. It’s this weird oily, but not oily feel. Honestly if I wasn’t so picky and worried about my skin breaking out I would give it more of a chance, but my skin is looking really good right now and I don’t want to try it more than I need to. Once it’s rubbed in and I wait a few minutes the oiliness does go away. It almost reminds me of a sunscreen oiliness. It does leave my skin looking beautiful though!!! So if you aren’t annoyed by an oily feeling product(that isn’t actually oily) I would give this a try. I liked the way it make my skin look, but couldn’t get over the way it felt.

Vitamin C Derivatives

Personally my favorite way to formula with Vitamin C is by using ingredients that are Vitamin C Derivatives.

Vitamin C Derivatives are essentially Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) that has been chemically modified to be more stable and also less irritating on the skin. That means Vitamin C Derivatives aren’t as sensitive to light or oxygen which makes them so much easier to formulate with. Luckily there are Ecocert Vitamin C Derivatives. So even if you are trying to stay more “natural” or Ecocert Compliant, there are options for you.

The down side to these Vitamin C Derivatives is that there isn’t as much data backing up the claims to these ingredients. There has been a lot of research done using L-Ascorbic Acid and just because L-Ascorbic Acid has been proven to offer antioxidant protection, help with hyperpigmentation, and help boost collagen, that doesn’t mean the derivatives have.

As I go through the different Vitamin C Derivatives I’ll talk about the benefits each of them offer. As this will help determine if that Vitamin C Derivative would work for the skin concern you are looking to target. I’ll be sure to link my sources below. I got my info about these derivatives from the Chemist Confessions Blog.

MAP (Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate)

According to a survey I conducted on my instagram story, this seems to be my followers favorite Vitamin C Derivative to formulate with. Ironically, I actually found it to be my least favorite to formulate with because I ran into some stability issues while using it. We’ll get into that.

But first, MAP has been proven to work as a skin brightener. Also in one study MAP accelerated collagen production and assembly in wound healing. But according to Chemist Confessions Blog, MAP “doesn’t have the best track record getting absorbed by skin.” They also suggest to use it twice a day, consistently.

Formulating w/ MAP (Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate)

White to off-white Powder
Water Soluble
Light & Oxygen Stable
pH of ingredient 6-7
May discolor in pH levels below 6, keep final products pH between 6 - 7
Solubility 154g/l at 25C/77F (that's at most 15.4%)
Is stable at 80C/176F for up to 20 hours; so you can add to heated water phase.
Can also be pre dispersed in a small amount of distilled water and added at the end of the formulation.
If having trouble dissolving, heat to 40°C (104°F)
Recommended usage rate; 0.2% - 3%, up to 10%
Not considered Natural or Ecocert

Other important info

I purchased my MAP from LotionCrafter.com, here is some other important information mentioned in the formulating guidelines.

One study indicated MAP might be needed at a concentration of 10% to be effective at inhibiting melanin production
MAP appears to have the same potential to boost skin collagen synthesis as does Ascorbic Acid, but at lower concentrations. For those with sensitive skin or those wanting to avoid the exfoliating effects of highly acidic Ascorbic Acid, MAP may be the preferred choice.

My Experience w/ MAP

I thought this was going to be the easiest Vitamin C Derivative to use because it’s natural pH when dissolved in water is 6-7 and the products final pH needs to be between 6-7. So no pH adjusting is needed, unlike all the other Vitamin C Derivatives I’ll be talking about today. The issues I had with MAP is dissolving it and keeping it dissolved.

My first issue of just simply dissolving the MAP happened, because I poured all of the MAP into my heated distilled water phase all at once. I used 10% MAP in this formula so, that’s a lot going in at once. This caused the MAP to clump up on the bottom. I tried heating it to help it dissolve, and maybe eventually I could have got it to dissolve, but I gave up and tried again.

This time I added in a little bit of MAP at a time into the heated distilled water. This worked great! I got all the MAP dissolved. But the next day I came back and all the MAP was settled to the bottom. So I gave it one more try, this time I only used 3% MAP instead of 10% and I was able to keep it dissolved. It still hasn’t recrystallized, but what sucks is that all the studies done on this ingredient show it works best at 10%, but it’s so difficult to keep the 10% dissolved. I would have done more experiments, but I ran out of MAP.

Here is the final Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Serum Formula

Phase A

88.9% Distilled Water

0.3% Disodium EDTA

3% Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP)

Phase B

1% Euxyl K 900

1% Poly Suga Mulse D9

Phase C

5% Propanediol

0.5% ULMW Hyaluronic Acid

0.3% HMW Hyaluronic Acid

Directions;

In a heat safe container weigh your distilled water and disodium EDTA into a sanitized beaker and heat to 40°C/104°F. Mix to dissolve Disodium EDTA
Once heated, slowly add in a small amount of the MAP at a time while mixing. Wait until the MAP dissolves then add a small amount more and keep doing this until all of the MAP is incorporated.
In a separate sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase B and mix.
Pour phase B into Phase A while mixing.
In another sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase C and mix then pour into phase A/B and mix until everything is well combined.
I let mine sit overnight to fully cool before bottling.
Natural pH was 6.5 so no pH adjusting was needed and I used this bottle to store my serum in. Since MAP is not light or oxygen sensitive you don’t need to use a dark bottle or an airless pump.

How to use Serum;

Massage on to clean dry or damp skin, let dry and follow with your moisturizer. Use AM & PM for best results.

Final thoughts: Overall I think this is an easy ingredient to use compared to L-Ascorbic Acid, but it’s super annoying that it’s hard to keep 10% dissolved in your formula. But it is great that MAP does have some data to back up that it can help with collagen and hyperpigmentation. But since you need to use it at such a high amount for it to be effective, 10%, and it’s so hard to keep that dissolved, it makes this derivatives just a little too annoying for it to be my favorite. So if you do decide to use MAP try to use it as close to 10% as possible and use it twice a day. I’d imagine there are ways to keep the 10% MAP dissolved, I just wasn’t able to conduct enough experiments to figure it out. Let me know what has worked for you.

3-Glyceryl Ascorbate

This was the first Vitamin C Derivative I started using. I have a serum formula on my channel using this derivative. So I’ll link that video below for you to watch. According to the Chemist Confessions Blog it’s unclear whether or not Glyceryl Ascorbate functions like a tradition vitamin C. But it does seem to be an amazing hydrator. This is a newer vitamin C derivative, which is probably why we don’t have to much data on this ingredient yet and there are different versions of Glyceryl Ascorbates. There is the 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate that I am familiar with and Bis Glyceryl Ascorbate.

Formulating w/ 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate

Light to medium amber liquid
Water soluble. Soluble in Glycerin and propanediol. Insoluble in oils, esters, and silicones
Light & Oxygen Stable
Heat sensitive, add to product under 40°C (104°F)
Incompatible w/ electrolytes (equal to or less than 2%) surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate (equal to or less than 30%), and electrophiles
Ingredients natural pH 4 - 6
Recommended final products pH 2.0 - 5.0
Recommended Usage Rate: 2% to 10%
Not considered Natural or Ecocert

Final thoughts: Overall formulating with this ingredient is pretty easy. 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate mixes into water super easily, it will not separate from the water. Also, since it’s a liquid you won’t have to worry about it recrystallizing or separating from the water over time. It is only active in a pH between 2-5 so you do need to make sure the pH is low enough. Other than that

it’s super easy to use. If you are making an emulsion, add it during the cool down phase. Seems to be a pretty popular derivative as well.

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate (AAP)

Overall I found this Vitamin C Derivative to be pretty easy to formulate with. It dissolved super easily into the water, it didn’t recrystallize. The only annoying part about this ingredient is that is has to be between 5.5 - 6 to be stable, which isn’t a very large window. That’s my biggest issue with it. According to the manufacture of this ingredient "has both anti-wrinkle and whitening effects.” They did an in-vivo test, which is a test done on real people. They included 33 people and found that just 0.5% AAP “significantly” reduced hyperpigmentation after 8 weeks by 29-33%. They also claim to have measured a “dramatic” decrease in the total number of wrinkles, about 23% after 8 weeks.

We can’t take these claims too seriously as this is an in-vivo study done by the manufacture. Studies are best done by a 3rd party who has no financial gain of the ingredient. So overall more research needs done with this ingredients. I didn’t even see this derivative mentioned in Chemist Confessions Blog.

Formulating w/ AAP

White to pale yellow powder
Water Soluble
Light & Oxygen Stable
Addition of chelating agent can boost protection against oxidation
Natural pH of ingredient 1.7 - 3.7
Final products pH needs between 5.5 - 6
Heat sensitive, add below 40°C (104°F)
Typical Usage Rate: 0.1% - 1%
Not considered Natural or Ecocert

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate Serum Formula

Phase A

92.3% Distilled Water

0.5% Sodium Phytate

1% Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

0.2% Triethanolamine

5% Propanediol

0.5% Liquid Germall Plus

Phase B

0.5% Sepimax Zen / Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Directions;

In a heat safe container combine all ingredients in phase A and mix until all powder has dissolved.
Sprinkle Phase B onto of phase A. Do not mix. Cover with Plastic Wrap and let sit overnight. It might only take 3-8 hours for the powder to hydrate into a gel, but I always let mine sit overnight.
The next day you can remove the plastic wrap and mix. If you want the serum to be thicker then increase the percent of Sepimax Zen.
Check pH and adjust to 5.5 - 6 if needed. If you need to lower the pH, combine equal parts citric acid and equal parts distilled water to lower the pH. Here is a link to my video all about how to raise and lower the pH level. If the pH is too low you can use Triethanolamine to raise the pH. As you can see I have added 0.5% Triethanolamine to the formula to account for the pH adjusting, so hopefully you don’t need to adjust yours at the end. If the pH of yours is off, you can adjust the amount of Triethanolamine used in the formula to adjust the pH. Using more Triethanolamine will raise the pH and less Triethanolamine will lower the pH.
Let sit overnight and check pH again the next day to make sure it didn’t drift.
Pour into desired bottle. I used this bottle to store my serum in.

How to use Serum;

Massage on to clean dry skin, let dry and follow with your moisturizer. Use AM & PM for best results.

Final thoughts: I did enjoy formulating with AAP, but since there isn’t much research done on it and it isn’t very popular, I don’t like it too much. It seems there are better choices, but it is easy to formulate with and maybe it will grow in popularity.

Ecocert / Natural Vitamin C Derivatives

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP)

SAP is an Ecocert approved Vitamin C Derivative. So for those trying to stay natural or Ecocert, this is a great choice. It isn’t as potent of an antioxidant as L-Ascorbic Acid, but it is an antioxidant. It offers brightening effects and is actually great of oily skin types. It’s been shown to be great for those with oily sensitive skin. But it doesn’t absorb well into the skin, so use regularly!

Formulating w/ SAP

White to pale yellow powder
Water Soluble (clear solutions at 3% or less)
Light & Oxygen Stable
Natural pH of ingredient 9-10
May discolor in pH levels below 6.
Keep final product pH between 6-7 (also read some places it needs to be between 6.5-7)
Add in a chelating agent for stability
Heat sensitive, add below 40°C (104°F)
Typical Usage Rate: 0.2% - 3% or up to 10%
Natural & Ecocert

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Serum Formula

Phase A

88.95% Distilled Water

0.05% Sodium Phytate

3% Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Phase B

1% Euxyl K 900

1% Poly Suga Mulse D9

Phase C

5% Propanediol

1% Solagum AX

Directions;

In a heat safe container combine all ingredients in phase A and mix until dissolved.
In a separate sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase B and mix.
Pour phase B into Phase A while mixing.
In another sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase C and mix then pour into phase A/B and mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
Natural pH was 9 and I lowered the pH to 6.77 using a pH buffer of 50% citric acid dissolved in 50% distilled water. Learn how to create a pH buffer solution and lower the pH HERE.
I used this bottle to store my serum. Since SAP is not light or oxygen sensitive you don’t need to use a dark bottle or an airless pump.

How to use Serum;

Massage on to clean dry skin, let dry and follow with your moisturizer. Use AM & PM for best results.

Final thoughts: I like formulating with this derivative. I love that it’s Ecocert, so that makes a lot of people happy. Plus it seems to be a pretty well known derivative and has some research to back up it’s benefits. I like that it’s good for acne prone skin too. The main thing to keep in mind is the high pH of SAP, but that’s no problem, it’s an easy fix.

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Ascorbyl Glucoside has been shown in vitro studies to be a potent antioxidant, it has been shown to slow down melanin production, along with promoting collage. Is commonly used in products that help with hyperpigmentation and help even skin tone. Ascorbyl Glucoside is popular is KBeauty and JBeauty Skincare.

Formulating w/ Ascorbyl Glucoside

White powder
Water Soluble
Light & Oxygen Stable
Natural pH of ingredient 2-3
Keep final product pH between 5-7
Add in a chelating agent for stability
Heat sensitive, add below 40°C (104°F)
Typical Usage Rate: 1-2%
Natural & Ecocert

Ascorbyl Glucoside Serum Formula

Phase A

88.95% Distilled Water

0.5% Sodium Phytate

2% Ascorbyl Glucoside

Phase B

1% Euxyl K 900

1% Poly Suga Mulse D9

Phase C

5% Propanediol

1% Solagum AX

Directions;

In a heat safe container combine all ingredients in phase A and mix until dissolved.
In a separate sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase B and mix.
Pour phase B into Phase A while mixing.
In another sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase C and mix then pour into phase A/B and mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
Natural pH was 2.93 and I raised the pH to 5.5 using Triethanolamine. But in order to keep your Ecocert compliant you can use a pH buffer solution of 10% Sodium Hydroxide dissolved in 90% distilled water. Learn how to create a pH buffer solution and raise the pH HERE.
I used this bottle to store my serum. Since Ascorbyl Glucoside is not light or oxygen sensitive you don’t need to use a dark bottle or an airless pump.

How to use Serum;

Massage on to clean dry skin, let dry and follow with your moisturizer. Use AM & PM for best results.

Final thoughts: I really like this vitamin C ester. It’s super easy to formulate with, other than having to raise the pH. I also love that it has research to back up it’s claims and it’s popular in K Beauty and J Beauty Skincare. Also since it’s Ecocert that makes it even better. Definitely recommend trying it. Just be sure you raise the pH or you will burn your skin.

Other Vitamin C Derivatives

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THDA)

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is one of my favorite vitamin C derivatives. It was actually my favorite until I started making this video and tried other vitamin C derivatives. What makes this one different from all the other derivatives we’ve talked about is that it’s oil soluble. Since it is oil soluble you can easily add it in to oil based products like face oils, body oils, scrubs, and body butter super easily. Since anhydrous(oil based) products don’t have a pH, you also don’t have to worry about adjusting the pH. So this vitamin C derivative can be pretty easy to use and can be put in a lot of products the other derivatives we’ve talked about, can’t. According to Chemists Confessions blog THDA does absorb better in the skin since it’s oil based. Also it has been shown in vitro studies that it is a good antioxidant and that it’s been able to brighten hyperpigmentation.

I’ve shared a handful of formulas using this ingredient, so I will link them here.

Easier Vitamin C product You’ll Ever Make

Brightening Turmeric & Vitamin C Exfoliating Face Wash