There’s no such thing as a miracle treatment when it comes to combating age, though vitamin C comes pretty close. It’s a powerful antioxidant that reduces discoloration, softens the signs of age, brightens and evens out skin tone, and so much more.
Nowadays, there’s tons of different vitamin C serums, creams, and oils on the market, but in this review we’ll focus on Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum.
Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum is formulated with vitamin C and a blend of supporting ingredients in order to target dark spots, uneven tone, and expression lines, while also promoting a firmer looking complexion.
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But can one serum really provide all of these benefits? In order to answer this question, we’ll have to evaluate the key ingredients in Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum, as well as the research that supports (or doesn’t support) their use in skin care.
We’ll also share some Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum reviews so that you can get an idea of what customers really think of this product.
What’s Inside Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum?
In order to determine how well Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum performs, we’ll have to evaluate the key ingredients in this formula. Let’s get started.
Vitamin C
We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn’t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.
The form of vitamin C that’s used in Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum is called aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate, which is 10 times more photostable than pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Our favorite Vitamin C serum is Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum. It contains 3 distinct types of Vitamin C that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.
Antioxidants (Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, Ergothioneine)
In addition to vitamin C, there’s a few more antioxidants in Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum, including vitamin E, ferulic acid, and ergothioneine.
The combination of vitamins C and E is great because these ingredients are known as “network antioxidants”.
As a publication in the journal Dermatologic Therapy explains, “because vitamin C regenerates oxidized vitamin E, the combination in a cosmeceutical formulation is synergistic — particularly in UV protection.”
Next up is ferulic acid, which works like other antioxidants to slow the aging process by protecting the skin from free radical damage. One of the key advantages of ferulic acid is its ability to enhance the efficacy and stability of vitamins C and E.
Lastly, ergothioneine is included in the Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum because it has a strong protective effect when applied to the skin. Specifically, it has been reported that skin cells have the ability to uptake ergothioneine to strengthen their natural antioxidant defense system. In addition, ergothioneine provides mild protection against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid)
We love that Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum includes two alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs): glycolic and lactic acid.
AHAs exfoliate the skin by targeting corneocytes (dead skin cells that make up the stratum corneum) in a process called corneocyte desquamation.
By enhancing their breakdown and increasing the separation of skin cells, the rate of cell turnover is increased, leading to smoother, brighter skin and a more even complexion.
One AHA product we recommend is The Brightening Pads by Carrot & Stick. These pre-saturated pads contain a concentrated blend of salicylic, lactic and mandelic acids that sweep away the build-up of dead skin cells, gently exfoliating to promote clarity, refine texture and rid pores of impurities.
Is Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum Right For You?
Before we get into the details, here’s the TL;DR if you just want to know whether or not Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum is right for you.
- Key ingredients? Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, Ergothioneine, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid
- Skin type? All
- Texture? Lightweight serum
- Fragrance? Yes
- Cruelty free? Yes
- Cost? $12.95 USD for 1.75 fl oz
How to Use Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum?
Use Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum after cleansing face and gently pat product onto skin, focusing on problem areas. Wait several minutes for the serum to absorb, then follow with moisturizer. This serum can be used daily, morning and night.
Where to Buy Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum?
Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum and other Advanced Clinicals skin care products are sold on the brand’s website, as well as on several third party online retailers such as Amazon, iHerb, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, and more.
How Much is Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum?
Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum costs $12.95 USD for 1.75 fl oz on the brand’s website.
What is The Advanced Clinicals Return Policy?
The Advanced Clinicals return policy states, “Advanced Clinicals products are 100% risk free guaranteed. Try it out, if you do not like it, return the product and we will refund you. Sometimes results take a bit longer to see, use the entire bottle, if you still do not like it, return the empty bottle and we will refund you.”
Is Advanced Clinicals Cruelty-Free?
Yes, Advanced Clinicals is cruelty-free. They do not test their ingredients, product prototypes, or finished products on animals, and they also do not commission tests to third-parties. Additionally, Advanced Clinicals products are not sold in mainland China (where animal testing is required by law).
Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum Reviews
Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum reviews on the brand’s website are overall very positive, but there aren’t very many customer reviews, so we went over to Amazon.com to evaluate the reviews.
On Amazon, Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum has received an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars after nearly 1,000 customer reviews.
There are many 5-star Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum reviews from customers who love that it brightens and smooths skin, giving the complexion a nice glow.
For example, one review says, “I have been using this now for about a year. I use 5 drops in a star pattern around my face every morning and night after I wash and moisturize. I have to tell you my face has never been so dewey. It literally glows. My redness from rosacea has evened out. My skin is smooth and happy. This is a gem and a keeper for life.”
And another 5-star review says, “I purchased this because I figured I needed to start a skin care regimen and this is working great! After using it daily for one week I could already tell the difference in my skin. I’m 34 and have oily, acne prone skin with acne scars. This has significantly improved the longevity of my make up, reduced visibility of the acne scars on my face, and has lightened problem areas around my chin/mouth, and has evened my skin tone. I wish I had started using it sooner!”
However, there are a handful of negative reviews for the Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum, which are mostly from customers who experienced breakouts after using this product.
For example, one review says, “Bought this product with high hopes, and was disappointed. First, it’s a weird liquid-gel consistency, and it smelled odd, like orange juice with too much sugar. It also did nothing to clear or brighten my skin, and in fact gave me large pimples all over my face that left marks, which doesn’t usually happen when I get acne. I really wanted to like this, but it just didn’t work for me.”
A similar 1-star review says, “I purchased this product with really high hopes because I have had great results with other vitamin C serums in the past. About a week after I started using it I started getting cystic acne on my cheeks. Before using this I only got very small blemishes around my nose and forehead and even that was very rare. I know it takes a while for skin care products to work to their full potential so I gave it about a month and with the cystic acne only getting worse I stopped using it 4 days ago and already see a huge improvement. Maybe it’s just my skin type (normal/oily T zone) but I definitely won’t be using this product any more.”
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum is a well-formulated, budget-friendly vitamin C serum that should help to brighten the complexion while also reducing signs of aging.
Pros
- Affordable
- Beneficial key ingredients (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, Ergothioneine, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid)
- Many positive Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum reviews
- Advanced Clinicals is cruelty free
Cons
- Formula contains fragrance
- Some Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum reviews mention breakouts
What Are Some Alternatives to Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum?
If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend this serum.
