All About Skin Lightening: Vitamin C Serums For Half The Price!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Vitamin C Serums For Half The Price!

I discovered a great deal while browsing through the product catalog of Cosmetic Skin Solutions. They have high quality, effective, Vitamin C serums that are almost identical to the Skinceuticals (amazing company) Vitamin C products, but for half the cost.

Skinceuticals AOX was my favorite Vitamin C product for a long time, but the price is what ultimately led me to look elsewhere. Now, Cosmetic Skin Solutions offers products that are so similar (ingredients and all) to the Skinceuticals, I had to share it with everyone. If you are looking for an affordable, good quality, effective Vitamin C product that will deliver all the benefits of high potency L-ascorbic acid, then check out: http://www.cosmeticskinsolutions.com/
You can also find their products on Amazon.com, for those who like to shop via there.

Some products I recommend right off the bat are:

- Vitamin C 20 AOX+ “Advanced C Serum" = $29.95

- C+AHA Serum “Exfoliating C Serum” = $39.95

- C+E Ferulic Serum "Combination AOX Serum" = $39.95

- Phyto + Gel “Skin Lightening Botanical Gel Treatment" = $24.95. <-- this is not a vitamin c product but is a lightener. I have a review of the original Skinceuticals Phyto+ as well, if you are interested in gathering more information on this one. A good skin lightener, and Cosmetics Skin Care has it for UNDER $40 bucks (original Skinceutical price) which is a deal.
=D

Labels: anti-aging, antioxidant, hyperpigmentation, skin lightening

27 Comments:

Synaura said...: Taking food supplement can help our body system to defend free radicals that cause damage to our cell. Supporting our body's ability to deal with illnesses is our major defense leading to good health.; December 1, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Mileena said...: Definitley agree with you there Syanura.

Topical antioxidants (anti-free radical damage) are the best for skin lightening and preserving skin's health and overall condition. That is why I post so much about Vitamin C! =); December 1, 2009 at 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi mileena,

if u could recommend one product from the

cosmetic skin solution website for lightening what it would be. do u think cosmetic skin solution is as effective as skinceuticals.iam a indian girl with pigmentation on the chin area than the rest of the face. can u recommend something for me please; December 2, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Mileena said...: Hey!

I think the cosmetic skin solution is just as effective as Skinceuticals. They are pretty much exactly the same in terms of ingredients and even packaging design. They are a few different inactive ingredients, but nonetheless the same thing.

For lightening, even though the Vitamin C serums do lighten to an extent, I would suggest the Phyto + Gel. I loved the Skinceuticals version, great botanical lightener and really does break up excess pigmentation and just lightens overall.

<3; December 2, 2009 at 5:29 PM
bency said...: Hi mileena,

Thanks for the response. can u also suggest me over the counter retin A product which will not irritate my skin. i know u mentioned about checking avene products. can u tell me the a particular product which i can use with a skin lightener. can i use retin a and skin lightener together or each should be used separately on different days; December 2, 2009 at 5:56 PM
Mileena said...: Retinoids can certainly be used with skin lighteners. I find together they intensfiy and speed up results.

Avene Diacneal is nice, it combines glycolic acid and retinaldehyde. Avene Retrinal is good too (comes in 3 strengths).

Diacneal is what I usually recommend, it's a great product.

Just a suggestion: If you plan on purchasing the Phyto+ Gel, you can use that day or night. So it can be worn during the day underneath your sunscreen, as well as under (or mixed with) your retinoid at night.

If you get a vitamin c product (Phyto+ Gel is not a vitamin c product, it is a botanical lightener) then that can only be used during the day and not with your retinoid. Retinoids (like Retin-A, Avene Diacneal etc.) do not work with Vitamin C. They deactivate one another, so it's wasting the vitamin C.

When I used Skinceuticals Phyto + Gel, I would buffer that with my Retin-A gel. So I would cleanse at night, apply the Phyto+Gel, wait 20 minutes and apply the Retin-A gel sparingly over. Got great lightening results. =); December 2, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Anonymous said...: that's awesome. what do you think about super C+E from muac?; December 3, 2009 at 6:30 PM
Mileena said...: I just checked it out, looks pretty good considering the reviews that I read and the ingredients.

Though it probably won't be as effective since it utilizes Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate. It's definitley stable, and would provide some benefits of pure Vitamin C, but it's not the correct form, meaning the skin has to convert it into 'L-ascorbic acid' which loses some of the efficacy in the process.

Serums that state 'L-ascorbic acid' or 'Ascorbic Acid' are the ones with the potent punch. I would think if one was looking for an effective, brightening antioxidant that combines vitamins C + E, then get the Cosmetic Skin Solutions C+E Ferulic or the original Skinceuticals C+E Ferulic, both very similar, but both are designed for more drier skin types.

Just like the MUAC Super C+E, anything with pure Vitamin E tends to be very emollient. =); December 3, 2009 at 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...: if i am using Bi White Reveal essence, can i still use vitamin c20 AOX + advanced c serum?; January 9, 2010 at 10:56 AM
Mileena said...: Yes. Bi White Reveal doesn't use L-ascorbic (best form) acid (like the ones contained in these products) so you can use both. =); January 9, 2010 at 4:05 PM
Anonymous said...: in which order i should use it? also wanted ur opinion on best remedy for dark under eye circles. thanks; January 10, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Mileena said...: Use the L-ascorbic acid serum first, wait at least 3-5 minutes, then apply Bi White on top. Follow with sunscreen.

Dark under eye circles are tricky to treat since they are either genetic (caused by natural contouring of the eye area, lack of blood flow) or caused by external factors (constant eye rubbing, irritation etc.).

I have a post on dark under eye circles if you haven't checked that out yet:

http://allaboutskinlightening.blogspot.com/2009/10/dark-circles.html

I read that Vitamin K can work decently at treating eye circles (Neostrata has a dark circle serum with Vitamin K). Keep the eye area hydrated with an eye cream. There is a difference between a regular cream and a eye cream, since most regular creams are a bit too irritating for the eye area. Using an eye cream/gel can really help with hydrating and even plumping things up there.

I always wear my sunscreen around my eyes to prevent any damage there, and at night I never use a retinoid around my eyes since retinoids are too strong for that area.

Your Vitamin C products can be applied sparingly there to help build up collagen (fill in any hollowness, which is a contributor to darker skin around eyes). Just be gentle, and apply a soothing eye cream on top to offset any dryness, or if your sunscreen is moisturizing enough, that can suffice.

=); January 10, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Anonymous said...: u are so nice to take time to reply to my sometimes stupid questions. thanks a lot; January 10, 2010 at 3:13 PM
Mileena said...: LOL no! It's not a stupid question. I love answering questions and helping people out. I used to ask a lot of questions when I first started out. I know how it all seems overwhelming when you are trying to build a proper regimen.

=); January 10, 2010 at 3:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Mileena,
I've been looking at some reviews of the cosmetic skin solutions products, and somebody said that the full ingredient list is not printed out... Do you know anybody that has purchased prducts from cosmetic skin solutions yet and their results?
Thank you!; January 23, 2010 at 9:31 AM
Mileena said...: Hi,

A few people have e-mailed me about the Cosmetic Skin Solutions products, particularily the AOX 20 and the C+E Ferulic and they tell me they are getting great results. The stuff I've read about it on various forums like skincaretalk all are of users claiming how it's very identical to Skinceuticals only much cheaper.

I've never used it myself, but I found a forum post where someone e-mailed Cosmetic Skin Solutions for the ingredients for the C+E Ferulic and suprisingly they are almost identical to the Skinceuticals:

here is the forum post I am referring to:

http://www.skincaretalk.com/anti-aging/8186-skinceuticals-c-e-ferulic-cosmetic-skin-solutions-c-e-ferulic-serum.html

You can always e-mail them for the ingredients of a certain product and apparently they reply back very soon. The ingredients for Skinceuticals products are listed and can easily be found on various sites. If you are interested I can check out the ingredients for a product you are specifically looking for, and do a side by side comparison to the Skinceuticals.

From what I hear, there is a very, very small difference only in the inactive ingredients. Most people are getting great results, and the price is what's really attractive about them. Once I'm finished using my Skinceuticals Phyto+ I am definitley going to try out the Cosmetic Skin Solutions one, and maybe pick up the AOX 20 since I loved the Skinceuticals version.

=); January 23, 2010 at 11:38 AM
Anonymous said...: Thank you!
I think I may order Phyto+ and the AOX 20 from them :); January 24, 2010 at 4:44 AM
Mileena said...: =D

Let me know how they work for you. I'll be getting them probably in March when I run out of the Skinceuticals.; January 24, 2010 at 5:59 AM
Anonymous said...: I just purchased Vitamin C 20 AOX, hydrating B5 Gel, and Phyto+Gel from Cosmetic Skin Solutions.
In what order should I use them to get the best result?
Can I use all three of them for both day and night??; February 27, 2010 at 2:18 PM
Mileena said...: You can if your skin can tolerate that much layering. I usually limit to about 2 things and that's it, maybe a 3rd (being a moisturizer only in the winter and only on my dry spots).

If you do plan on using all 3 at the same time, each should be applied sparingly (a little goes a long way for each, especially with the Vitamin C which 'walks' through the skin so you don't need much).

Vitamin C should always be applied first no matter. So first the AOX 20, wait 1 minute and apply the B5 gel on areas that are dry (it is hydrating so you don't need to use it all over your face unless your whole face is dry), wait a minute and finally apply the Phyto+ Gel on top.

Personally I would recommend using the AOX 20 and B5 gel during the day, underneath your sunscreen. And then apply the Phyto + Gel and maybe the B5 gel again (for hydration purposes) at night.

Vitamin C doesn't have to be applied twice, since it stays within the stratum corneum (deep layer of skin) for up to 48 hours. You can use it everyday though for instant brightening and more potent free radical damage prevention/collagen building.

<3; February 27, 2010 at 4:37 PM
Anonymous said...: aww..thank you so much for the prompt reply!! =]; February 27, 2010 at 5:42 PM
Mileena said...: No problem ;); February 27, 2010 at 6:16 PM
Anonymous said...: hi; May 30, 2010 at 8:45 AM
Mileena said...: Hey! =D; May 30, 2010 at 9:32 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi Mileena,

Love your blog.
I am 29 year old female and I have been on Accutane for 5 months and I am off of it for about 3 months. I am on Retin A - 0.05% every night. I also use skinmedica-AHA/BHA 15% moisturizer every morning. I want to bring some brightness to face and possibly lighten by removing the tan that I have acquired over years of sun exposure. Would you recommend Cosmetic Skin Solutions' C E Ferulic and Phyto + Gel ? If yes, when should I use what and I would I incorporate in my skin care regimen. How long do you think I should wait to see some lightening results?; November 5, 2010 at 2:40 PM
Mileena said...: Hi,

Antioxidants are a gold standard in reversing any type of pigmented sun damage. If your skin isn't acne prone anymore because of the Accutane, I would go for the Cosmetic Skin Solutions C+E Ferulic. There is a lot of evidence/studies showing the combination of these 3 ingredients is like a powerhouse synergy of antioxidant activity which does play a huge role in inhibiting melanin. Especially in the case of damaged DNA - a tan.

I mentioned the whole thing about you still being acne prone since a lot of sensitive skin types don't go well with vitamin e (myself included). This isn't always the case but it generally can be a little pore clogging for acne prone skin types.

If you still get acne/excess oiliness then it's best to go for the Phyto+ gel which is purely botanical based as opposed to antioxidant based. It should lighten and even out your skin well, maybe not as strong as the C+E Ferulic though since that is a potent combination.

If you get the C+E Ferulic you should use that during the day. You don't have to use it everyday (remember vitamin c stays in the lower layers of the skin for up to 48 hours). Perhaps alternate between that and the Skinmedica AHA product you use. OR if you don't want to give that up for daily usage, apply the C+E Ferulic first, wait a full 10 minutes for absorption/pH regulation, apply the AHA and then apply sunscreen on top (sunscreen is so important).

If you go with Phyto + (take this route if you still get acne or know for a fact your skin doesn't like vitamin e) that can be used in the day or night. It can be used on top of your Retin-A or on top of the AHA product during the day, but always underneath sunscreen.

:); November 5, 2010 at 3:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Great..That is a lot of information. Thanks a ton!! :); November 7, 2010 at 10:06 AM

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All About Skin Lightening

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Vitamin C Serums For Half The Price!

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