Which vitamin C is best for your skin type?

SkinCeuticals’ antioxidant offerings are revered by dermatologists, celebrities and skin enthusiasts alike for their formulations and skin-boosting benefits. But what sets them apart from others on the market?

Here we take a closer look at the key ingredients within each of its three hero serums – C E Ferulic, Phloretin CF and Silymarin CF – and explain the skin type each is suited to. 

But first of all, how do we know what our skin type might be? “There’s an interesting figure that 61 per cent of people actually don’t know their skin type,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne. “It’s got so many different elements to it. Your skin may make pigment easier than others, your skin barrier might be a lot more sensitive than others or you might have oil glands that flow really easily but get blocked at the top.

“If you can use a foam cleanser or soap without any issues, then you can probably say that the vast majority of your skin is fairly oily,” she adds. “If not, you’d fall into the drier side of things. If you cut yourself or have a spot, and it leaves behind a brown spot for a period of time, you’d fall into the pigment side of skin types. 

“The lovely thing about antioxidants is that when you’ve washed your face and applied it, that’s it for the rest of the day. Even if you go swimming, it is integrated into the skin. It does this within about four to five seconds of application. Even when you put other products or makeup on, it doesn’t move.”

With that in mind, find your perfect match from the options below, and prepare for skin that looks brighter, smoother and healthier.

C E Ferulic

Who is it for? Mature and dry skin types with fine lines, wrinkles

C E Ferulic is SkinCeuticals’ hero serum that’s enriched with 15 per cent pure vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), one per cent vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), and 0.5 per cent ferulic acid. This mix of antioxidants helps to reinforce the skin’s natural protection against free radicals. If you aren’t familiar with what this means for your skin, free radicals are produced by aggressors in our environment such as UV radiation and pollution. The metals found within pollution, including iron and copper, can also increase the toxicity of environmental damage, causing premature ageing signs in the process. 

By applying C E Ferulic to cleansed skin each morning, you can help to improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness and deliver up to eight times the environmental protection* and preventing up to 48 per cent less oxidative damage in skin.** It should also help to give your skin a healthy glow at the same time.

Phloretin CF

Who is it for? Normal, combination and discolouration-prone skin

Phloretin CF works in the same way as C E Ferulic by providing the skin with eight times the advanced environmental protection* and helps to neutralise skin-damaging free radicals. Its formula of two per cent Phloretin, 10 per cent pure vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), and 0.5 per cent Ferulic Acid, however, is more lightweight and better suited to a normal combination skin type that may also have discolouration. By applying each morning, Phloretin CF can help to improve skin tone, diminish the appearance of hyperpigmentation, and reveal a brighter-looking complexion at the same time. 

Silymarin CF

Who is it for? Oily and blemish-prone skin

Silymarin CF is the latest serum to join the SkinCeuticals antioxidant family and the first to help reduce excess sebum and oil in the skin with 0.5 per cent silymarin. This star ingredient is formulated alongside 15 per cent L-ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C), 0.5 per cent Ferulic acid, plant-based antioxidant and 0.5 per cent Salicylic acid (Beta hydroxy acid) making it ideal for the needs of oily and blemish-prone skin. In fact, clinical research shows that it can reduce oil oxidation by up to 76 per cent*** and excess sebum and oil by 15 per cent**** – all while refining skin texture and clarity. This is ideal if you’re previously found you’ve had to choose between protecting your skin from environmental damage over tackling shine and oil.

The science of great skincare

SkinCeuticals’ antioxidant offering is revered by dermatologists, celebrities and skin enthusiasts alike for their potent formulations and skin-boosting benefits. Its hero serums, including the cult C E Ferulic, are largely considered the gold standard due to the research that goes into creating them, helping to create brighter, smoother and healthier-looking skin.

Find your everyday antioxidant serum at SkinCeuticals.co.uk

*“Ferulic acid stabilizes a topical solution containing vitamins C and E and doubles its photoprotection for skin” (2005) Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 52(3).

**Measure of 4 hydroxynonenal (4HNE) lipid peroxidation marker indicative of oxidative stress. 4-day in vivo clinical study, 13 subjects. C E Ferulic applied daily vs untreated. Skin samples collected for 4HNE protein analysis at the end of study.

***Clinical study, 35 subjects. After4 weeks of Silymarin CF use, the ratio of squalene to squalene peroxides was measured.

**** 12-week clinical study, 60 subjects. Silymarin CF was applied once daily in conjunction with a sunscreen

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