Product Review: Timeless Vitamin C Serum

I had heard of indie, California-based skincare brand Timeless Skincare over several online sources. By far, their most-talked-about innovation is their 20% Vitamin C serum, which I was looking for a new Vitamin C product to help with antioxidants, some sun protective benefits, and starting to think more about collagen retention and production since I am approaching my 30s. As they are both a small business and also a brand striving to be more ecologically sound in both their ingredients as well as their sourcing, packaging, and manufacturing choices, I was super eager to try them out and support their business. Luckily, their C serum does indeed live up to its reputation.

Recently repackaged in a charming opaque orange pump bottle (great for keeping it free from exposure to water or light that could cause it to turn and de-stabliize) , the serum dispenses out in a clear, slightly yellow-tinged, watery fluid that feels more gel- like on the skin when you first go to pat it in. Despite it being gel-like, though, the serum immediately skins in. Since Vitamin C is acidic , I do notice some reddening to the skin whenever I first put it on--similar to the effects of an exfoliating acid. Also like an exfoliating acid, there was a slight sting to the skin when I first apply it. But it completely goes away after about 30 seconds and was never, ever too unbearable for me even on the first use. As I've continued with it, the sting and the flush is more intense on some days than others but has lessened overall as my skin has acclimated further to it. This is not a sign that the product is weakening or that it is becoming less potent on the skin but rather, that the skin is becoming more used to it. Whenever I have a blemish and rub this over it, I do experience a more concentrated sting over the area. That is Vitamin C working o kill off the bacteria and encouraging regeneration and healing, so I appreciate the sensation because it lets me know that the product is potent and working.

A concentrated Vitamin C product like this one is one that you can count on to deliver visible results fast. From the first use of merely one pump spread across my face, I noticed an instant refreshed glow, and despite it being a powerful brightner, my skin did not feel dry or tight after using but instead, very soft and smooth. This was a shock to me because the few dedicated Vitamin C products that I have tried in the past always left my skin, though brightened and with some firming over time, feeling parched and dehydrated if not also a bit flaky. Not so with this, and as far as its percentage of active Vitamin C, Timeless is among some of the highest percentages I've seen and is certainly the strongest I have ever used, sitting at 20%. One thing to note, though, about this product (as with most products that use a large amount of pure l-ascorbic acid) is that it has a somewhat strong metallic smell that does linger for a little while on the face.

There are very few other ingredients in the Timeless Vitamin C serum besides Vitamin C itself. There are some ingredients for texture stabilization as well as small amounts of sodium hyaluronate (a form of water-binding hyaluronic acid) an skin softening pathenol (Vitamin B5) and tocopherol (Vitamin E)). However, I do not find that these ingredients really do much to hydrate or moisturize the skin so much as they probably just keep the Vitamin C from being too strong for the skin to handle. Because of the lack of truly hydrating or moisturizing ingredients included in this serum, I have to say that, for my dry and sensitive skin at least, that a little does go a super long way with this product and following up with a more comforting serum and/or moisturizer is a must to guard against irritation or overstimulation that does sometimes occur for me with long-term, regular use of Vitamin C products in general.

Going back to actives, the only other one here is ferulic acid. This helps to boost the antioxidant properties of the C, helping to keep the C stable, and to help further prevent the skin from developing long-term, deeper-seeded pigmentation from things like age and sun and other forms of environmental damage. But, though both powerful and effective, this serum remains a very straightfoward, simple product that I think could fit in most people's routine's regardless of age, concerns, skin type, or any other products one already has in their routine,

Timeless Vitamin C Serum currently retails for $25.95 USD for a 1 oz bottle and $70.95 USD for a 4 oz size on the Timeless Skincare Website. www.timelessha.com. All bottles of their C serum, and I believe all their other products, are made fresh-to-order to ensure that you are getting the most vital and active product delivered to you and that the results will keep coming all-bottle long. Timeless's focus on simplicity and care and potency of formulation make the Vitamin C Serum a definite one to try.