What's In My Jar
Melanie Simon Serum C
Melanie Simon

Melanie Simon Serum C

Efficacy100/100IrritancyLow
See all ingredients

Works for

Evens skin tone
Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
Works well
What the product description says
“15% Tetrahexyldecyl (THD) ascorbic acid helps promote collagen production, brighten, and repair and prevent damage from UV exposure and other environmental agressors”
Source: Violet Grey

This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate

Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.

Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbateKey activeEffect: HighBeing a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.15%
Anti-aging
Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
Works well
What the product description says
“15% Tetrahexyldecyl (THD) ascorbic acid helps promote collagen production, brighten, and repair and prevent damage from UV exposure and other environmental agressors”
Source: Violet Grey

This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.

Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.

Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbateKey activeEffect: HighBeing a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.15%
Anti-oxidation
Side benefit · Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
Works well

This product contains antioxidants (tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).

Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbateKey activeEffect: HighBeing a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.15%
Moisturizing
Side benefit · Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone + 1 more
Works

This product can help soften the skin and reduce its moisture loss with emollients and occlusives: dimethicone, isopropyl myristate.

Keep in mind that this product does not contain effective ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. This is why an additional product with humectants like glycerin or hyaluronic acid can be helpful (apply it before this product for the best results).

CyclopentasiloxaneKey active· EmollientEffect: MediumA silicone that helps improve the product texture and spreadability. Can absorb oil creating a short-term mattifying effect on the skin~9.4–14.1%
DimethiconeKey active· Emollient, OcclusiveEffect: HighA silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish~5.2–7.8%
Isopropyl myristateKey active· EmollientEffect: HighAn emollient that helps soften the skin. Could be comedogenic~3.6–5.4%

Can it cause trouble?

Irritancy
1 flagged ingredient
Low risk
We flag 1 ingredient with irritancy potential; the product's overall irritancy is low. The table lists each ingredient's own rating.
IngredientFunctionIrritationEst. amount
Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbateBeing a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.Medium15%
Comedogenic
1 ingredient rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale
1 flagged
These ingredients have a comedogenic rating of 2 or more on a 0–5 scale; the table shows each one's rating. In leave-on products they can clog pores in acne-prone skin.
IngredientFunctionRatingEst. amount
Isopropyl myristateAn emollient that helps soften the skin. Could be comedogenic3/5~3.6–5.4%est.
Alternatives
Cheaper, or higher on efficacy
Vitamin C Plus E Complex
SkinMedica Vitamin C Plus E Complex
Cheaper53% match
$104.49
View all alternatives

User reviews

Would you recommend?
No community reviews yet.

Be the first — your take helps the next person decide.

Ingredients

Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.

Dodecane~22–34%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
More about Dodecane
Cyclopentasiloxane~9.4–14.1%
Key active
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
MattifyingMoisturizing

A silicone that helps improve the product texture and spreadability. Can absorb oil creating a short-term mattifying effect on the skin

More about Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone~5.2–7.8%
Key active
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
MoisturizingMattifying

A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish

More about Dimethicone
Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate15%
Key activeIrritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Anti-oxidationEvens skin toneAnti-aging

Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.

More about Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
Isopropyl myristate~3.6–5.4%
Key activeComedogenic 3/5
Irritation risk
Low
Comedogenicity
3/5
Works for
Moisturizing

An emollient that helps soften the skin. Could be comedogenic

More about Isopropyl myristate
Ingredient list view

Dodecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Isopropyl myristate

Compare prices

Retailers ranked by price — lowest first.

Find on Amazon
Search
Violet Grey
$200.00
Buy

Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.

Worth comparing, line by line.

Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.

Side-by-side comparison of this product against its closest alternatives
Melanie SimonSerum CYOUR PRODUCTPaula's choiceResist - Anti-Aging Super Antioxidant Concentrate SerumPeter Thomas RothPotent C Target Spot BrightenerSkinMedicaVitamin C Plus E Complex
Match—62%56%53%
Price$200.00——$104.49−$95.51
Shared key ingredients—3 of 42 of 42 of 4
Key difference—Ferulic AcidFerulic AcidVitamin C
Irritancy Low Low Low Low
Drying alcohol————
View product Shop Shop Shop
  • matches yours
  • differs
  • cheaper

More alternatives: Dr. Sam Bunting FLAWLESS VITAMIN C NAD+ SERUMGlytone Age-Defying Vitamin C and E Serum

Cheaper alternatives? See how this stacks up against similar formulas.
We compare ingredient profiles across our catalog — pick the closest match for your budget.
Open dupe finder

Product summary

"Melanie Simon - Serum C" could be helpful for: Moisturizing, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.

Sources cited in this review

Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 4 studies and safety reviews.

  1. 1
    Dimethicone as a protective ingredient in topical medicationsjaad.org
  2. 2
    Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dimethicone Copolyoljournals.sagepub.com
  3. 3
    Double-blind, half-face study comparing topical vitamin C and vehicle for rejuvenation of photodamagencbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. 4
    Application of tetra-isopalmitoyl ascorbic acid in cosmetic formulations: Stability studies and in vivo efficacysciencedirect.com
Melanie Simon Serum C
Melanie SimonSerum C
Buy at Violet Grey$200.00Amazon

Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.

Buy at Violet Grey$200.00Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.