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The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum
The Organic Pharmacy

The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum

Efficacy75/100IrritancyHigh
See all ingredients

Works for

Anti-aging
Ascorbyl glucoside
May help
What the product description says
“The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum is powered by a concentrated dose of stabilised Vitamin C making it ideal for those looking to target dullness, fine lines, or uneven tone with an organic, high-performance formula.This potent brightening serum is designed to visibly even skin tone, boost collagen production, and improve overall skin texture.”
Source: Content

This product contains ascorbyl glucoside. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness, but there is not enough evidence that it actually works.

Ascorbyl glucosideKey activeEffect: MediumA vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Has a potential to boost collagen production, nutralise free radicals and reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in products~8.2–12.3%
Evens skin tone
Ascorbyl glucoside
May help
What the product description says
“The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum is powered by a concentrated dose of stabilised Vitamin C making it ideal for those looking to target dullness, fine lines, or uneven tone with an organic, high-performance formula.This potent brightening serum is designed to visibly even skin tone, boost collagen production, and improve overall skin texture.”
Source: Content

The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually works: ascorbyl glucoside.

Ascorbyl glucosideKey activeEffect: MediumA vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Has a potential to boost collagen production, nutralise free radicals and reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in products~8.2–12.3%
Anti-oxidation
Side benefit · Ascorbyl glucoside
May help

This product contains antioxidants (ascorbyl glucoside) that might be able to help neutralize free radicals in skin to lessen the damage it gets from the UV light (sun). There is not enough evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin though.

Ascorbyl glucosideKey activeEffect: MediumA vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Has a potential to boost collagen production, nutralise free radicals and reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in products~8.2–12.3%
Moisturizing
Side benefit · Glycerin, Chondrus crispus + 1 more
Works

This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": glycerin.

When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).

GlycerinKey active· HumectantEffect: HighOne of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant~3.6–5.4%
Chondrus crispusKey activeEffect: HighRed algae extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and create a nicer product consistency~0.35–0.85%
AlginEffect: LowUsed to thicken product formulation. Can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin~0.9–1.4%

Can it cause trouble?

Irritancy
3 strong irritants: Hamamelis virginiana flower water, Citrus grandis peel oil + 1 more — patch-test recommended
High risk
We flagged 6 ingredients with irritancy potential. Severity depends on your sensitivity threshold; the table lists the worst offenders first.
IngredientFunctionIrritationEst. amount
Hamamelis virginiana flower waterA plant infused water that might help calm down inflammation in skin. Can, however, itself be irritatingHigh~22–33%est.
Benzyl alcoholA preservative. Can be used to mask unpleasant smell. Can be irritatingHigh~0.3–0.75%est.
Citrus grandis peel oilA plant oil with high content of volatile compounds that, especially when exposed to air, can cause allergic reactions and irritate the skinHigh~0.5–1.1%est.
CitralA fragrance with a lemon scent. A likely irritantHigh~0.05–0.15%est.
Ascorbyl glucosideA vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Has a potential to boost collagen production, nutralise free radicals and reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in productsMedium~8.2–12.3%est.
Dehydroacetic acidA preservativeMedium~0.05–0.25%est.
Comedogenic
2 ingredients rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale
2 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
AlginUsed to thicken product formulation. Can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin3/5~0.9–1.4%est.
Chondrus crispusRed algae extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and create a nicer product consistency3/5~0.35–0.85%est.

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Ingredients

Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.

Hamamelis virginiana flower water~22–33%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High
Works for
Anti-inflammatory

A plant infused water that might help calm down inflammation in skin. Can, however, itself be irritating

More about Hamamelis virginiana flower water
Ascorbyl glucoside~8.2–12.3%
Key activeIrritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Anti-agingAnti-oxidationEvens skin tone

A vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Has a potential to boost collagen production, nutralise free radicals and reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in products

More about Ascorbyl glucoside
Water~5–7.5%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Plain old water

More about Water
Glycerin~3.6–5.4%
Key active
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Moisturizing

One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant

More about Glycerin
Sodium hydroxide~2.8–4.3%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Used to adjust the product's pH

More about Sodium hydroxide
Sodium benzoate~0.25–0.5%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

A preservative

More about Sodium benzoate
Benzyl alcohol~0.3–0.75%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

A preservative. Can be used to mask unpleasant smell. Can be irritating

More about Benzyl alcohol
Algin~0.9–1.4%
Comedogenic 3/5
Irritation risk
Low
Comedogenicity
3/5
Works for
Moisturizing

Used to thicken product formulation. Can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin

More about Algin
Citrus grandis peel oil~0.5–1.1%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

A plant oil with high content of volatile compounds that, especially when exposed to air, can cause allergic reactions and irritate the skin

More about Citrus grandis peel oil
Chondrus crispus~0.35–0.85%
Key activeComedogenic 3/5
Irritation risk
Low
Comedogenicity
3/5
Works for
Moisturizing

Red algae extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and create a nicer product consistency

More about Chondrus crispus
Xanthan gum~0.15–0.55%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Cleansing

Used to create a thicker product consistency

More about Xanthan gum
Dehydroacetic acid~0.05–0.25%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

A preservative

More about Dehydroacetic acid
Citral~0.05–0.15%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

A fragrance with a lemon scent. A likely irritant

More about Citral
Ingredient list view

Hamamelis virginiana flower water, Ascorbyl glucoside, Water, Glycerin, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium benzoate, Benzyl alcohol, Algin, Citrus grandis peel oil, Chondrus crispus, Xanthan gum, Dehydroacetic acid, Citral

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Amazon USPrice as of 11/13 15:16 GMT
$49.99
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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
The Organic PharmacyVitamin C SerumYOUR PRODUCTSeed PhytonutrientsSuperseeds SerumThe INKEY List CATranexamic Acid Night TreatmentImage skincareCLEAR CELL Restoring Serum
Match—44%43%43%
Price$49.99—$18.39−$31.60$30.00−$19.99
Shared key ingredients—3 of 32 of 32 of 3
Key difference—AnhydroxylitolLactobacillus FermentAnhydroxylitol
Irritancy High Medium Low Medium
Drying alcohol————
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Product summary

"The Organic Pharmacy - Vitamin C Serum" could be helpful for: Anti-aging, Evens skin tone and Moisturizing, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.

Ingredient callouts

  • Humectants (glycerin 3.60% - 5.40%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.

Price

The product retails for 2234.00£ in the United Kingdom.

For a detailed price comparison: click here.

Sources cited in this review

Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 5 studies and safety reviews.

  1. 1
    The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Healthncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. 2
    Stability, transdermal penetration, and cutaneous effects of ascorbic acid and its derivativesncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. 3
    Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functionsncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. 4
    Seaweeds as Source of Bioactive Substances and Skin Care Therapy—Cosmeceuticals, Algotheraphy, and Thalassotherapymdpi.com
  5. 5
    4 Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Dehydroacetate and Dehydroacetic Acidjournals.sagepub.com
The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum
The Organic PharmacyVitamin C Serum
Buy on Amazon$49.99 · as of 11/13 15:16 GMT

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

Buy on Amazon$49.99 · as of 11/13 15:16 GMT

As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.