PRODUCT REVIEW: ALLIES OF SKIN 35% VITAMIN C COLLAGEN REBUILDING SERUM – BEST BRIGHTENING SERUM FOR FACE
ALLIES OF SKIN | 35% VITAMIN C COLLAGEN REBUILDING SERUM
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, “The Year’s Best Vitamin C Serums with The Ordinary, Clinique, Beauty Stat & More!” You can still catch the full piece here.
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Naturally, the first thing that stands out about the Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum is that thirty-five percent claim. AOS heralds it as “the world’s first waterless 35% Vitamin C serum.”
Honestly, I can’t dispute that. While I’m not 100% certain that it’s the most potent in the world, I do know that it’s the highest concentration of Vitamin C I’ve ever seen. The brand has apparently achieved that level of Vitamin C by combining two of the most potent forms of the substance — 25% Ethylated L-Ascorbic Acid and 10% Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate.
The next thing that stands out to me about the 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum is the formula INCI. There are just ten ingredients in the waterless formula. I love that. Sometimes in life, the simpler, the better. That’s as true for skin care as it is for lemon cookies.
What’s notable is that more than 50% of the Allies of Skin formula is powered by highly effective, potent antioxidants, including the two stable forms of Vitamin C as well as Glutathione and Superoxide Dismutase — an enzyme that helps break down harmful oxygen molecules in skin cells for an anti-oxidant benefit.
According to my skincare muse, Paula Begoun, Glutathione is especially noteworthy. It’s a “powerful, non-enzymatic antioxidant which naturally occurs in the skin where it serves to help defend it against the visible effects of environmental damage. The gradual decline of the natural supply of glutathione in the body is believed to be a key marker of many outward signs of aging.”
Go figure.
I’ve spoken about the special nature of Ethylated L-Ascorbic Acid numerous times, most notably in discussions of The Ordinary’s Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution. In short, Ethylated Ascorbic Acid performs in similar fashion to pure Ascorbic Acid and is close in molecular weight to actual Vitamin C.
Ethylated Ascorbic Acid is, I believe, the most stable form of Vitamin C used in skin care and was thus an excellent choice for the chemists at Allies of Skin. Why every brand doesn’t make the same choice is beyond me.
What does Vitamin C do for skin?
There’s an excellent article on the remarkable benefits of Vitamin C for the skin from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, What is Vitamin C and How Does it Benefit Skin?
Vitamin C is one of the most exciting, research-proven ingredients you can apply to skin (1). This water-soluble antioxidant is a natural component of healthy skin. When we’re young, vitamin C levels in skin’s outermost two layers (epidermis and dermis) are abundant, but as we age, these levels naturally deplete. Unprotected sun exposure (UV damage) and pollution can accelerate this decline, leading to skin looking and feeling dull, uneven, and less firm than it once was (2).
Luckily, there are topical skin care solutions that can help mitigate this damage, so skin looks and feels healthier and younger longer.
Vitamin C Benefits for Skin
Vitamin C’s benefits for skin are vast, including its ability to even out skin tone and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (3). While this powerhouse ingredient is well-known for its skin-brightening benefits, research also shows it can shield skin from the visible impacts of environmental stressors, including free radical damage (4). This synergy of mitigating problems both before and after they occur makes vitamin C a force to be reckoned with.
That said, Ethylated Ascorbic Acid is oil-soluble and while I prefer oil-based Vitamin C serums, there are certainly terrific water-based serums — including one of my all-time favorites, the Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C 10%.
The texture of the 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum is actually very similar to the vastly more affordable Ordinary option — that of a light, dry oil that absorbs fully into the skin’s surface in about 30 seconds.
Allies of Skin says the “formula repairs on a cellular level, and forms a protective shield against photoaging damage and pollutants while paving the way for brighter, firmer skin. Over time, collagen production is boosted; dark spots are cleared, and skin glows with a brilliant smoothness.”
While that is certainly true of Vitamin C, all of this begs the question:
Do you need a 35% concentration of Vitamin C to maintain skin health?
Perhaps that’s the reason there aren’t any out there. Thirty-five percent is a lot. A helluva lot. I love Vitamin C like I love cupcakes. But do I need three cupcakes, or is just one cupcake enough? (Sorry, I’m apparently missing cupcakes during the quarantine.)
Oh, one more thing. Allies of Skin’s 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum won the 2019 “Best Wrinkle Preventing Serum” at the CLEO Beauty Hall of Fame.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum for $118 here.
The Ingredient List of the Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum:
aox|sb, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate aox|sb, Dimethyl Isosorbide solv|vc, Isodecyl Neopentanoate emo, Glutathione (L), Superoxide Dismutase aox, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Phenoxyethanol pres
