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Welcome to Skincarma.

These are the musings of Carmine Montalto, NYC-based writer, skincare junkie and brand guru. The former copywriter at Kiehl’s, Carmine has more than 25 years of experience in beauty. Through the Skincarma Blog, he puts all of his product wisdom to work demystifying the ever-evolving world of skin care. 

You can change your skin’s destiny.™

PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST VITAMIN C BRIGHTENING CREAM -  BEST VITAMIN C SERUM FOR FACE

PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST VITAMIN C BRIGHTENING CREAM - BEST VITAMIN C SERUM FOR FACE

THE INKEY LIST | VITAMIN C BRIGHTENING CREAM

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This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, Brands I Love: The Inkey List Affordable Skincare - Best Anti-Aging Serums, Best Anti-Aging Moisturizers and More. You can still catch the full piece here.

I must get a half dozen DMs a week asking me how to fade, erase, eliminate dark spots and acne marks. My answer is the same every time: a potent vitamin C serum! Though there are several other means of doing so, the benefits of Vitamin C cannot be overstated.

It’s likely the single most effective ingredient in skin care for promoting skin health — with all manner of rewards: It’s an excellent antioxidant. It’s an awesome complexion brightener. It evens out skin tone. It even helps to stimulate collagen production.

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The Inkey List’s Vitamin C Serum is spot on, as my British friends like to say. As powerful as Vitamin C is, it’s very weak in the presence of water, air and a multitude of other ingredients used in skin care.

The remarkably unstable substance simply doesn’t play well with others. And that’s why it’s wise to use a separate Vitamin C serum, rather than relying on the efficacy, potency and questionable stability of the Vitamin C found in your daily moisturizer. 


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.


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The Inkey List clearly understands that by keeping the formula’s ingredients limited to just four — Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) and 3 forms of silicone that give this powerful yet timid ingredient something to sit in. Otherwise, you’d have a straight up Vitamin C powder like The Ordinary’s popular 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder — named the 2018 Skincarma Product of the Year.

Because Vitamin C doesn’t mix well with water, this waterless serum is actually going to stay potent and effective long enough for you to use it up — unlike most Vitamin C serums. Plus, at a high level of 30%, it can do wonders for your complexion.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase The Inkey List Vitamin C Brightening Cream for $9.99 here.


The Ingredient List of Purchase The Inkey List Vitamin C Brightening Cream:

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

PRODUCT REVIEW: SUNDAY RILEY PINK DRINK FIRMING RESURFACING ESSENCE – BEST PROBIOTIC TONER TO SUPPORT SKIN'S MICROBIOME

PRODUCT REVIEW: SUNDAY RILEY PINK DRINK FIRMING RESURFACING ESSENCE – BEST PROBIOTIC TONER TO SUPPORT SKIN'S MICROBIOME

PRODUCT REVIEW: DRUNK ELEPHANT SLAAI MAKEUP-MELTING BUTTER CLEANSER – BEST CLEANSER FOR DRY SKIN, BEST EXFOLIATING CLEANSER

PRODUCT REVIEW: DRUNK ELEPHANT SLAAI MAKEUP-MELTING BUTTER CLEANSER – BEST CLEANSER FOR DRY SKIN, BEST EXFOLIATING CLEANSER