PRODUCT REVIEW: DRUNK ELEPHANT C-LUMA HYDRABRIGHT VITAMIN C SERUM - What is the most gentle form of Vitamin C? Which Vitamin C is best for sensitive skin? Does Vitamin C cause drying?
DRUNK ELEPHANT C-LUMA HYDRABRIGHT VITAMIN C SERUM
Aside from a daily facial sunscreen, there are few more important skincare products essential to your skin health than an antioxidant serum. (A facial cleanser and moisturizer are right up there!)
Whether your antioxidant of choice is a Niacinamide serum or a Vitamin C serum really depends on what you need from your skincare routine.
Both vitamins deliver effective antioxidant defense against environmental aging. And both brighten and help even out skin tone.
But Vitamin C does something that Niacinamide doesn’t do – it stimulates collagen production. Loss of collagen is a key factor in the youthful qualities of your skin. And collagen loss accelerates as you age, leading to what can be described as a collapse of skin’s internal foundation. That support is the key to keeping your skin firm, plump and yes, youthful.
A lot of people find Vitamin C serums too irritating – especially those with sensitive skin. As with facial sunscreen, many of which are just not a pleasant experience, the key is finding a Vitamin C serum you like (even love!) – not skipping out on its benefits entirely. Trust me, you’ll regret it later!
Because Vitamin C is so effective at stimulating collagen and preventing collagen loss, I consider a Vitamin C face serum mandatory for any serious AM skincare routine. The benefits later in life are simply invaluable.
And the new Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Vitamin C Serum is an exceptional product. The brand’s third Vitamin C serum since it launched in 2013, the C-Luma Hydrabright is ideal for sensitive skin (and younger skin).
My full product review appears below…
BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS & FACE CREAMS
As I mentioned earlier, many people don’t use Vitamin C serums because they’ve had a bad experience with a particular product. The same is true for Retinol and, sadly, the most important skincare product in your routine: sunscreen.
The solution isn’t to not use a Vitamin C face serum at all; the solution is to find one that works for you and to stick with it. The benefits to your skin health are just too important to skip out on.
Here’s a secret no skincare marketer wants you to know: Ascorbic Acid, or pure Vitamin C, is not the best form of Vitamin C for anyone’s skin, let alone sensitive skin. It can cause drying and other forms of skin irritation, including rash and sensitization. And, there is even some evidence that water-soluble Ascorbic Acid isn’t absorbed by the skin as well as lipophilic Vitamin C molecules. Just because it’s the strongest doesn’t mean it’s the best.
That’s one reason why brands like Drunk Elephant and Paula's Choice are introducing new Vitamin C serums made with alternative forms of the antioxidant vitamin – even though their best-selling Vitamin C serums are formulated with Ascorbic Acid.
But they’d never admit it!
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Before I get into my detailed Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Vitamin C Serum product review just below, I wanted to explore some of the most frequently asked questions about Vitamin C and the specific forms of Vitamin C that are best for sensitive skin – the target for Drunk Elephant’s new Vitamin C serum…
1. What is the most gentle form of Vitamin C?
The most gentle forms of Vitamin C include Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate.
Both Vitamin C molecules tend to be less aggressive on skin and thus better options for sensitive skin – or for those just starting out with Vitamin C. Note that because they are milder, they are also less effective at delivering the best benefits of Vitamin C, notably stimulating the production of collagen.
In addition, the more potent Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is considered far more gentle on the skin than the pure form of Vitamin C, Ascorbic Acid and delivers all of the best Vitamin C has to offer. It may be the best option for you depending on your level of sensitivity and the concentration of THD in a particular formula.
Explore my top picks of the best Vitamin C creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: NIH, National Library of Medicine, PubMed Central: The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health; The Guardian: Given up using vitamin C serums? Here are some that are gentle enough for sensitive skin; Byrdie: 5 Vitamin C Alternatives for Those With Sensitive Skin
2. What Vitamin C is best for sensitive skin?
The consensus among dermatologists and skincare chemists is that the best types of Vitamin C for sensitive skin are Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD), Ascorbyl Glucoside and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate.
If your skin is sensitive or you’ve had a reaction to a particular Vitamin C face serum, be sure to avoid the pure form of Vitamin C, Ascorbic Acid, as well as products which contain fragrance and/or denatured alcohol.
One of the most popular Vitamin C serums is the La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum with 10% Pure Vitamin C. While the product is marketed as tested for sensitive skin, it is formulated with the most aggressive form – Ascorbic Acid. Additionally, it contains a very high concentration of denatured alcohol as well as fragrance.
All of those increase the likelihood of sensitization and potential for irritation. This is why it’s so important to know what’s right for your skin and what isn’t, rather than relying on marketing messaging.
Explore my top picks of the best Vitamin C creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: Harpers Bazaar: Can Vitamin C Serums Irritate Sensitive Skin?; City Skin Clinic: The Best Types of Vitamin C for Sensitive Skin
3. Does Vitamin C cause drying?
Yes, Vitamin C can cause drying and other forms of skin irritation, including rash and general sensitization. Reactivity to a Vitamin C serum is predominantly attributable to the purest form of Vitamin C, Ascorbic Acid.
Drying Vitamin C serums usually contain one or more of the following ingredients: Ascorbic Acid, fragrance, and denatured alcohol. Often, they can contain a combination of these as do the La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum and CeraVe’s Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum – two of the most popular (and drying) Vitamin C serums.
To avoid irritation when incorporating a Vitamin C face serum into your routine, look for products formulated with one or more of the following forms of Vitamin C: Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD), Ascorbyl Glucoside and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate. Avoid ones with Ascorbic Acid.
A well-formulated replenishing moisturizer with lipids like ceramides and fatty acids will help to prevent your skin from drying out. And, a hydrating serum with Hyaluronic Acid will also help to prevent dryness and dehydration.
Note: higher concentrations of Vitamin C (15% or above) are also more likely to cause dryness and irritation, particularly in sensitive skin.
Explore my top picks of the best Vitamin C creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: NIH, National Library of Medicine, PubMed Central: The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health; Curology: Potential side effects of vitamin C: What you need to know
4. Is Ascorbyl Glucoside the same as Vitamin C?
Yes, Ascorbyl Glucoside is essentially the same as Vitamin C. While it is not identical to pure Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Acid), Ascorbyl Glucoside is a derivative of Vitamin C which can deliver the best benefits of the antioxidant vitamin.
Ascorbyl Glucoside is considered one of the gentlest and best forms of Vitamin C, and thus a better option for sensitive skins.
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice research team, “When properly formulated and absorbed into skin, [Ascorbyl Glucoside] breaks down to ascorbic acid, also known as pure vitamin C. Once absorbed, its breakdown to vitamin C is gradual, creating what’s known as a reservoir effect within skin. This leads to longer-lasting benefits.”
Ascorbyl Glucoside delivers similar benefits to pure Vitamin C, including: antioxidant protection, brightening, promoting an even skin tone, and supporting collagen production.
Explore my top picks of the best Vitamin C creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: Healthline: Ascorbyl Glucoside: Try This Vitamin C Derivative for Brighter Skin; Chemist Confessions: Which Vitamin C Derivative Is The Best For My Skin?
5. Product Review
I have to admit, I was surprised at the introduction of Drunk Elephant’s C-Luma Hydrabright Vitamin C Serum. The brand has been incredibly successful with its C-Firma Fresh Day Serum – which I consider to be one of the best Vitamin C face serums. But with a 15% concentration of Vitamin C, it’s also one of the more aggressive. It’s not for the faint of heart.
How popular is it?
Well, a quick search of “Vitamin C face serums” on the Sephora website delivers more than 100 products. The C-Firma Fresh Day Serum is ranked first, making it the best-selling Vitamin C serum at Sephora! Catch my product review of the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum on the blog here.
So why introduce another brightening serum with Vitamin C? What benefit is there for Drunk Elephant to have two of them? Well, while highly effective at delivering some of the best anti-aging benefits, Ascorbic Acid is notoriously irritating to the skin, but especially to sensitive skin. And younger skin!
If you follow skincare trends and beauty marketing, you may know that Drunk Elephant is a hot brand with teens and tweens. That’s a double-edge sword for a clinical brand like Drunk Elephant.
While their products are very well formulated, the brand’s clinical-strength formulas can also be very irritating. And teen skin doesn’t react well to very strong actives like a 15% concentration of Ascorbic Acid.
So it’s actually savvy marketing to offer a tamer version of a popular product like a Vitamin C serum that brightens and protects the skin, without risking sensitization.
How is Drunk Elephant’s C-Luma Hydrabright Vitamin C serum different from the C-Firma Fresh Day Serum with Ascorbic Acid?
Well, the new Vitamin C face serum is formulated with a milder 10% blend of two more gentle forms of Vitamin C: Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Glucoside. Not only does it deliver the benefits of Vitamin C, including brightening, but it does so without the risk of irritation that Ascorbic Acid poses.
Additionally, the Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Vitamin C molecule also happens to be beneficial for acne prone skin. Also known as SAP, the active has anti-inflammatory properties than can help calm the redness and irritation common to younger, acne-prone skin.
And, SAP has strong anti-microbial properties that can help prevent the proliferation of acne-causing bacteria. In fact, a clinical study demonstrated that a moderate 1% concentration of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate had a significant antimicrobial effect on propionibacterium acnes for up to 8 hours.
In addition to anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial benefits, C-Luma Hydrabright delivers superb antioxidant protection from the environmental damage that results in skin aging, including: dark spots, sun spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation.
In addition to the 10% Vitamin C blend, the formula contains what Drunk Elephant refers to as a “Triple-Antioxidant Brightening Complex” – a combination of Phloretin, Glutathione and Gallic Acid. Make that a quadruple antioxidant complex!
If you’re sensitive to Vitamin C or just want to take advantage of some of the best benefits of the antioxidant without risk of dryness and irritation, Drunk Elephant’s new C-Luma Hydrabright Vitamin C serum is the perfect option.
6. Pros & Cons
What I like about it: The Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright is a milder Vitamin C serum that doesn’t compromise the benefits of the brightening antioxidant. Most milder Vitamin C serums that are formulated to mitigate irritation simply don’t perform. I appreciate that the brand took the initiative to offer something as popular as a Vitamin C serum for younger skin since their customer was going to use one anyway.
What I don’t like about it: I like everything about it.
Who it’s for: All skin types, especially sensitive skin.
SHOP THE BLOG: Want to try it for yourself? Purchase the Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright for $68 here.
FIND OUT WHICH SERUM PERFORMED BETTER – AND BY HOW MUCH!
The Ingredient List of the Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Serum:
aox|aacne, Glycerin 
sii|h 0 0, Isodecyl Neopentanoate emo, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate emo, C9-12 Alkane solv, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate vc, Ascorbyl Glucoside aox|sb, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate emo, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil emo, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum vc, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid sb, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate emu, Glutathione, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate emu|surf, Dipropylene Glycol solv, Phloretin aox, Sodium Citrate chel|buff, Sodium Metabisulfite aox|pres, PPG-8-Ceteth-20 emu|surf, Gluconolactone exf|chel, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer vc, Citric Acid buff, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate chel, Silica vc, Lecithin emo|emu, Xanthan Gum vc, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Phenoxyethanol pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Chondrus Crispus Extract h|vc
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