#derma e

My daughter texted me at 11 PM: “Dad, quick question—do you think this serum is worth it?” Attached was a screenshot. Some influencer in perfect lighting, holding a bottle, caption reading “This CHANGED MY LIFE you guys!!!” The link in bio promised 40% off if she used code GLOWUP. I looked at our last five text threads. Four of them were screenshots just like this. Different influencers.…

Brand: Derma-E

Product Type: Moisturizer

Price: $25.00 USD

Size: 2.0 fl oz

✔️Vegan  ✔️Clean Ingredients  ✔️Cruelty Free  ✔️Sustainable Packaging

Star Ingredients:

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate: Stable form of Vitamin C

Hyaluronic Acid: Hydrates, plumps

Rooibos: Antioxidant

Probiotics: Aids skin barrier

Texture: Cream

Feel: Hydrated

Scent: 🌸🌸

There's a moderate amount of citrus scent in this. It's not as bad other Vitamin C-based products I've tried though.

Results: This is an emollient-rich moisturizer that takes a while to absorb. If it's not fully rubbed in, it leaves a white cast. A small amount of this moisturizer truly goes a long way.

Like the cleansing paste, the moisturizer contains rooibos. I'm fairly sure this is the ingredient that's causing the line of orange-ish brown on my upper lip. It's very thin and hard for others to pick up on. Maybe if I wasn't so pale, it wouldn't be an issue at all. Regardless, I do have to be careful not to apply any moisturizer to my upper lip, which is harder than it sounds.

That being said, I do think this is a good moisturizer, and combined with the other products in the line, is an effective brightener. The hyaluronic acid also helps to plump skin and minimize the appearance of wrinkles.

Comps: The INKEY List Vitamin B, C, and E Moisturizer is only 8.99 USD. It's going to be a little gentler than this formulation. If you want something more intense, they also have the Symbright Moisturizer specifically geared toward brightening skin tone for 13.99 USD.

Pacifica's Glow Baby line has a few moisturizers that are all reasonably priced. The Super Lit SPF 30 Face Lotion is 20 USD. Hydrodew Moisture Gel and VitaGlow Face Lotion are 18 USD.

Peach Slices Snail Rescue has an Oil-Free Moisturizer and a Deep Moisture Cream. Both are 17 USD.

Acure's Brightening line has Day Creams and Night Creams, some with SPF. It just depends on what you're looking for. These are usually priced around 20 USD.

Earth Harbor Mermaid Milk Nutrient Glow Moisturizer has some different actives in it. The brightening power comes from matcha and spirulina. It uses eggplant, ivy gourd, and tulsi for antioxidants. That's going to come in at 24 USD.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Night Cream is 25 USD. This might be a good option for sensitive skin.

Brand: Derma-E

Product Type: Serum

Price: $25.00 USD

Size: 2.0 fl oz

✔️Vegan  ✔️Clean Ingredients  ✔️Cruelty Free  ✔️Sustainable Packaging

Star Ingredients:

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate: Stable form of Vitamin C

Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe: Hydrates, plumps

Vitamin E: Antioxidant

Probiotics: Aids skin barrier

Texture: Watery

Feel: Hydrated

Scent: 🌸🌸

There's a moderate citrus scent in this. Not as intense as other Vitamin C products I've tried though.

Results: This is a great Vitamin C serum. It's the best one I've tried so far. A little goes a long way, as it's a concentrate. It's a thin liquid and spreads easily, and is very hydrating. I hardly needed the moisturizer.

Also, I've mentioned this on other product reviews, but if you're looking at price per ounce, this is going to be your cheapest Vitamin C serum option.

That's really all I can say.

Comps: The Ordinary has tons of options in Vitamin C and brightening serums. A few of them include: Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA, Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone, and Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%. These can range in price from as low as 8 USD up to 25 USD. It just depends on the serum. Check their website for a complete list.

Good Molecules Daily Brightening Serum is only 8 USD for a full ounce bottle.

The INKEY List Vitamin C Serum is super reasonably priced at 10.99 USD for a full ounce as well. The Alpha Arbutin Serum is kind of a more general skin brightener. That's going to run 12.99 USD. Their Vitamin C + EGF Serum is going to be great for treatment hyperpigmentation and dark spots. That's 15.99 USD.

Byoma Brightening Serum, Peach Slices Snail Rescue Intensive Serum, Pacifica Glow Baby Booster Serum, and Acure Vitamin C & Ferulic Acid Serum are all in the 17-21 USD range.

Cocokind Vitamin C Glow includes azelaic acid and sea grape caviar to brighten and even tone. A full ounce bottle is 20 USD.

CosRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum is 25 USD and has added benefits of Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid.

Brand: Derma-E

Product Type: Cleanser

Price: $16.95 USD

Size: 4.0 fl oz

✔️Vegan  ✔️Clean Ingredients  ✔️Cruelty Free  ✔️Sustainable Packaging

Star Ingredients:

Golden Turmeric, Echinacea: Antioxidants, brightening agents

Ancient Rice: Exfoliates

Beet Extract: Brightening agent

Kaolin Clay: Removes dirt, oil, and impurities

Texture: Exfoliating Paste

This is a pretty thick paste with small, exfoliating rice granules in it. It's a very gentle scrub and doubles as a mask.

Feel: Fresh

Your skin feels clean enough, but after swabbing with toner, I've noticed there's quite a bit of residue left behind.

Scent: 🌸

There's no added fragrance in this. All the ingredients are scent-neutral.

Results: So, a weird thing about this line of products is that they leave a little orange-ish, brownish stain above my lip. I have to be very careful about not getting any product up there - that seems to include the cleanser - to avoid that line of discoloration. I think it's due to the rooibos in this product line. The strange thing is that I only get this reaction above my lip.

After use, my skin feels fresh and clean. However, as stated above, after using toner, I noticed quite a bit of cleanser left behind. You can tell because the cleanser is peach colored, and I found a lot of peach on my cottonball after. So it's not the cleanest rinse.

The cool thing about this cleanser is that it can be used as a mask as well. Apply to dry skin, let it sit a couple minutes, then rinse clean.

I have noticed a general brightening of my skin. Like I've mentioned before, I have an age spot. I'd say it's about 50% less intense than it used to be. So it's an effective treatment line. I'm just not sure if it outweighs the drawbacks.

Comps: Coming in at the same price (17 USD) is Urban Veda Brightening Turmeric Radiance Facial Wash. Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Scrub is also about the same, and it's going to have more of an exfoliating effect like this cleansing paste does.

Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Gentle Gel Cleanser relies on Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid to brighten and even skin tone. At 16 USD, it's a good alternative to Vitamin C-based brightening formulas. Speaking of alternatives to Vitamin C, you may also want to check out Peach Slices Snail Rescue line. Snail mucin is an awesome multi-tasker, known for brightening and clarifying, among other things. And it's only 15 USD.

I've talked about Acure Brightening Cleansing Gel before. It's not the strongest brightener out there, but it's safe enough that you can use it twice a day without ill effect. And it only costs 11 USD, which is pretty good. The INKEY List also makes a Fulvic Acid Cleanser, which is more of a scrub, and is targeted for brightening. That's only 11.99 USD. The only thing I found that was cheaper than these is Pacifica Glow Baby Brightening Face Wash at 10 USD.

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