Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Vitamin C: Percentages and which type is right (Part 1) #shorts

25 Sept 2023 · 1 min

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Short YouTube video by Shereene Idriss discussing vitamin C concentrations. The presenter identifies ascorbic acid as the active form, cites Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster (15% ascorbic acid) as an example, recommends a 10–20% concentration 'sweet spot', warns that concentrations above ~20% increase irritation (redness, inflammation), and states she is not sponsored while criticizing a recent 25% vitamin C launch.

Chapters

25% vitamin C should be level up from C15. So you're talking about the active form of vitamin C, borbic acid. No, the answer is you do not need to level up when you're talking about the active form of vitamin C, which is in the Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster. I'm not here so short. I'm not sponsored by this brand at all. But the reality is, when you're talking about ascorbic acid, the sweet spot is between 10 and 20%. Anything above that is just above that, and it's going to increase your risk of irritation. Your skin might get more red, more inflamed in the process, and in my book, not worth it. But this new launch is kind of a pisser.