Tag: paula’s choice

Timeless 20% Vitamin C+E Ferulic Acid Serum Review

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I wrote an update awhile ago that said I no longer use Paula’s Choice Vitamin C serum because it made my skin red and blotchy. It took two trips to the dermatologist to realize that is what caused my skin issues so I’ve been using the Timeless 20% Vitamin C+E Ferulic Acid Serum for the past 9-10 months. At the time, I was convinced that moving forward I was going to use Skinceuticals CE Ferulic because it is the gold standard. But, I just couldn’t bring myself to pay that much for a serum.

Mia’s review: I have no plans to stop using the Timeless 20% Vitamin C+E Ferulic Acid Serum. I haven’t experienced any irritation or skin issues during my time using it. At one point, I was concerned about the small amount of

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Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster Review

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Update  – I no longer use Paula’s Choice C15 super booster. I don’t know if they changed their ingredients or if something changed with my skin but it irritates my skin and makes it red/blotchy. I also feel a burning sensation immediately after applying it to my skin. This all began about two months ago and prior to that, I had no problems. So YMMV.

This is a stand-alone review for the Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster. I also updated my  my post comparing several brands of Vitamin CE serum with photos of what happens when you refrigerate them.

I bought the C15 serum because my favorite Vitamin C serum was discontinued. I have a like/hate relationship with Paul’s Choice** and would prefer to use any other brand…except well, Skinceuticals is just too expensive and their patent doesn’t expire until 2025.

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Mia’s review: 

First, I have to admit that Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster is the reason why Continue reading →

New pH Meter, yay!

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Just a quick post to announce that I purchased an Apera SX620 pH meter (3pt calibration). I’ll probably on occasion still use Macherey-Nagel pH strips to test some products such as ones that aren’t for the face to avoid contamination.

I purchased a meter because my favorite Vitamin C serum from Cosmetic Skin Solutions was discontinued. I decided to try Paula’s Choice C15 serum (so far so good!) because of the price, but the pH strips made the serum look Continue reading →

Products with pH Levels of 6.5 or Higher

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I try to test every product I come across and tweet the pH level so that I don’t re-test it later or spend time googling for the pH level. Below is a list of the products that I’ve tested with a pH of 6.5 or higher. A haphazard list for now just to get the information out there.

And if you found this post via a google search and are interested in finding low pH level products, please visit this page with a list of products by category.

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Does refrigerating CE serums work?

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Updated Sept 2019: Added photos at the end for Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster comparing serum I recently opened to the serum after ~2 months of no refrigeration.

Updated May 2019: I’ve added photos at the end for Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster.

Updated May 2018: I’ve added a photo a 4 month (120 days) photo of the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum.

Updated April 2018: I’ve added a photo comparing Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Day Serum that has been opened for 30/60/90 days.

Updated March 2018: I’ve added photos at the end of this post of Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Day serum that has been open for 2 months.

Updated October 2017: I’ve added photos at the end of this post of Skinceuticals CE Ferulic that was stored in the refrigerator for around 7 months.

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I’ve used SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum for many years and it would turn darker over time in the bottle. Because I didn’t know any better, I’d use it up until it was gone. Then, I read online that when it changes color and oxidizes you shouldn’t use it on your face. So after throwing out 1/2 of a very expensive bottle, I decided to look for cheaper alternatives.

I read that some folks had very good luck storing their serums in the fridge and taking out smaller quantities at a time to store in their bathrooms for daily use. Refrigerating the serums kept them clear over many many months. After reading that some bloggers had success with Timeless 20% C &E serum and that Timeless guarantees their product to stay fresh for 3 months, I bought it.

After using it for 6 months, I decided to stop using products with alcohol in them (fatty alcohols were the exception). My guess is that the Timeless C&E serum has such a tiny amount of alcohol in it that it doesn’t dry the skin but I wasn’t taking any chances.

I then purchased Cosmetic Skin Solutions Vitamin C & E serum because it is a duplicate for SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum in terms of ingredients, although the pH level is higher (although still acidic). And unlike the Timeless serum, it doesn’t include (possibly) drying alcohol as an ingredient. But, I was worried it might oxidize over time even if I kept it in the fridge.

Here are the results…

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