The Ordinary's Vitamin C Serum Gave Us Smoother Skin in 3 Weeks

We put The Ordinary's Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

We consider ourselves longtime champions of the Canadian beauty brand The Ordinary; in our eyes, its wallet-friendly versions of pricier skincare products can do no wrong. While we count its Serum Foundation and 100% Plant-Derived Squalane as two of our can’t-live-without beauty staples, we had yet to try anything in its vitamin C category. Enter the Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%. With its innovative silicone-free suspended L-ascorbic acid formula that’s enhanced with dehydrated hyaluronic acid spheres, how could it only cost a mere $8?

Testing it out over the course of three weeks, we looked for any changes to the texture and feel of our skin, any improvement in sun damage, and our overall radiance and glow. Would this budget-friendly option be just as effective as its expensive luxury counterparts? Read on to find out. 

About the Ingredients: Brightening and smoothing

The key ingredient in The Ordinary’s Vitamin C Suspension is a pure, powdered L-ascorbic acid suspension. Vitamin C is a skincare hero, brightening the skin and helping to fade dark spots and discoloration while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improving the skin’s overall texture. It’s not only listed as the first ingredient, indicating that it's present in an effective concentration, but its concentration (of 23%) is also confirmed in the product name. 

The second key ingredient is hyaluronic acid in the form of dehydrated spheres. Not only does hyaluronic acid help smooth the skin’s surface, but it’s also wonderful for hydration, drawing moisture into the skin, and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s listed as the 10th ingredient, towards the middle of the list, with a 2% concentration indicated in the product name.

This product isn’t considered clean by Byrdie’s standards due to the inclusion of BHT in its formula. However, this product is free of water, silicone, alcohol, gluten, nuts, oil, silicone, parabens, and sulfates and is considered cruelty-free and vegan.

About the Formula: Can be irritating for some

Vitamin C products are typically hard to stabilize and lose efficacy quickly (at times before they're even purchased), which is why more innovative formulations use powdered versions that activate only when the product is used. The extremely fine powder used in this formula (which is suspended in liquid) is meant to ensure that the skin receives the most direct exposure to vitamin C, making it extremely potent. This also explains both the grittiness of the formula and the intense stinging sensation (explained more, below).

This product is also specifically formulated without silicones, which many other water-free powder-based products on the market use. Silicones are meant to keep powdered vitamin C stable, but they also entrap it, which interferes with how much of the vitamin C in the formulation actually gets exposed to the skin. Because this formula is silicone-free, it is meant to allow for complete and direct exposure of the vitamin C powder to the skin. 

It's also worth noting that the formula is fragrance-free and doesn’t have much of a scent at all, which is welcome considering that most vitamin C serums have a pretty funky smell.

How to Apply: Ease into it

Vitamin C products are known to cause a slight tingling effect upon application, but this one had quite a bite to it and stung more than other products we've tried. It wasn’t unbearable and dissipated pretty quickly (and never left behind redness or a rash), but the first few minutes were, at times, pretty uncomfortable. We noticed this sensation heightened when my skin felt drier.

When first squeezed out of the tube, the product is a lightweight, runny white cream that pretty quickly absorbs into the skin. It does break down and melt into the skin pretty seamlessly but can feel sandy—even a bit scratchy—when first applied. According to double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Levine, the formula is technically suitable for all skin types, but those with more sensitive skin might need to ease into it. The Ordinary mentions this on its product description page and suggests trying its Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone if you’re looking to avoid a gritty texture.

The majority of the vitamin C serums we've tried are packaged in a glass bottle with a dropper, but this formula is packaged in a squeezable tube—something we normally would prefer. However, for how runny this cream formula is, we found that if we opened the tube upside down, the product would begin to drip out (to the point where it made photographing the open tube really tough).

About the Interactions: Avoid using with retinoids, acids, and peptides

According to Levine, vitamin C may react with retinol and other RetinA products, so it is best to use them at different times—i.e., vitamin C during the day and retinol at night. "Vitamin C is technically an acid, so avoiding other acids like alpha and beta hydroxy acids are recommended," she explains. "Benzoyl peroxide and niacinamide should also be avoided as these ingredients can render vitamin C ineffective." The Ordinary also adds that in addition to retinoids, peptides, and direct acids, do not use this product in the same routine as The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and EUK 134 0.1%.

The Results: Smooth, glowy skin

This product squeezes out of the tube as a runny white cream, so we were pretty surprised at just how deceptively gritty the formula was as we began to rub it into our face and neck. However, the grittiness dissolves and absorbs into the skin pretty quickly, leaving behind a natural matte finish. Even though we always follow vitamin C with a face oil or moisturizer, our skin did feel smooth and hydrated enough after applying it to act as a good base for makeup.

We're not going to lie—we were a little nervous about testing this after reading about how intense the stinging sensation can be at first. For us, It wasn’t unbearable, but we had to put the rest of my skincare routine on hold until the stinging sensation subsided. Weeks into using this product, it still burned as much as it did after that first application.

By the end of the three-week testing period, we didn't see much of a difference in terms of lightening freckles and sunspots, but our skin did feel much, much smoother. For how intense the serum felt to apply, we was almost surprised at how soft and silky our skin felt. All in all, the formula did its job.

The Value: The price can’t be beat

At $8 per fluid ounce, you really can’t go wrong here. We wouldn’t consider this the *best* vitamin C product we’ve ever used, mostly because we weren't huge fans of the texture and how much it stings, but it still gets the job done. If you’re new to vitamin C, this is a great product to start out with considering its price point.

Similar Products: You’ve got options

Sunday Riley C.E.O Vitamin C Brightening Serum: This vitamin C serum ($85) is a splurge compared to Glow Recipe’s, but it’s made with 15 percent vitamin C and targets dark spots and signs of aging. 

La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Face Serum with Salicylic Acid: For a vitamin C serum that does more than brighten and target dark spots, La Roche Posay’s Pure Vitamin C Face Serum ($47) is a great option. It’s formulated with salicylic acid, which helps promote clear skin, and hyaluronic acid, which helps with hydration.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic: Few vitamin C serums are as iconic as this one ($182), which boasts 15 percent vitamin C plus vitamin E and ferulic acid to visibly smooth and brighten skin. It comes at a higher price tag, yes, and may or may not smell like hot dog water, but we swear it's worth it.