Since I am winding down on the bottle of Oz Naturals Vitamin C Serum, I thought I’d share how it’s going…
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| Oz Naturals Vitamin C Serum |
Why is it bittersweet you ask? Well because I went to go buy another bottle and they have changed the formula. |side eye|
With that said proceed if you wish! I thought I’d still blog about it since there a few vitamin c/ferulic acid options out there.
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| OZ Naturals Vitamin C Serum Ingredients: the now old formula
First, some of the boring stuff…
From my own research from various websites, papers, and journals: |
- Organic Herbal Infusion: ??? Not sure what this is!
- Organic Aloe: I’m assuming is aloe
- Vitamin C derivative, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (20%): stimulates the synthesis of collagen, minimizes scars, fine lines, and wrinkles
- MSM (Méthylsulfonylméthane): commonly used to improve symptoms of hemorrhoids, reduce some symptoms of arthritis of the knee, improve skin color and other symptoms of rosacea (sounds promising)
- Hyaluronic Acid: hydrates and moisturizes the skin
- Witch Hazel: relieve mild skin irritation
Ferulic Acid is waaaayyyy down on the list so I’m going to assume the amount in the serum is miniscule. Nevertheless, the Journal of Investigative Dermatology report found that
“its (ferulic acid) incorporation into a topical solution of 15% l-ascorbic acid and 1% α-tocopherol (a type of Vitamin E) improved chemical stability of the vitamins (C+E) and doubled photoprotection to solar-simulated irradiation of skin from 4-fold to approximately 8-fold as measured by both erythema and sunburn cell formation.”
Note that this derivative of vitamin C is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and they type of Vitamin E is d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate; not sure if this affects the performance of the serum or if some other company has a patent on that particular combination. I’m hoping there’s at least 1% of Vitamin E in the serum also, all other things aside.
I take half vial of solution and squeeze into the palm of my hand. After patting it on my face, almost instantly I felt a tightening sensation. I know I did not imagine this. Strangely, the tightening sensation stopped as I neared the end of bottle. I also rub it all over my neck for good measure. I store this in the refrigerator and the coldness of it is quite welcoming on a hot summer morning. It’s slightly sticky on my face but that goes away as it dries.
I have been using this quite consistently for three months and I am very pleased. I use it in the morning after cleansing but not as frequently at night. Initially, I purchased it to repair my skin after being severely sunburned in Cancun. I still feel like my forehead is darker than the rest of my face. Not surprising, since I always feel the sun beating down on my forehead. I need to just forget about my hair and wear a hat! So did it help with the sunburn? Hard to say since I am exposing that area of my face to pretty intense sun rays but it does look better than it did a moth ago! And yes, I am wearing sunscreen, SPF 50 to be exact (I love that this one does not leave a white cast on me and helps with the oil)! Won’t leave the house without it! I think this will clear itself up once it gets cold. I can only trust that it helps with photoprotection as it says it does, just as I “trust” the sunscreen.
Does it even out the tone and texture of the skin? I mentioned how my forehead felt different and rough after the burn; well it does’t feel that way anymore. I think I would need to get another bottle to determine if it truly evens out my skin tone. I do, however, feel strongly that it brightens skin for a youthful glow. I can’t help but notice how glowy my skin is (minus my forehead), and it’s not temporary!
Does it fade dark spots? After three months of use, I find that my acne scars have only faded slightly. I suspect that it is also a mixture of time and my overall regimen helping out as well. While the hyperpigmentation along my jawline fades slightly, I’ve got one stubborn spot on the center of my cheek that just won’t let up! It’s even visible through my foundation. Hiss!
Hyperpigmentation is the number one issue I have with my skin. I don’t have a lot but some days I notice it more. Whenever I get a zit, I know what’s coming next; it’s inevitable. It sucks.
The product doesn’t make any claim about wrinkles but vitamin C is supposed to help for that too. Well, my crows feet aren’t going anywhere! Around my eyes is pretty much the only place I have fine lines which become very apparent when I smile.
In a nutshell, I love how the product feels on my face. I love the tightening sensation, I love the glow it gives me and I wanted to definitely repurchase… but the formula has changed and I’m on the fence if I want to try it out or go for something else. I feel like I should probably focus more on the issues I have with my skin — hyperpigmentation and prevention of (more) wrinkles. I think I will have a better chance of finding something more effective for hyperpigmetation before I find the fountain of youth! I am open to suggestions!
Thanks for reading!
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