Vitamin C Serum

5.0

/ 10

Is it right for me?

Moisturizing

10.0Humectancy0.0Occlusivity

Is it right for me?

Rich

In Antioxidants

Overview

How moisturizing is it? Quite moisturizing. Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum has a moisturizing rating of 5.0 out of 10.

Is it more humectant or occlusive? Purely humectant. It has a maximum Humectancy of 10.0 out of 10 and zero Occlusivity (we didn't find any occlusives on the ingredient list).
Tip: Studies suggest that humectants alone do not moisturize the skin. We recommend applying a product with some occlusive ingredients after the use of this one.

What else is good about it? Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are believed to reduce the oxidative stress caused by free radicals, thus preventing accelerated skin aging.

ALCOHOL-FREE
SULFATE-FREE
FRAGRANCE-FREE
NON-COMEDOGENIC
PHTHALATE-FREE
SILICONE-FREE
PARABEN-FREE

Score	Ingredient	Origin	Functions
50	Propylene Glycol	Botanical, Synthetic	Moisturizing (humectant),Fragrance,Formula Helper
22	Water	Naturally occurring	Formula Helper
11	Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice	Botanical	Moisturizing (humectant),Antioxidant,Soothing,Emollient
4	Hexylene Glycol	Synthetic	Fragrance,Formula Helper
3.9	Pentylene Glycol	Botanical, Petroleum, Synthetic	Moisturizing (humectant),Preservative,Formula Helper
3	Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate	Botanical, Synthetic	Antioxidant,Anti-wrinkle,Anti-pigmentation
2	3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid	Synthetic	Antioxidant,Anti-wrinkle,Anti-pigmentation
1.5	PEG-25 Hydrogenated Castor Oil	Synthetic	Fragrance,Formula Helper
1	PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil	Botanical, Synthetic	Fragrance,Formula Helper
0.3	Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract	Botanical	Soothing,Emollient
0.3	Panax Ginseng Root Extract	Botanical	Antioxidant,Soothing,Emollient
0.3	Sodium Hyaluronate	Biotech, Animal	Moisturizing (humectant),Antioxidant,Soothing

Ingredients explained

Propylene Glycol

Score

Function

Moisturizing (humectant), Fragrance, Solvent, Viscosity controlling

Origin

Botanical, Synthetic

A clear, thick, odorless liquid of synthetic origin. Its main function is to stabilize cosmetic products exposed to varying temperatures. It is also a moderately strong humectant with similar properties to glycerin.

Water

Score

Function

Solvent

Origin

Naturally occurring

The most used ingredient in skincare. Its concentration defines the product texture: rich creams may have about 50% of water while a light jelly about 90%. Water doesn’t moisturize the skin by itself and is used in skincare as a solvent for other ingredients.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Score

Function

Moisturizing (humectant), Antioxidant, Soothing, Emollient

Origin

Botanical

A gelatinous juice from Aloe vera leaves that acts as a powerful humectant, emollient, and antioxidant. It contains enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that soothe irritated skin and have wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties.

Hexylene Glycol

Score

Function

Fragrance, Emulsifying, Solvent, Viscosity controlling

Origin

Synthetic

A multifunctional ingredient that is best known for its use as a solvent. It can dissolve both water-based ingredients and oils. For this reason, it can also function as an emulsifier, allowing oil and water ingredients to mix and remain stable.

Pentylene Glycol

Score

3.9

Function

Moisturizing (humectant), Preservative, Solvent

Origin

Botanical, Petroleum, Synthetic

A naturally or synthetically derived preservative that exhibits effective antifungal and antibacterial traits. It also acts as a booster for more traditional preservatives. Pentylene glycol can also serve as a moisturizing humectant and solvent.