C + Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Price and formula checked July 2026
A multi-form vitamin C aimed at the appearance of brightness and even tone, with niacinamide doing real supporting work. The stacked C derivatives read as thorough rather than fairy-dusted, but the undisclosed levels and prestige price are the trade. Pleasant to use and sensibly packaged.
- No active concentrations are disclosed
- Costly to use, about $47 a month
- Evidence21 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: moderate evidence
- Niacinamide: moderate evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency21 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: dosed at a studied level
- Niacinamide: dosed at a studied level
How strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability16 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: airless, opaque
- No fragile actives here, so packaging barely moves the score.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation3 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 0 of 2 actives disclose a concentration
- 2 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value6 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $47 per month to use
- $78 for 30 ml, used about twice a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 1.7 months
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
Tap any row to see how its score was built.
Ranks #21 of 27 vitamin c & antioxidants serums we have scored.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Ethyl Ascorbic Acid | n/a | Studied |
| Niacinamide | n/a | Studied |
A gel-serum led by 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, a stable vitamin C derivative, high on the list with niacinamide just behind it, plus smaller amounts of L-ascorbic acid and THD ascorbate, in an opaque pump. It stacks several vitamin C forms alongside lactic acid and collagen amino acids, though none of the percentages are disclosed.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
What the research says
In lab skin cell and tissue models, a serum with this vitamin C derivative supported collagen production and a reduction in visible melanin.
The Anti-Ageing and Whitening Potential of a Cosmetic Serum Containing 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic Acid. Life (Basel), 2021. PubMed ↗
Topical 5% niacinamide was linked to more even looking skin tone, softer looking lines, and less visible blotchiness after 12 weeks.
Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatologic Surgery, 2005. PubMed ↗
A study of the active, not this exact product. What matters for the score is whether this serum uses it at a comparable dose.
Higher-scoring alternatives
Same category, better SerumProof score. Worth a look before you buy.
Revision history
- July 11, 2026Price and formula rechecked
- July 10, 2026Review published
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Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.