12% Pure Vitamin C Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A pharmacy-standard L-ascorbic acid serum at a fair mid-range price, with a disclosed 12% and a touch of salicylic acid for texture. The dropper packaging means it browns over time like most pure vitamin C. A sensible, widely available option if you want the acid form without the prestige markup.
- Evidence30 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid): strong evidence
- Score is the average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency21 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) (12%): dosed at a studied level
- Potency tracks how strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability12 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: tinted glass
- Air- or light-sensitive actives (Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid)), so packaging is scored.
- Formulation6 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 1 of 1 actives disclose a concentration
- 1 key active (breadth credit caps at 3)
- No current-generation or synergy bonus
- Value10 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $28 per month to use
- $47 for 30 ml, used about twice a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 1.7 months
- Band: $6/month or less earns full marks, $60/month or more hits the floor.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) | 12% | Studied |
12% pure L-ascorbic acid with a little salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid and the brand neurosensine, disclosed at 12%, in an opaque white dropper bottle. The dose sits in the studied range and the salicylic adds a light surface refinement. The dropper still lets air in, and users report it turning orange within a couple of months, the usual L-ascorbic acid oxidation.
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
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.