12% Pure Vitamin C Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Price and formula checked 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.
- Built on strong-evidence actives
- Every active discloses its concentration
- Evidence30 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid): strong evidence
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
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.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- 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
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- 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
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
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Ranks #3 of 27 vitamin c & antioxidants serums we have scored.
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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
What the research says
A 6-month double-blind trial found topical vitamin C linked to a better looking global appearance of photoaged skin versus placebo.
Topical ascorbic acid on photoaged skin. Clinical, topographical and ultrastructural evaluation: double-blind study vs. placebo. Experimental Dermatology, 2003. 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.