C E Ferulic is a vitamin C serum sold by cosmetics brand SkinCeuticals. The product is highly popular, and SkinCeuticals claims it “improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles” and “loss of firmness.”

But does C E Ferulic contain ingredients proven in research studies to have an anti-aging effect or are these just marketing claims? Does the product contain any potentially unhealthy additive ingredients? What retailer sells C E Ferulic for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of C E Ferulic?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in C E Ferulic based on medical studies to give our take on whether the product is likely to be effective or if it’s a waste of money.

We’ll also provide a cost breakdown featuring the retailer that sells the product for the best price, and feature real, unsponsored C E Ferulic user reviews.

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in C E Ferulic are shown above. There are some research-backed ingredients in this formulation.

Ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C, is an effective anti-aging ingredient. A medical review published in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology described vitamin C as “one of the most powerful antioxidants in the skin” and claims “its clinical applications range from photoprotection and antiaging to antipigmentation.”

Ferulic acid is a plant-derived antioxidant compound shown in a 2022 clinical trial to increase skin hydration.

Sodium hyaluronate is one of the most well-studied anti-aging ingredients, and is clinically shown to reduce wrinkles and visible signs of facial aging, as we documented in our review of another cosmetic product containing this ingredient called Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair.

Panthenol is a naturally-derived and safe skin moisturizer according to a 2011 clinical trial.

Tocopherol, more commonly known as vitamin E, is clinically shown to reduce the damaging effects of UV rays on skin, making it a preventative ingredient.

Clearly there are a number of effective ingredients in C E Ferulic. However, there are also several inactive ingredients we consider questionable from a health perspective.

Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative shown to be toxic to human cells in a 2020 clinical trial.

Triethanolamine is a pH balancer that may be irritating and potentially damaging to the eyes according to a clinical trial published in the Occupational & Environmental Medicine journal.

Overall, we consider SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic likely to be effective for anti-aging given its numerous research-backed active ingredients. However, we don’t currently recommend the product due to the inclusion of two additive ingredients.

But how do real users rate and describe the effects of C E Ferulic? We’ll review in the next section.

Real, Unsponsored C E Ferulic User Reviews

A YouTube creator named “Go See Christy” reviewed C E Ferulic and shared her thoughts after using the product for 90 days:

A YouTube creator and doctor named Vanita Rattan has a video sharing her thoughts on the potential efficacy of C E Ferulic in individuals with darker skin tones:

Where to Buy C E Ferulic for the Best Price

C E Ferulic is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown at the time of publishing this article:

LovelySkin.com: $182 (free shipping, link)

Dermstore.com: $182 (free shipping, link)

Brand website: $182 (free shipping – link)

Amazon: $88 (free shipping – link)

The best price is currently found on Amazon, but we would caution consumers to be wary of this Amazon listing. It may be a dupe, or counterfeit, because the brand is listed as “Generic,” the listing is published by a third-party seller and there is no mention of Amazon on the brand’s official website.

Is SkinCeuticals Overpriced?

A video from dermatologist and popular YouTube creator “Dr Dray” has over 170,000 views and compares SkinCeuticals to the more affordable anti-aging brand CeraVe: 

How to Properly Apply C E Ferulic

For consumers planning to purchase this product, a video from the manufacturer SkinCeuticals on how to properly apply it may be useful and is only one minute long:

Our Clean Skincare Picks

There are skincare products containing ingredients shown in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality.

Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top anti-aging serum.

It contains hyaluronic acid which was described as a "skin-rejuvenating biomedicine" in a medical review due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging.

HYDRAGLOW by CLEARSTEM is our top moisturizer pick.

It features bakuchiol as an active ingredient which was described in a 2014 clinical trial as "clinically proven to have anti-aging effects." 

Bulletproof Collagen Powder is our top skin supplement.

Collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to reduce visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration.

All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.

Pros and Cons of C E Ferulic

Here are the pros and cons of C E Ferulic in our opinion:

Pros:

• Many effective active ingredients
• Should reduce wrinkles
• Should improve skin hydration
• Should protect skin from further damage
• Mostly favorable online customer reviews

Cons:

• Extremely expensive
• Contains synthetic preservative
• Contains triethanolamine

Conclusion

C E Ferulic is one of the better-formulated anti-aging serums that we’ve reviewed to date on Illuminate Health. The product contains five active ingredients that we could find research backing for, suggesting C E Ferulic may heal and repair skin along with reducing the visible appearance of wrinkles.

We don’t currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of two inactive ingredients that we consider questionable from a health perspective.

C E Ferulic is much cheaper on Amazon than on the brand’s official website, but for consumers who can afford it, we would recommend purchasing from the manufacturer directly because it’s unclear whether the Amazon listing is legitimate.

Consumers on a tight budget may look to formulations that contain similar active ingredients to C E Ferulic, because this product is extremely expensive at nearly $200 for one single ounce.