SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Review: Is $200 Vitamin C Serum Worth It?

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Review: Is $200 Vitamin C Serum Worth It?


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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 anti-aging effects? Does it contain any potentially unhealthy additives? Which retailer currently has 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 to give our take on whether or not the product is likely to have an anti-aging effect, and whether or not it's healthy.

We’ll also provide a cost breakdown documenting which retailer sells the product for the best price, and feature real C E Ferulic customer reviews.

Ingredient Analysis

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic ingredients

The ingredients in C E Ferulic are shown above.

There are some research-backed active 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 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.

There are also several inactive ingredients which we consider to be 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 inactive ingredients discussed above.

Real People Try C E Ferulic

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:

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.

Ritual HyaCera is our top skin supplement.

It contains wheat oil extract which is clinically shown to "improve skin damages induced by aging." 

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

Is SkinCeuticals Overpriced?

A video from dermatologist and popular YouTube creator “Dr Dray” has over 190,000 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:

Where to Get the Best Price

C E Ferulic is sold at a variety of online retailers.

Here’s a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:

Amazon: $188.69 (free shipping, link to Amazon listing)

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

Brand website: $182 (free shipping, link)

The Amazon listing is from a third-party seller, so it may be safer in this case to purchase this product directly from the manufacturer.

C E Ferulic Pros and Cons

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

Pros:

  • Many research-backed active ingredients
  • Should reduce wrinkles
  • Should improve skin hydration
  • Should protect skin from further damage
  • Mostly favorable online customer reviews
  • Free shipping from brand's website

Cons:

  • Extremely expensive
  • Contains synthetic preservative
  • Contains triethanolamine
Stay up-to-date on our research reviews

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, and may reduce 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.

The brand's website currently has the best price on C E Ferulic.

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.