Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferrulic Acid Serum

 At long last I've finally decided to try Timeless' 20% Vitamin C + E Ferrulic Acid Serum. Why? Because I found a trusted reseller on shopee. Because while I've heard a lot of good things about it and it technically ships to the Philippines. But let's be honest, international shipping is a gamble, and so are most re-sellers.

After two months of testing and finishing this serum, here are my thoughts.

First of all, I actually stopped using Vitamin C for around one year. Not because I dislike it as an active ingredient, but because... L-Ascorbic Acid is really too unstable! I've bought several Vitamin C powders (with one I was especially fond of), but using it was such a hassle. I'd have to keep it stored properly then reconstitute every few days for a fresh batch. So when I found that Vitamin B3 worked just as well on me, I stopped using those powders... and those powders ended up expiring as well.

While there are new derivatives exist that are more stable, they're a bit higher in price compared L-Ascorbic Acid, and there are less studies on their effectiveness. So I've been hesitant in investing in those too. Because of that, it took me a long time before deciding to repurchase a Vitamin C product, though I'd been interested in Timeless' product for years because of its formula and (re)packaging.

Fortunately, unlike those horror stories of oxidized product deliveries, this bottle came to me clear. Like amazon, shopee is a jungle and I'd strongly recommend buying from the site if you can. But I don't trust the local postal system so re-sellers are the way to go over here where I live. Still, while I was happy with my purchase, I felt that I really had to use it up quickly. And that stressed me out, a lot. While I don't really rotate products as much as others, I do like to take a lot of time to form an opinion about a product and like to go back and forth and compare by keeping a little bit behind. And for this tube, no bueno. Once you get it, you gotta finish it.

It took around one month of use with their airless pump for there to be the start of color change, but it did. I didn't have a skincare fridge so this may have contributed to the oxidation, but I did try to leave it in a dark, dry place. I also noted that while the pump is supposed to be airless, I heard the product sloshing around when I tried to agitate it to try and find how much I have left, so there may have been some problems with the mechanism. This serum lasted two months, but I was super stressed out trying to finish it during the second half.

The good thing is that I'm forced to use a lot of product so it won't go to waste. While the bottle says to use two to three drops, I actually use two to three PUMPS for my face. And still it lasted two months? I have a feeling two pumps would actually be the average and the 15 ml bottle would be the better option for a monthly subscription.

Anyway, while it comes out as a runny fluid, it's easy to spread and dries quickly as a matte film. I feel that it leaves a barrier that's hard to penetrate, so as vitamin C is supposed to be placed as the starting product, I mostly end up just using this and a hydrating toner or moisturizer before sunscreen since it does leave a film. It's not bad to use less steps though as I have seen that it gives both a short term smoothening effect and a quick, long term brightening. My skin looks much brighter and inflammatory marks have faded more quickly (in addition with my other skincare products). I stopped using azelaic acid while on this and had very nice, bright skin (although I wasn't stressed out, for which azelaic acid may be better option when stressed). It really is a very good product, especially for those who want simpler routines. I think all skin types except for the oiliest would like this.

Sadly, I don't think I'll be repurchasing this product until I can get the direct source (website to house without going through the country's crappy postal system) as I do find that sourcing is a problem. While there are good re-sellers in shopee, I want to minimize the logistic chain since I already find my current situation so stressful.

If you can get it easily from the Timeless website, I think you should really give it a try.

FYI, this is the most known dupe for a certain CEF serum that costs a whole lot more. I'm glad I've been purged of my desire to try that now since I know paying more than $100 for something that would stress me out even more is off the table. But I am super interested in the new Melano CC reformulation coming out this month now...