The Way We See It

MD Skincare is a higher-end cosmetic line sold at department stores like Nordstrom and Sephora. Both of which have VERY good return policies, I mention this because you may want to take advantage of it if you purchase Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Serum. I hate to be so negative about this product right off the bat but I can’t help it. Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Serum contains the best and the WORST form of vitamin C, they insisted on ruining their nearly perfect formula with Ascorbic Acid. Hello? Don’t they know how crappy this form of vitamin C is and how harsh it is on your skin? Ascorbic acid cannot penetrate the surface of your skin and it is a very unstable form of Vitamin C. It has a tendency to oxidize much faster than other derivatives making it harmful to your skin. It doesn’t only lose it’s effectiveness it will actually cause more damage to your skin by producing MORE free radicals. In case you didn’t get the memo, free radicals are the devil and the reason why our skin ages prematurely. Ascorbic acid is strong stuff, even individuals who have the toughest skin complain about redness and irritation. Why, MD? You know better than to put ascorbic acid in your formula? If it weren’t for this lapse of judgment, MD would have had a near perfect vitamin C Serum, what a shame…

Ingredients

• Hydra-Pure Chelating Complex™ : Pulls off metals, minerals and other impurities left on the skin by water. It also assists antioxidants, like vitamin C,  to improve product stability through chelating and sequestering metal ions.
• Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Acid) A water-soluble, natural form of Vitamin C that cannot penetrate the surface of the skin. Ascorbic acid loses its strength after 24 hours and breaks down rapidly. Oxidized Vitamin C increases  free radical formation and may cause skin irritation, burns and rashes.
• SAP (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate): Once SAP is absorbed into the skin it activates and converts to Ascorbic Acid. SAP  is effective in fighting the damage of free radicals and suppressing the oxidation of lipids for an anti-aging effect. SAP also improves acne and acne scarring.
• Vitamin C Ester (Ascorbyl Palmitate) A fat soluble derivative of Vitamin C that can be stored in cell membranes until it is needed by the body to help boost collagen synthesis.  Ascorbyl Palmitate has been shown to have antioxidant protection equivalent to Vitamin E, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants. Vitamin C ester is  10 times more absorbable that vitamin C, and it does not irritate the skin, like ascorbic acid. Vitamin C ester is more stable and potent than vitamin C and can last months longer and does not cause skin irritation or redness
• Linoleic Acid: An omega 3 fatty acid found in plant oils that promotes skin growth. Linoleic acid helps to maintain the health of the membrane and moisturizes rough, itchy and flaking skin.

Pros

• Includes stable forms of vitamin C, SAP and Vitamin C Ester
• Linoleic acid will help moisturize your skin
• 30 Day Money Back Guarantee if purchased directly from dgskincare.com

Cons

• Expensive- $95 per ounce
• Contains ascorbic acid which is a poor, unstable form of vitamin C
• May cause more free radical damage
• Short shelf-life

Conclusion

If you are going to drop $100 on a vitamin C serum you better make sure it is the BEST! An unstable form of vitamin C, like ascorbic acid can ruin even the BEST formula. You could sell “the fountain of youth” in a bottle and have it completely ruined by ascorbic acid, once that stuff goes bad you can do some major damage to your face. You have to be really careful with ascorbic acid, once it starts to turn yellow or brown throw it out immediately. You want a vitamin C derivative that penetrates deep within the skin, like Ester C. Ester C can be stored in the cell membrane until it is needed, and it  is  10 times more absorbable that vitamin C, and it does not irritate the skin, like ascorbic acid does. In short, I personally do not recommend this serum, you can find other effective vitamin C serums for half the price.

Your input is important so please consider writing a review for any products you have had a chance to try. This will help others make an informed decision prior to purchasing.