I was running out of vitamin C serum. I discovered this vitamin C serum, with over 18k reviews on Amazon, making it one of the most popular vitamin C serums on Amazon*.
I let my shopping senses take the lead. I didn’t do as much research into products or brands as I usually take the time to do…

Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum, in short:

• Price and availability
• Brand
• Claims
• Ingredients
• Packaging
• Scent
• Texture
• My experience
• Pros
• Cons
• Verdict
• Shop

Where to buy Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum?

This product is not highly accessible to the international marketplace at the moment. It is only available on Amazon* for a select few countries.

You can shop for the Seoul Ceuticals Vitamin C serum on their official website, Amazon*, Walmart, or iHerb. (*affiliate links)

The Seoul Ceuticals brand

According to its website, Seoul Ceuticals is a United States-based company. Their products are not made in Korea. They are sourced in Korea and made in “a state-of-the-art” US facility. They explain that they chose to produce in the US to be able to be directly involved in the manufacturing process.

Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum 20% Vitamin C claims

• It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and crow’s feet;
• Provides robust antioxidant protection;
• Helps reverse the effects of aging and sun damage.

seoulceuticals.com

Who is this vitamin C serum for?

Because this serum contains soothing and hydrating ingredients, it should be geared more toward those with dry and sensitive skin.

Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum Vitamin C Ingredients

Ingredients Analysis

According to CosDNA, it has no acne triggers and no irritants.

Aloe Vera provides soothing medicinal benefits for skin irritations or burns and some antibacterial advantages. Aloe Vera’s main claim to cosmetic fame is its hydration properties because the ingredient is 99.5% water.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) – is a vitamin C derivative, a water-soluble form of Vitamin C that acts as an antioxidant and is potentially effective at reducing acne or sebum over-production related concerns.
Hyaluronic Acid – Hyaluronic acid is ordinarily considered a super ingredient for its water-attracting and binding abilities. This vitamin C serum contains one of the highest-rated forms of this ingredient.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana Water) – Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, though high levels of tannins may cause some skin sensitivity issues.
Tocopheryl – This antioxidant is a form of Vitamin E that reduces inflammation and smooths skin texture.
Ferulic Acid – An antioxidant that enhances Vitamins C and E benefits.
Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) – This is a non-fragrant plant emollient that has been shown to stimulate collagen production and repair the skin barrier.

Vitamin C serums are not long-lasting products by nature. The average shelf life is 3-4 months once opened.
The Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow serum is botanically based, which I look for in my cosmetics. This formula contains two stabilizing ingredients:

• Ferulic acid is a natural formula stabilizer;
• Phenoxyethanol, a plant-based preservative.

The Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Vitamin C serum is an OK product. Still, users should always pay attention to the formula of any Vitamin C serum they purchase. Otherwise, there may be skin irritation like Benton’s infamous “bad batch” of aloe toner with plant-based preservatives that had contamination issues.

Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum does not contain: niacinamide, parabens, alcohol, or fragrance and is cruelty-free but not vegan.

Packaging

This Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow serum comes in dropper bottle packaging, which is standard for this type of serum.
Dark packaging helps stabilize the product formula by protecting it from light. Still, it is transparent enough to see how much product is left.
The dropper itself is sturdy and has not leaked while traveling.

Scent

This brought me back to my childhood. It smells like Sunny D! It has a candied orange juice scent, but the best part is that no artificial fragrance is added.

Texture

This formula is slightly unusual as I have never tried a serum that looked like this before. It is cloudy and off-white.
For most Vitamin C serums, that is a sign of oxidation, but for this vitamin C serum, you don’t have to worry about that since it doesn’t contain L-Ascorbic Acid.

The thick liquid is easy to apply, sinks in quickly, and doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy.

My experience with Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum

For reference, I have a normal-dry skin type and live in a typically continental with cold winters and hot summers.

The Day Glow Vitamin C Serum is an average hydrating product at best. It is not the most effective exfoliant I have ever used regarding vitamin C serums. Still, I was unsurprised when I glanced at the ingredient list. This serum contains more water-based and soothing ingredients than a typical vitamin C product. This serum should be targeted more toward sensitive or dry skin types, and there is a market for that. I never experienced any tightness or stinging as I have with more aggressive vitamin C serums, so a serum like this could be a good option as an introductory product.

I have been using vitamin C serums for over four years now. I did not have as strong brightening effects or fine line reduction as other vitamin C serums. However, I still had minor brightening effects, and my skin looked plumper due to all the hydrating extras in the ingredients list.

How to apply Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum?

You may be wondering where this vitamin C serum fits into your routine. The brand advises using it in the morning, but it can be used in the AM and the PM. If you wish to use it once daily, in rotation with other serums, choose the AM because vitamin C helps protect against UVA rays.

1. Cleanse;
2. Adjust skin’s pH;
3. Tone with Thank You Farmer Rice Pure Essential Toner;
4. Apply the Seoul Ceuticals Vitamin C serum. I put 2-3 drops onto the palm of the clean hand and use my fingertips to massage into the face and neck until fully absorbed;
5. Add my pore hero, Numbuzin No.3 Skin Softening Serum;
6. Moisturize with Purito Centella Unscented Recovery Cream;
7. Sunscreen! Goodal Heartleaf Calming Moisture Sun Cream (in the AM).

Pros

• good introductory product
• affordable
• plumping

Cons

• not very effective

Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Vitamin C Serum vs SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

The Day Glow Serum* allegedly rivals Skinceuticals, which is not entirely accurate. First, the Skinceuticals Vitamin C serum contains about half the ingredients as Seoul Ceuticals Vitamin C serum, which may be vital if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Secondly, the Vitamin C derivatives are entirely different for both products, so the active ingredients are not the same as claimed. This derivative difference affects how this product functions as a chemical exfoliant. The Skinceuticals vitamin C serum contains L-Ascorbic Acid, the gold standard of derivatives. Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Vitamin C Serum contains Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a more water-soluble form of Vitamin C though the least effective form for exfoliation and preventing free radicals.

Final thoughts

I would rank the serum formula 2 / 5 as I didn’t like the product.  I prefer a different Vitamin C formula with more vigorous exfoliation. I also ranked this product lower because of the brand’s aggressive marketing and lack of transparency.
I will use the rest of this serum because I have already spent the money. It is not a completely useless product, but I will not repurchase it.

Rating 2/5

Shop for Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Vitamin C Serum

You can get Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum at their official website. You can also shop on Amazon*, Walmart, or iHerb (*affiliate links)

As always, you do you, be kind to your skin and yourself! Remember that every person’s skin and skin type is different, so what might work for me might not work for you, and vice versa. So before adding a new product to your skincare routine, it pays to do a little research first.

Pay special attention to ingredients that you might react to. Doing a patch test is always a good idea. Unsure? Best to consult your dermatologist.

Happy skin experimenting, and never forget the sunscreen!

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