Tried & tested: A skincare brand backing up their claims with super smart ingredients

One of skincare’s most beloved ingredients of the last year has been vitamin C simply because the benefits of using it are so effective. And as with all trends, we get an influx of brands releasing new products claiming lots of benefits.

Vitamin C serums has been one of the worst products for badly created dupes the past year. As a beauty writer, trying and testing new products is my job. So when a trend like vitamin C kicks off and lots of brands release a new product containing it, I go to lots of meetings where I listen to people talk me through how the ingredient works and why their products works the most. So I can spot when someone is fluffing the details. Not all vitamin C products are created equal. Every brand is promising ultra-potency from their product, but only the skintellectuals well versed in skincare ingredients know how to spot a bold claim from a true skincare hero.

That’s why it’s refreshing to meet a skincare brand that can back up their effective vitamin C claims with super smart ingredients and a genius packaging delivery system. AlumierMD – created by PhD biochemists, physicians and skincare specialists – have just released EverActive C&E, a high strength vitamin C and E serum with peptides. I have been trying and testing it for a few weeks to discover fantastic results, but that was no surprise really. I knew when I saw the delivery system and ingredients that my skin was going to make a change for the better.

What to look out for with Vitamin C skincare

Here’s the issue with vitamin C. It’s notoriously volatile. As soon as light or air hits your vitamin C product, it starts to break down. So nothing in a jar is going to last you past a few days. Sorry to break the bad news but vitamin C has to be packaged intelligently to protect it from air and light. Let’s take a moment of silence in solidarity with those of us who have paid for badly packaged vitamin C skincare products.

Another thing to note is that vitamin C comes in many beneficial forms. Vitamin C in its purest form is called L-ascorbic acid. It absorbs quickly and has the highest potency when you apply it to your skin. It’s the only bioavailable form of vitamin C. That means that it’s the form our cells need in order to be able to use it to improve the skin.

Here’s my philosophy on beauty dupes. If you can get a high street dupe of a high end lipstick, go for it. When it comes to skincare, don’t mess about. Go for the best. That doesn’t mean you should only buy high end products, just that if you’re ready to try something really effective to change your skin, go for the best available version. And frankly, nothing compares to L-ascorbic acid. If you really want results, avoid derivatives. You and your face deserve more than derivatives.

Another big red flag for vitamin C products is the concentration of vitamin C inside. You need to have 15% for it to reach its potential and if a brand respects that, and respects that you know what you’re buying when you look for Vitamin C in your skincare, you’ll find the percentage labelled on the bottle.

Be sure to look out for a low pH level too – this indicates a stable and effective Vitamin C product. A high pH level in Vitamin C oxidizes and degrades and worse, free radicals can form. You need a formula with a pH of 3.5 or less.

It’s worthy to note that Vitamin C works better when paired with Vitamin E – they support each other – and it’s all the better if it comes fragrance, paraben and dye free. This means your serum should be clear, not orange and not brown – this is another indication that the product has started to oxidize.

Now, breathe. You’ve just had a lesson in the perfect Vitamin C skincare product.

Do you know how many 15% L-ascorbic acid, non-fragranced, clear, low pH level and intelligently packaged Vitamin C serums this beauty writer has come across in the year of Vitamin C launches?

Zero.

Until AlumierMD EverActive C&E.

How is AlumierMD EverActive C&E packaged?

AlumierMD has tackled the stability and oxidation challenges of Vitamin C with EverActive C&E. It’s the most optimally active vitamin C and E serum on the market, because it stays fresh from the moment you open it and it remains beneficial to the health of the skin until the last drop. EverActive C&E has two separate chambers with Vitamin C crystals sealed in the top chamber. The serum is held in a dark bottle to protect it from light. You get three bottles in a set, with each bottle lasting you about a month. Only when you finish one do you undo the packaging for the second to mix the serum and crystals.

AlumierMD EverActive C&E

What will AlumierMD EverActive C&E do to my skin?

First thing to know is that effective Vitamin C is an antioxidant which means that it is the destroyer of free radicals that are speeding up your skin’s ageing process. Antioxidants fight to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, calm the skin and defend it against free radicals. Again, these must be packaged correctly to ensure no light or air can reach them. But as soon as you put them on, you protect your skin for the now and for the future. Effective Vitamin C is also held as one of the greatest anti-ageing products you’ll ever use, besides broad-spectrum sun protection of course. This is because it boosts the skin’s collagen. Vitamin C will boost the skin’s hydration, brighten the skin to reduce pigmentation and improve skin tone.

Tried and tested

I have dry skin and my biggest issues would be uneven skin tone and a lot of redness. I’m also 25, so while I’m not concerned about signs of ageing, I am concerned about taking preventative measures to make sure I age like Jane Fonda. I’m the perfect target for an effective Vitamin C serum, but Vitamin C is so effective that everyone should have it in their routine. Within a couple of weeks of using Ever Active C&E, there was a visible radiance and luminosity to my skin with redness reduced. Within a month, I felt my skin tone was improved and my skin was smoother but the compliments started to back that up. Around this point I stopped relying completely on hyaluronic acid every day to feel hydration in my skin. In almost two months, there’s been a noticeable diminishing of some light photo damage on my skin, but overall my face feels firmer, more hydrated and without tooting my own horn, my skin looks glowy and brighter.

Frankly, if you think your face can benefit from more hydration, an even skin tone, reduced dark spots and pigmentation, protection against free radicals and an overall radiance, you need AlumierMD EverActive C&E. If you don’t think your face can benefit from this, please email me your secret.

For more information and stockists, please visit alumiermd.co.uk,