COSRX Pure Vitamin C 13% Serum with Vitamin E & Hyaluronic Acid 20ml, 0.67fl.oz

I really love it it helped clear my skin very fast it smells a little but I was expecting it it’s not as bad as i thought

I have extremely sensitive skin, but after using this product for a week, I haven’t experienced any irritation. It absorbs very well. Initially, I was just trying it out, but it far exceeded my expectations. I’m very pleased to get such a great product at this price. I rarely write reviews, but I really like this product. I keep it in the refrigerator, as I believe it helps preserve its active ingredients better.​

This is a great serum that goes on beautifully and makes my face much brighter. The initial smell during application is a bit odd. It's not a terrible smell, but not a great one either. Fortunately it quickly goes away as the serum dries and does not linger! Only downside is that since this product suggests being refrigerated after opening is that I am more likely to forget this step in my skincare routine since it is in the kitchen rather than the rest of my products.

Background: I’m not a skin care expert and am not a skin care professional. But I’m someone who recently got into skin care for myself. I have uneven skin tone and dull looking skin. In my 30s, brown skin, and I seldom use any makeup.

About Vitamin C and this product:
Vitamin C is great to even out skin tone and make it bright. This one is a very potent Vitamin C serum - it is 13% vitamin C. To put that into context, most starter vitamin C serums and creams are 10%. But this concentration suited me well and I saw results almost from Day 1. A little goes a long way, don’t need to apply too much. Within 2 weeks most of my dark patches were gone and my skin was glowing. After 1 month of use I even stopped using makeup altogether even while going out. In short it worked great for me.

The catch:
Do remember, this is acidic (Ascorbic acid). And it is pretty concentrated at 13%. If you have sensitive or thin skin, this should NOT be the first thing you should apply on cleansed face. Use a toner or anything which can repair skin barrier before using this serum. Otherwise it can cause extremely dry skin, irritation and redness. I use the Cera Ve hydrating toner. Also follow it up with a good moisturizer to prevent skin from drying. If you are going out in the sun then sunscreen is a must, otherwise this will do more harm than good. Don’t overdo it, applying it once a day and like a serum (few drops) should be enough. Look out for patches of redness and dried skin when using, it is usually means you are overdoing it and need to back off a little. Use a night moisturizer to calm the skin - that worked for me.

I love this product. The serum formula is lightweight and non-sticky, which feels great on my skin. It also contains Vitamin E, which is a big plus. I find Korean skincare to be gentler on my skin, and this product did not disappoint. This is my second bottle.