For Vitamin C Serum DIYers
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

free skin care · Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:11 pm

IMO, Vita C serum should be as simple as possible, with just a few ingredients, one can always layer with another cream/serum on top of it.

free skin care · Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:26 pm

OTOH, if ingredients work well in synergy ... why not put them together in one serum?

free skin care · Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:49 pm

fawnie wrote:

OTOH, if ingredients work well in synergy ... why not put them together in one serum?

When I was using ascorbic acid, I liked to make the serum every 10 days or so to keep it un oxidized for sure; it's easier to mix up few actives.

free skin care · Tue Oct 15, 2013 1:20 pm

For me C serum is a "treatment", so I team up a few compatible antioxidants and call it a day..

For something more luxurious, I'll make a nice lotion, with maybe 5 or 6 great actives and that's that..

There is only so much active component your cells can utilize in one application..

A laundry list of ingredients does not make a product great. Quality instead of quantity is my motto.

free skin care · Tue Oct 15, 2013 1:47 pm

Too many actives in one serum is a bad idea because of the absorption rate.

(Btw, I've been gone for a while because of an injury. Healing really fast. Hope I didn't miss anything the past few days.)

Fri Jun 13, 2014 7:26 am

I am planning on buying a Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate powder and I have been wondering if it is possible to use it for semi-diy by adding it to a premade toner? Will it dissolve or is this highly unlikely?

free skin care · Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:36 pm

Do you have any evidence as to just how many actives should be in a product and what the actual "absorption" rate is?

Many things are synergistic.

Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:07 pm

Is there anyway I can replace the vodka with other ingredients. Anything that is non alchohol? Or can I just omit it.

Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:41 pm

IS Rosehip Oil an effective alternative to a good quality Vit C facial serum????

I'm looking for a good quality Vit C serum and have been looking at making my own MAP C Serum based on some of the recipes available here. BUT before I embark on such huge undertaking I want to make sure theres not a simpler option available as I have plenty of Rosehip Oil which I'd hoped might offer a suitable alternative.

Is Rosehip Oil comparable to a good quality Vit C Serum?Will I see the same benefits from using Rosehip Oil as I would from using a reliable Vit C or MAP C serum for example?

Can someone PALEEZ explain to me the pros and cons of Rosehip Oil versus a good quality Vit C serum?[b]

Mon Dec 22, 2014 8:00 pm

Hello all, how do I measure nor vial or the measurements to make this wonderful serum?

Mon Dec 22, 2014 8:10 pm

I can't find Remergent DNA cream and msm supplement to make this serum. HELP

Fri Dec 26, 2014 11:18 am

Hi everyone!
My first visit here and there's so much info I'm quite lost on how to start!!!

I have been using a vitamin C serum called Mystelic Vitamin C serum, for a little more than a week. I have small spider veins on the cheeks and a roundish spot of keratosis. Skin of the face very dry since a couple of years. I have tried many creams, but can't tolerate them because of the greasy feeling.

The first days with Mystelic made my skin even more dry, so I stopped for a few days. I have now resume and at last I can see an improvement and very encouraged to continue.

Problem is all the info which is very confusing. Which vitamin C is absorb through the skin, the HA etc... And not to mention the price of these little 1oz bottle.

So here I am with all you very learned people and asking a very basic question. Please bear with my lack of knowledge, but I would like to make my own serum, but the correct and safe way. I was thinking of adding a drop or two of the essential oil Cypress to the already included witch hazel and geranium to make it more potent for the spider veins.

Could you give me some guideline towards making my own safe serum?

This is a list of the ingredients in Mystelic serum:
Deionized Aqua, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide (Botanical Hyaluronic Acid), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Carbomer, Arginine, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin, Organic Aloe Barbardensis Leaf, Organic Centella Asiatica, Organic Equisetum Arvense, Organic Pelagonium Gravoleons, Organic Taraxacum Ocinale

One last thing..I saw here many abbreviations that I have no clue of what that is. is there a place on this site where these are explained?

Sat Dec 27, 2014 7:44 am

I've been reading many, many posts and found some answers for the acronyms, the page with all the recipes link. So no need to reply to these things.

But I'm sure a long way from making my own vitamin C serum!!!

L Ascorbic is the base for many recipes, but I saw a video stating that to be absorbed through the skin it has to be a lipid based vitamin C. Which doesn't seem to be the case here with L Ascorbic.

I did come across many recipes from Kassy like this one:
15% C,E + FA with HA (New 6/23/09)

1 tsp L-Ascorbic Acid
3 tsp Distilled H2O
1 tsp SKB
1 tsp Glycerin
1/4 tsp Ferulic Acid
1/4 tsp vodka
1/8 tsp Vitamin E or Rosehip Oil
1/2 tsp Hyaluronic Acid Serum (NCN has a really nice 2oz serum, that is compatible with this recipe, and is also great for an LED serum)

But since this was a recipe made in 2009 I wonder if she made a more recent one or if this is still perfect.

I would like to know more about the ingredients in the serum (Mystelic) that I previously posted. Comments on what I should or shouldn't keep etc...

free skin care · Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:06 am

Patou wrote:

I've been reading many, many posts and found some answers for the acronyms, the page with all the recipes link. So no need to reply to these things.

But I'm sure a long way from making my own vitamin C serum!!!

L Ascorbic is the base for many recipes, but I saw a video stating that to be absorbed through the skin it has to be a lipid based vitamin C. Which doesn't seem to be the case here with L Ascorbic.

I did come across many recipes from Kassy like this one:
15% C,E + FA with HA (New 6/23/09)

1 tsp L-Ascorbic Acid
3 tsp Distilled H2O
1 tsp SKB
1 tsp Glycerin
1/4 tsp Ferulic Acid
1/4 tsp vodka
1/8 tsp Vitamin E or Rosehip Oil
1/2 tsp Hyaluronic Acid Serum (NCN has a really nice 2oz serum, that is compatible with this recipe, and is also great for an LED serum)

But since this was a recipe made in 2009 I wonder if she made a more recent one or if this is still perfect.

I would like to know more about the ingredients in the serum (Mystelic) that I previously posted. Comments on what I should or shouldn't keep etc...

That video is a lie. Does not have to be a lipid based vitamin C. Skinceuticals CE Ferulic is a water based C and was studied at Duke University and pretty much got the ball rolling in the commercial C serum arena. Lipid based C serums work but I only use water based L-ascorbic acid. The recipe from Kassy is excellent. There are plenty more from here here. http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=11902

Sun Dec 28, 2014 6:56 am

Thanks for the info regarding that video. I'm still going around the forum and trying to learn with the amount of information.

I still would like some input regarding the serum I'm presently using (Mystelic) that I bought at Amazon. It does help, and it will probably take a while for my skin to really get better. I only find that it dries the skin a little too much.

So suggestions on adding/eliminating ingredients would probably make a much better serum for me.

I mentioned small spider veins and in the Mystelic serum there's some witch hazel and geranium which are known to help these. I wonder if I could add essentials oils in making my own. With maybe Cypress which is well known for this.

Same with Kassy's formulas. I checked a few of her recipes and others also. Problem is which one would be better for me?

But I'm learning!!

I also checked the providers and some links aren't good anymore. I'm in Quebec Canada and would prefer ordering from a Canadian web site because of sometime the duty stops certain products. Unless some members here can share their experiences with US providers.

free skin care · Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:07 am

Patou wrote:

Hi everyone!
My first visit here and there's so much info I'm quite lost on how to start!!!

I have been using a vitamin C serum called Mystelic Vitamin C serum, for a little more than a week. I have small spider veins on the cheeks and a roundish spot of keratosis. Skin of the face very dry since a couple of years. I have tried many creams, but can't tolerate them because of the greasy feeling.

The first days with Mystelic made my skin even more dry, so I stopped for a few days. I have now resume and at last I can see an improvement and very encouraged to continue.

Problem is all the info which is very confusing. Which vitamin C is absorb through the skin, the HA etc... And not to mention the price of these little 1oz bottle.

So here I am with all you very learned people and asking a very basic question. Please bear with my lack of knowledge, but I would like to make my own serum, but the correct and safe way. I was thinking of adding a drop or two of the essential oil Cypress to the already included witch hazel and geranium to make it more potent for the spider veins.

Could you give me some guideline towards making my own safe serum?

This is a list of the ingredients in Mystelic serum:
Deionized Aqua, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide (Botanical Hyaluronic Acid), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Carbomer, Arginine, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin, Organic Aloe Barbardensis Leaf, Organic Centella Asiatica, Organic Equisetum Arvense, Organic Pelagonium Gravoleons, Organic Taraxacum Ocinale

One last thing..I saw here many abbreviations that I have no clue of what that is. is there a place on this site where these are explained?

The Mystelic serum ingredients look pretty good for a sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) based C serum. It's probably the witch hazel that is drying you out. It must be there to dissolve one of the ingredients, although SAP is water soluble. I'm not familiar with the last three items on the list and I notice that glycerine and aloe are listed twice.

Usually you can add a couple drops of essential oil to a serum that already has oil in it. You need to shake it well and don't add more than 10 drops of essential oil to 1 oz.

Another SAP serum I like is Mad Hippie.
http://www.drugstore.com/mad-hippie-vitamin-c-serum/qxp388741

Sun Dec 28, 2014 12:40 pm

Since reading many posts here I learned about the ph and noticed that Mystelic is around 7 if my strips are good. That's way out of the 2.5-3.5 range.

When I put it on after washing, after a little while my face is red and the skin a little dryer. But after many hours it is much better and the keratosed spot peels.

So I am planning on making Kassy's 15% serum for now and just continue learning from the experts here on this forum before doing it.

Suggestions like yours with witch hazel are important.

free skin care · Sun Dec 28, 2014 5:08 pm

Patou wrote:

Since reading many posts here I learned about the ph and noticed that Mystelic is around 7 if my strips are good. That's way out of the 2.5-3.5 range.

When I put it on after washing, after a little while my face is red and the skin a little dryer. But after many hours it is much better and the keratosed spot peels.

So I am planning on making Kassy's 15% serum for now and just continue learning from the experts here on this forum before doing it.

Suggestions like yours with witch hazel are important.

PH of 2.5-3.5 is for L-ascorbic acid. The Mystelic serum has sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) in it which is a different version of vit c. SAP is less irritating, but is supposed to have a pH of 9-10. http://www.makingcosmetics.com/Vitamin-C-SAP-sodium-ascorbyl-phosphate_p_683.html.

Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:16 pm

Hi, everyone just wondering if I could sub Sea Kelp Coral for SKB in the popular Kassy recipe. not sure what happened to their original SKB.
Thanks!

free skin care · Tue Jan 06, 2015 8:49 pm

starnia wrote:

Hi, everyone just wondering if I could sub Sea Kelp Coral for SKB in the popular Kassy recipe. not sure what happened to their original SKB.
Thanks!

Yes

Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:25 am

I am preparing to order the items to make the Vitamin C serum from Kassy that I posted previously.

Some ingredients are available under different "composition", like vitamin E, there's acetate, mixed tocopherols T50 or 95%, hyaluronic acid ULMW-SLMW-LMW....

Could someone help decide, for all the ingredients in her recipe, which one to choose and also which Vitamin E is better or should I take Rosehip oil.

I am searching on Lotioncrafter's site, but not sure I will order from them. I'm in Canada and it would be easier to order here to prevent duty problem if any.

free skin care · Thu Jan 08, 2015 3:01 pm

Patou wrote:

I am preparing to order the items to make the Vitamin C serum from Kassy that I posted previously.

Some ingredients are available under different "composition", like vitamin E, there's acetate, mixed tocopherols T50 or 95%, hyaluronic acid ULMW-SLMW-LMW....

Could someone help decide, for all the ingredients in her recipe, which one to choose and also which Vitamin E is better or should I take Rosehip oil.

I am searching on Lotioncrafter's site, but not sure I will order from them. I'm in Canada and it would be easier to order here to prevent duty problem if any.

This is useful info. from the DIY Skinceuticals CE Ferulic kit from Lotioncrafter. I have made this a few times in the past.

Don’t try to substitute Mixed Tocopherols T50 (which contains 50% soybean oil) or the VitaminE Acetate for the d Alpha Tocopherol in the formulation. The resulting mix will not be clear or fully solubilized. You can substitute Mixed Tocopherols 95% for the Alpha Tocopherol, as these are pure tocopherols without the soybean added to dilute them. d-Alpha Tocopherol can generally be found in capsule form in a health food store. This formulation is meant to be made with regular Hyaluronic Acid, not Hyaluronic Acid SLMW as the
SLMW does not thicken the solution at all. The slight serum like consistency can only be achieved with a higher molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid.

http://www.lotioncrafter.com/formulary/DIY_C&E_With_Ferulic_Acid.pdf

Fri Jan 30, 2015 9:12 am

Finally received my order and made my first serum. The color seems right but the serum is very thick. It all sticks together so that I am unable to put in a bottle. If you try to take some the whole serum stretch in one whole ball.

Can I add some water and/or vodka to make it more usable?

I made the 15% serum of Kassy that I wrote in a previous post.

Sat Jan 31, 2015 6:22 am

Finally I put the serum on my face by managing to get a small portion of it by stretching it and it did spread pretty well.

I noticed that it wasn't drying my skin or irritating it like the Mystelic I mentioned.

I will use it for a longer time nevertheless to evaluate it.

Can I put an hydrating cream after the serum has been absorbed? If yes any suggestion on a recipe that is really well absorbed and not greasy?

Mon Feb 02, 2015 4:26 pm

Hi Patou,

It is much cheaper to make your own hyaluronic stock than to buy them. The reason it globs is because you have to mix both water phase and oil phase separately then add them together slowly. I have the same problems when I first started making the Vitamin C,E, B5 & Ferulic Acid serum. For me I normally add the SKB to the oil and use a mini blender to blend it and it will look opague at this point. Then add the Vitamin E and Poly 80 and blend again and set aside. Then I start on my water phase. I am really happy with this Vit C and have not tried any others. Honestly, I think the SKB is the culprit that is making the serum turning into a ball. I have to look for a substitute to make my serum or just stick to good oil aloe vera gel. Hope this helps.

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