Cosmetic Skin Solutions, LLC - SkinCeuticals knock-off?
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free skin care · Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:48 pm

GirlieGirl wrote:

starriest - did your serums come with a complete ingredient listing on them? Someone reported they did not and the company refused to give them out even though she had already purchased them.

No, they do not have a complete ingredients list. The bottles do not come in a box. The labels on the bottles are just like SkinCeuticals in that they list the active ingredients and the percentages of each on the front label. Such as: "Broad Spectrum Anti-Oxidant containing 10% L-Ascorbic acid, 2% Phloretin, .5% Ferulic" or something like that. The verbage about the ingredients is precisely the same on these bottles as it is on the SkinCeuticals bottles. However, SkinCeuticals bottles are packaged in a box which has an actual ingredient list printed on the box.

free skin care · Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:50 pm

tsjmom wrote:

*quietly listening in*

I'm anxious to hear about the comparison of the Phloretin vitamin c products.

I have not yet cracked this one open. With the holiday chaos, everything including my skin is wigging out. I can't really give it an honest assesment yet, but will get back to the board when I can.

free skin care · Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:57 pm

I have continued to try the HA B5 serum. I find the effect of this to be an acceptable substitute for the SkinCeuticals B5 serum.

I figured that how my skin feels is a good enough measure. Unlike vitamin C, this is not something that has a far-off, future effect. I think whether or not it works is quickly measured in skin feel and I do not need to be as concerned about finding out in five years I have been wasting time and money on fake or ineffective ingredients. So this one is a great deal for the price.

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:51 pm

I have now given the Phloretin knock-off a good and solid test. My conclusion is that I will not purchase this as a substitute and will continue to use the SkinCeuticals version.

The knock off version has a slightly different texture, a little stickier and it reminds me somewhat of the CE Ferulic which my skin cannot tolerate. I just cannot use anything with Vit E on my skin and this Phloretin copy actually made my skin have a TINY amount of reaction as if there might be a little Vit E in it. With no ingredient list, it is impossible to know. Or it could just be the base. It does not seem the same or as drying as the SkinCeuticals version. This is a good or bad thing depending on your skin type.

Lastly, the price difference between the knock off version and the SkinCeuticals $150 list price is significant. However, the SkinCeuticals version is available on eBay for $90. That makes the price different MUCH less.

I got softer skin and a better result from the SkinCeuticals version. I will stick with that for now.

So my testing is:

CE Ferulic seems like a perfect copy.

B5 Serum is a close copy, a little stickier at first.

Phloretin is not a good enough copy for me.

The CE and B5 are good substitutes if price is very important. Not so for the Phloretin.

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:08 pm

Thanks for the update!! I appreciate you test driving this for us Smile

Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:41 pm

I have been using the Cosmetic Skin Solutions C E Ferulic serum for about two weeks now. It's working wonders, and I don't see any difference between the Skinceuticals which I had previously used, and Cosmetic Skin Solutions. If anything, the Cosmetic Skin Solutions is better because it doesn't smell and it smooths on my skin better than Skinceuticals which I used much more of because it did not smooth out as evenly as this. I'm very impressed with the texture of my skin too, nice and smooth. It makes it look like my parched skin just had a deep drink. I love it, and will definitely keep using it. My bank account loves it too! Smile

free skin care · Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:01 pm

What great timing! I was just looking at this company the other day and ordered my first dermaroller from them. I was a little hesitant as I'd never heard of the company before...so now I feel better knowing that others have at least ordered something from them and had a good experience.

I didn't order the serums. But they do sell their products through Amazon and they currently have a "free shipping" special underway.

Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:51 pm

I would like to buy the Phloretin from this brand as skinceuticals is so expensive, I recently ordered Phloretin samples from Ebay and had to ask for a refund as I thought they were fake. I got to that conclusion after opening one of the little bottles and noticed that the fluid was completely watery and not oily, not smell at all and very clear color like water. It looks completely diluted. The Ebay seller reassured me that it's not fake and issued me a refund but I have used phloretin before and it was very thick fluid and yellowish color and it had strong bacon smell. Now that I have my $ refund I'm looking for a cheaper option and found this Cosmetic Skin Solution company and I'm not sure if I give it a try Sad

or just save more money and pay the $152 for the phloretin directly for skinceuticals website Question

free skin care · Thu Apr 29, 2010 6:01 pm

leaconcertina wrote:

I would like to buy the Phloretin from this brand as skinceuticals is so expensive, I recently ordered Phloretin samples from Ebay and had to ask for a refund as I thought they were fake. I got to that conclusion after opening one of the little bottles and noticed that the fluid was completely watery and not oily, not smell at all and very clear color like water. It looks completely diluted. The Ebay seller reassured me that it's not fake and issued me a refund but I have used phloretin before and it was very thick fluid and yellowish color and it had strong bacon smell. Now that I have my $ refund I'm looking for a cheaper option and found this Cosmetic Skin Solution company and I'm not sure if I give it a try Sad

or just save more money and pay the $152 for the phloretin directly for skinceuticals website Question

It sounds like the product you bought on eBay was not fake. You mention using it before but are you thinking about SkinCeuticals CE? Many say CE smells like hotdogs.

SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF is watery not oily. Its in an alcohol base and should be clear. And there is no distinct smell to it like with CE.

Also all C serums should be clear to very light yellow. If its dark yellow/amber its oxidized.

free skin care · Tue May 25, 2010 6:09 pm

Be careful and check prices between their official site and Ebay store. I found the Phloretin was $10 cheaper through their regular store.

free skin care · Tue May 25, 2010 7:00 pm

I usually buy Neostrata Vitamin C capsules and they vitamin C is protected from air asit is in a sealed thing you twist open (like the dermalogica).

I know they aree 10% and I tried a 20% one in the airless pump bottle and it is too strong for me.

How come more companies do not offer such products?
It is not expensive either- I pay $35 and often there is a 25% off sale at the drugstore too Smile

I was told by the customer service reps of Neostrata that the vitamin C in capsules was supposed to be better as it did not oxidise until it was opened.
Maybe they were trying to brainwash me of their products?

I know if you email Neostrata they are nice with mailing out samples.
They ended up sending me a small packet w 2 capsules of the vitamin C, and a bunch other small packets...

I've tied a few other vitamin C products, but they never seem to do much for me.
I have a sample of the CE Ferulic, so will try that soon I guess.

Tue May 25, 2010 8:53 pm

Thanks for the advice, I have decided to purchase my skinceuticals products only in their official website, I'm still using my Retinol 1.0 plus Obagi clear 3 at night and my face looks clear and lot of acne and sun spots faded. Although I have stop using them for 4 days as I had a medium peeling yesterday (Jessner + 30% TCA).

free skin care · Wed May 26, 2010 1:00 pm

GirlieGirl wrote:

starriest - did your serums come with a complete ingredient listing on them? Someone reported they did not and the company refused to give them out even though she had already purchased them.

I emailed the company and received a very prompt response with the ingredients to the Phyto + serum and the CE Ferulic. Exact ingredient list as skinceuticals.

free skin care · Wed May 26, 2010 3:46 pm

oranges wrote:

GirlieGirl wrote:

starriest - did your serums come with a complete ingredient listing on them? Someone reported they did not and the company refused to give them out even though she had already purchased them.

I emailed the company and received a very prompt response with the ingredients to the Phyto + serum and the CE Ferulic. Exact ingredient list as skinceuticals.

Yes they are now open with ingredients listing. For what ever reason they did not want share this info before, that and some other emails from them in the past left me with a distaste for them.

free skin care · Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:14 am

HI, I thought I would post some of my results from using Cosmetic Skin Solutions products.

I myself after reading some of the other posts on this thread decided to purchase the Vit C,E + Ferulic, and the B5.
Now it must be stated that I have never used Skinceuticals nor any other Vit C or B5 product before. This is my first try of this type of skincare. The reason I chose Cosmetic Skin Solutions over Skinceuticals is based on some reviews done here were the user - starriest - stated barely any difference between the Skinceutical and Cosmetic Solutions versions of Vit C/E +Ferulic and B5. The other reason was of course the price.

So what I can say, is my skin is really loving these products. I have had no bad reaction. The first day or two, I noticed barely anythng, except, my skin looked a little glowier, I thought. Then, some of my little blemish sores began to heal over and kind of flake away.
After only 2 weeks, my skin tone is taking on a nice tone and glow to it. I find that after I apply my Vit C and then the B5 in the morning, I don't need an added moisturizer, which is fantastic Exclamation

I use the B5 (but not the C,E,Ferulic) at night after cleansing and toning and before I moisturize. As it seems to dry really quickly, I add it to my skin while it still has some toner and it spreads easily this way, however I find my skin will feel tight between when it drys and applying my moisturizer. So it must be the Vit C mix in the morning that is the real moisturizer?

free skin care · Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:13 pm

I just got the CSS today and have tried it out. I cannot believe how cheap it is!

I've tried Skinceuticals (two bottles) and I actually prefer the CSS version for these reasons:

- It absorbs quite quickly. Skinceuticals seems to sit on top of my skin and leaves a tacky residue. CSS does not.

- Oxidation- both of the times I have bought Skinceuticals they have never been fresh and clear, there has always been some discolouration. My Cosmetic Skin Solution is completely colourless- YAY!

-Price: for a full bottle of Skinceuticals I paid around £120 (around 200 dollars). For a full bottle of Cosmetic Skin Solution I paid 50 dollars including shipping to UK- around 35 pounds. That has saved me around 85 pounds!

Also concerning the PH a beauty blogger tested that PH and it is 3 (the same as Skinceuticals). Here is what she wrote:

"I know there are some confusions and doubts about the serums from Cosmetic Skin Solutions versus SkinCeuticals. As you can see at the end of this post, the ingredient lists of C E Ferulic Serums from these two brands look the same, both claiming that they have 15% of stabilized Vitamin C, 1% Vitamin E, and 0.5% ferulic acid.

At the request of my readers, I tested the pH of Cosmetic Skin Solutions C E Ferulic Serum. It is about 3. So there is no difference in pH between these two products either.

I used both and I could not tell the difference in terms of effects on my skin. Cosmetic Skin Solutions C E Ferulic is colorless and odorless while SkinCeutical C E Ferulic is not. And that is the only difference I can tell.

I will update if I can get more information about this cheaper version of SkinCeuticals.

Cosmetic Skin Solutions C E Ferulic Ingredients
Water, Ethoxydiglycol (solvent), L-Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Propylene Glycol (humidifying and delivery ingredient), Glycerin (humidifying and skin-identical ingredient), Laureth 23 (emulsifier), Alpha Tocopherol (vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol (solvent and preservative), Triethanolamine (pH balancer), Ferulic Acid (antioxidant that also enhances the stability of vitamins), Panthenol (moisturizer – alcohol form of vitamin B), Sodium Hyaluronate (moisturizing skin-identical ingredient).

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Ingredients
Water, Ethoxydiglycol (solvent), L-Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Propylene Glycol (humidifying and delivery ingredient), Glycerin (humidifying and skin-identical ingredient), Laureth 23 (emulsifier), Alpha Tocopherol (vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol (solvent and preservative), Triethanolamine (pH balancer), Ferulic Acid (antioxidant that also enhances the stability of vitamins), Panthenol (moisturizer – alcohol form of vitamin B), Sodium Hyaluronate (moisturizing skin-identical ingredient)."

http://www.beautyoutsider.com/cosmetic-skin-solutions-vs-skinceuticals-c-e-ferulic/

free skin care · Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:34 am

Has anyone tried the Phyto + gel from CSS? On their website, they have specials if you get pairs. I would love to try this gel, as it states it is moisturizing, but also helps with pigmentation issues.

Has anyone compared this or the B5 gel to Skinceuticals?

Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:54 pm

CSS has some of the best products out there with very good prices. To get even better deals I prefer you buy their combo packs. As with the case with any skincare problem you're dealing with you need a combination to work really efficient. My personal favorites are the CE FERULIC and HYDRATING B5.

free skin care · Wed Apr 06, 2011 2:02 pm

I've been using the Cosmetic Skin Solutions C+E Ferrulic for about a month, I think, with alarming results. I have big, juicy blackheads where I never had them before. Shock

Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:23 am

Hello All!

Whereas I have never been a fan of the prices of Skinceuticals' products, I have enjoyed healthy and beautiful skin. Unfortunately, I was not able to continue the purchases due to limited monies, which is disappointing to my skin. I find the prices to be inconsiderate of the well being of people.

I am grateful for the reviews about the comparison of the Cosmetic Skin Solutions. I really would like to try the products but have some hesitation because my funds are limited and I cannot afford to waste money that I must save for purchases.

Do you have additional information about CSS' products to help me undersand the effectiveness and efficiency of their products to a greater degree?

I am looking for proven data. I find that reviews could possibly help people to receive the best deals of quality. Rolling Eyes

With Love

free skin care · Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:24 pm

Does anyone know how CSS can offer these identical products? I thought SC had a patent....

It does make me suspicious as to whether these are genuine products. Surely SC would have taken action?

free skin care · Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:47 pm

LondonJamie wrote:

Does anyone know how CSS can offer these identical products? I thought SC had a patent....

It does make me suspicious as to whether these are genuine products. Surely SC would have taken action?

That's the reason I'm hesitant to order from them. Although I would love to, as my Skinceuticals C+E Ferulic cost an arm and a leg from HQhair.

Sat Aug 18, 2012 8:34 pm

Has anyone tried serum 20? I find it a little oily compared to the Skinceuticals one.

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