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

free skin care · Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:34 pm

Fawnie had a great link to a youtube showing a Vit C recipe that I loved. Maybe she'll come and post it for us. It's on my other computer and I have no access right now.

free skin care · Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:32 pm

anamarti2800 wrote:

i have tried the following C serum and found it to be a great for my Malasma. I have used been using it for two months and i have notice my skin has improved and the dark spots on my cheeks and middle of forehead have gotten litter. I will continue to use this for a long time. I should mention that i have also used the Retin A a night with the C serum to help my Melasma.

the joy of have kids you get all those blotches.

This is the formula i found here (Thank YOU to the original owner!!!!!! My Malasma and I thank you
------------------------------------------
This is the best one IMHO, and the only one I've used in quite a while;

15% C, E + Ferulic Acid Serum, 1oz

1 tsp. L-Ascorbic Acid
1/4 tsp. Ferulic Acid
1/3 cc/ml (.3) of Vitamin E Oil
1/3 cc/ml (.3) of Hyaluronic Acid
1 tsp. SKB
1 tsp. vodka
3 1/2 tsp. H2O [/size]
Very Happy

If you liked that one, you'll love this better. I've been using it since I posted it in 2010.

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?p=6395390#6395390

15% VITAMIN C SERUM WITH WGO + FA

- 15% LAA
- 1% Wheat Germ Oil (high vit E content!)
- .5% Ferulic Acid
- .5% Polysorbate 80
- .5% Preservative (Optiphen works nicely in acidic formulas!)
- .5% Vodka (you need to use this to dissolve the FA.)
- 82% Distilled Water

Happy formulating!

free skin care · Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:33 pm

Here is a great (and short 3:41 sec) youtube on making a C & E ferulic serum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwnMxRL7J5w

I'm sure you could sub in Kassy's ingred and it would be okay too. This is primarily a tutorial for the visual learner. Hope it helps.

Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:03 am

Does anyone use magnesium ascorbyl phosphate instead of ascorbic acid for a less 'possibly' aggravating mix? I know Vit C is important for pre and post rolling but my skin is very sensitive and thin, so i'm apprehensive about using ascorbic. MAP looks like a good alternative (??) and i've been able to find some from a good seller.

Would the ratio's essentially be the same? I'm thinking i would start by taking it slow, and just using distilled water.

free skin care · Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:23 am

^The magic number for MAP is 10%.

You can mix it with E, but I would leave out the ferulic. It might make the mix too acidic. MAP likes a neutral or very, very slightly alkaline ph.

Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:26 am

Thanks! I'm looking at buying from active formulas (found their link on here for UK stockists of actives for diy purposes, think it's the UK version of Skin Actives). They also suggest a 10% concentration.

Since i'm new to all this diy'ing, would that be the same as a 10% ascorbic serum... as in, a ratio of 1:9 using a 1/4 teaspoon map into 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of distilled water? I still get confused about % and amounts Sad

(hanging my head in shame)

Fri Jul 26, 2013 4:44 am

Kassy_A wrote:

vasilenka wrote:

Vitamin C serum experts i would appreciate your help Smile

L Ascorbic Acid
Ferulic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Sea Kelp Ferment ( it is in liquid form , white in color is it supposed to be like that?)
Aloe vera 10x concetrate in liquid

Now how do i mix it all? lol Wink

Oh i also bought the Ph measuring strips to check the ph level at the end.

Please any help will be appreciated Smile

I know in some of the recipes it says to use glycerin i was wondering could i replace the aloe vera, or in some other it says to use water can i replace it with aloe vera again? just curious.

Looking forward for advice before i mix things up Smile

Thank you in advance ladies

Welcome to the DIY jungle Laughing

I'm happy to give you my 2 cents for what it's worth..

I'm answering you generically here, because you don't have a signature line, so I have no idea your age or skin concerns..

You might like to try this for a 15% 1oz C serum..(After 3 years of this, I find that tsp measurements are easiest and work out just fine for the majority.. I'm not into rocket science.. Laughing

)

- 1 tsp of L-AA
- 3 1/2 tsp distilled water
- 1 tsp sea kelp
- 1 tsp aloe vera
- 1/8th tsp ferulic acid (must be dissolved in alcohol..1/4 tsp of vodka works well.)

I'm not sure what form of hyaluronic acid you have? (pre mixed serum, powder?) Anyway, you could just do whatever the directions say, but usually you would want to keep it at 1%. Personally, I could take it or leave it for effect, but it does give the serum a nicer consistency.

You'll want your finished serum to have a pH of 3.5 or less (I find 2.5 optimum for me.)

If your skin is on the dry side, then up to 1/4 tsp of glycerin could be added.. (1/8th tsp is best if needed though IMHO.) It's really sticky if you use more. Nice humectant though, and does help keep things emulsified better.

Hope that helps!

@Kassy

I noticed that your recipe doesn't mention preservatives. How long will a serum without preservatives stay fresh suppose I sterilize all bottles and containers?

Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:33 pm

Ah,

Guess I should have posted here instead of making my own thread Embarassed

Hopefully someone can clarify a few things for me. I want to make a serum using both LAA and THDA (I read that mixing the two gives a potent result). Right now I'm using a LAA serum I bought and layering with a THDA DIY serum I made. I was thinking of combining the two together once I'm done with the LAA serum. Here are some questions:

1. Would it be better to make a simple LAA serum instead of mixing the two? The percentage of LAA would be the same separate or in one serum (20%) but I read somewhere that THDA can't go in as deep as LAA because its oil-soluble and the oil makes it harder .. so wouldn't a separate water based LAA serum be more potent than one mixed with THDA (oil & water) due to the oil content?

2. If thats not the case, then shouldn't I use the least amount of water needed to dissolve LAA and increase the oil content? Because more water = faster oxidation?

3. Can I dissolve the LAA in a HA serum rather than straight water? Seems like the least amount of water is a good option, whether I make a LAA serum on its own or one combined with THDA. This is the LAA serum I wanted to use:

Quote:

Its a Japanese one, the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Lotion (lotion is basically what they call toner in Japan).

It is reportedly pH balanced and alcohol free / very minimal ingredients. Here is a list:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Disodium Succinate, Methyl Paraben, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Succinic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:38 pm

lindsay123 wrote:

Since i'm new to all this diy'ing, would that be the same as a 10% ascorbic serum... as in, a ratio of 1:9 using a 1/4 teaspoon map into 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of distilled water? I still get confused about % and amounts Sad

(hanging my head in shame)

Yes, its 10% of however much serum you plan to make, so 10% of 30 ml, or 10% of 100ml or a ratio of 1:9 if the only other ingredient is distilled water.

The percentages confused me but I finally worked out what it all meant and I understand it better now Smile

free skin care · Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:57 pm

This is an idea for those who may be
1. Taking a break or no longer interested in making DIY and/or tired of refrigerating our DIY C.
2. Want something very fresh daily and it is easy to do.
After making my own C&E ferulic for the longest time I bought a Philosophy C powder and mix the powder daily in my hand with DNA serum from NCN. The Philosophy C powder has a scoop to measure the perfect amount. I got lots in the jar. It seems to be a very nice outcome - brightening... but I've always loved the DNA serum anyway. According to my skinactives chart I can add the ferulic to my DNA serum - have to check further to be sure but it's an option.

Tue Jul 30, 2013 6:13 pm

Stupid question, but would shaking a Vit C serum in its pump bottle cause the LAA to degrade more quickly? Sometimes my serums separate so I like giving them a quick shake before each use.

Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:23 am

don't think so..
L-Ascorbic Acid Vic.C should be applied to skin directlly, should not be mixed with other things

Mon Aug 05, 2013 1:19 am

Hey,

If you look through the thread, there are many different recipes people have successfully used, mixing LAA with other ingredients. The one I was concerned with separating is SKB since I'm not using any emulsifiers.

If someone could answer, I'd be really grateful Smile

free skin care · Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:40 pm

Technically shaking in a regular pump bottle would expose the dissolved C to more air. But with a tiny batch (30 grams or so) I don't think it would degrade fast enough for you to worry about. If you meant an airless pump bottle, no problems at all.

I have a quick question myself.

After several years of using an anhydrous ascorbic acid serum at night, I'm going to switch back to my old water based (mixed in the palm) recipe for mornings. My old recipe has a cocktail of mixed E, ferulic, bht and Q 10. I'm correct in thinking that the bht and Q 10 will be fine at a low ph because they are lipid soluble, right? I know there's some disagreement about using retinol with acids, but I wouldn't put Q 10 in the same arena as retinol.

The only info I had about ph relationships and Q 10 was one of my old notebooks. I wrote down the specs of a study done in the 90s that said neutral o/w emulsions kept Q 10 from degrading better than acidic or alkaline emulsions. But when I went to google the study....I can't find it anymore.

Any ideas, anyone? I think they'll be fine. I don't remember any problems before. I'm just paranoid all the sudden because I haven't used a water C serum in a while.

Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:05 pm

Hello!
I have a question. I have mixed my first ever Vitamin C serum using LAA, distiller water and glycerin.
However, I hate the feeling of the glycerin on my skin and ever since I started using it, I have experienced a noticeable and nagging breakout.
The formula is for 15% vitamin C: 3/8 tsp LAA, 2 tsp distilled water and 1/8 tsp glycerin.

Can I skip the glycerin and use aloe vera instead? Will it affect the serum's pH?

Looking forward to your comments/suggestions!
Thanks! Smile

free skin care · Tue Aug 06, 2013 9:39 pm

kallibella wrote:

Hello!
I have a question. I have mixed my first ever Vitamin C serum using LAA, distiller water and glycerin.
However, I hate the feeling of the glycerin on my skin and ever since I started using it, I have experienced a noticeable and nagging breakout.
The formula is for 15% vitamin C: 3/8 tsp LAA, 2 tsp distilled water and 1/8 tsp glycerin.

Can I skip the glycerin and use aloe vera instead? Will it affect the serum's pH?

Looking forward to your comments/suggestions!
Thanks! Smile

Yes, I've substituted aloe gel for glycerine. I don't like the feel of glycerine either. I didn't see a change in pH.

Make sure your aloe gel is pure without a bunch of random fillers.

Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:00 am

Thank you ShastaGirl!!! Smile

I will make sure the aloe vera is 100% pure and no fillers.
Have a great day!!!

Wed Aug 07, 2013 7:38 am

Hi everyone! I'm really new to DIY and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the vast amount of (sometimes contradictory) info out there. I'd really love it if you guys could help clear up a few of my questions.

First, is it better to wear vitamin C serums during the day or night? I've heard so much conflicting info about this. Some say only night because it'll deactivate in the sun, some say it offers more sun protection so def. wear it during the day.

Also, I've been making my own vitamin C by using 1/4th tsp of distilled water and 1/8th tsp of LAA. But it seems to be causing blackheads and I can feel it crystallizing on my skin. When I first started using it (a few months ago) I think within the first week two light freckles disappeared and I was very pleased. But since then nothing of the sort has happened again. In fact, I think it may also be "staining" my skin so I'm pretty sure it's oxidizing even though I make it fresh each time I apply.

I asked on another forum and they said that store-bought serums are better and that my recipe was probably damaging my skin because of the oxidization - hence the staining. Do I need to be worried? I've actually stopped using it because I'm paranoid. I've been thinking about just applying my current serum, waiting a few minutes and then washing it off to try and get some benefits without the oxidization. Would this be a good idea?

In lieu of that though, is there a definitely stable recipe I can use? On the other forum they were saying that glycols and vitamin E were necessary in order for stabilization. I have really oily and acne prone skin so I dislike using glycerin and oils (am a bit paranoid about vitamin E because of how sticky and oily it seems).

free skin care · Thu Aug 08, 2013 5:57 am

Hi goolyboo and welcome! wave

Not to discount your observation, but is that redness/irritation rather than staining on your skin? Your recipe works out to be about 28% LAA, which is way too high and irritating. Also blackheads seem to suggest your skin might be getting dehydrated. I would suggest halving the amount of LAA you are using. Maybe also try using it every other day if you like, since vit c stays in the skin for up to 72 hours. I wouldn't be concerned about oxidation if you are making it fresh with every application.

I usually use vit c in the day under sunscreen. At night I am too busy with other stuff (retinoids, acids) and I do not like having to layer too many things, so. Pretty sure there will be others who disagree with me, so just go with whatever you are comfortable with. Very Happy

Thu Aug 08, 2013 6:57 pm

Has anyone tried Classic Sugar Boutique? All of their products have vit A&E in them. It's the Shea butter that helps.

Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:00 pm

Thanks circus!

I think I do experience some redness from it and will def. halve the amount of LAA in my recipe.

I'm still pretty sure there's some staining and oxidization going on though because I always notice some discoloration (brownish yellow) on my hands where I mix my serum after mixing it, and on occasion I'll notice some yellowy patches of color on my pillow if I sleep with the serum on. Maybe cutting down on the LAA will help absolve this issue though? Thanks so much for the input!

Fri Aug 09, 2013 6:47 am

Ah sorry guys, in retrospect I typed out my recipe wrong.... I'm using 1/8th of a 1/4th tsp of LAA and 1/4 tsp of distilled water. So the I end up with 12.5% of LAA which doesn't seem especially high. I'm not sure if I should still halve it or what I should do with it to prevent the staining and oxidization though. At the moment I'm just applying immediately, waiting 5-10 minutes and washing it off....

Fri Oct 04, 2013 9:02 pm

Hi can't wait to make serum just waiting for HA Serum,because when I first order the other chemicals at Lotioncraft.I purchased HA powder instead of the serum now am stuck with the ha powder what can I do with that.thank you so much

Fri Oct 11, 2013 3:06 pm

Kassy if you could guide me to the recipe DIY C serum with emulsifier&15% vit c,e ferulic acid and macadamia oil &rose hip oil. I bought all the INGREDIENTS. Like to get started thank you so much Smile

free skin care · Sat Oct 12, 2013 3:14 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

15% VITAMIN C SERUM WITH WGO + FA

- 15% LAA
- 1% Wheat Germ Oil (high vit E content!)
- .5% Ferulic Acid
- .5% Polysorbate 80
- .5% Preservative (Optiphen works nicely in acidic formulas!)
- .5% Vodka (you need to use this to dissolve the FA.)
- 82% Distilled Water

Happy formulating!

Hi Kassy, could this recipe be re-formulated as follows? Does LAA dissolve readily in Hyaluronic acid serum or is that a stretch? Would the hyaluronic also affect dissolving in the other phases such as the ferulic?

15% Vitamin CE Ferulic Serum (30 ml)
1% Hyaluronic Acid serum (with Optiphen) - 21 ml (70%)
L-Ascorbic Acid - 4.5 grams (15%)
Camelia Oil - 3.0 ml (10%)
Wheat Germ Oil (high vit E content!) - 0.3 ml (1%)
Ferulic Acid - 0.15 grams (0.5%)
Vodka (to dissolve the FA.) - 0.3 ml (1%)
D-Panthenol (B5) - 0.6 ml (1%)
Polysorbate 80 - 0.6 grams (1%)
Preservative (Optiphen) - 0.15 grams (0.5%)

Also would it be possible to whip up a batch of the base (i.e. everything except the LAA) and then just add vitamin C to a small amount i.e. 15ml every week? Question

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