Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster: a Guru Score of 82%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Dark spots and post-acne marks1 expert

“I like to use vitamin C in the morning skincare routine to help build new collagen, to help lighten dark spots and fade hyperpigmentation, and just brighten and tone the skin.”

The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 3:18

Dull skin1 expert

“I like to use vitamin C in the morning skincare routine to help build new collagen, to help lighten dark spots and fade hyperpigmentation, and just brighten and tone the skin.”

The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 3:18

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

✓Yay

"If you're looking for something slightly less in your budget, I would say [Paula's Choice] C15 is one that you can also look at."

All 6 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

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"It is Paula's Choice C15 booster serum now this is a vitamin C serum it is 15% active vitamin C you do not need more than 20% it also has ferulic acid in it to stabilize it"

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"This one is $55 but it is just a serum and it is ascorbic acid, so this is for the ones who want the active form of vitamin C and just can't let it go. But it's not for everyone because it can be irritating, and you definitely do not need the 25% vitamin C. 15% is all you need."

Skincare for Your 30s: Anti-Aging, Adult Acne, Oily Skin | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"If you're somebody who just wants the most tried and true vitamin C, the purest form of vitamin C, you're talking about l-ascorbic acid, which is this one in Paula's Choice. You do not need to go higher than 20 percent. This comes in the form of a dropper. Unfortunately, once it turns really dark, it probably is not great and it can oxidize pretty fast."

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"If you're looking for something slightly less in your budget, I would say [Paula's Choice] C15 is one that you can also look at."

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"Paula's Choice is a 15 percent ascorbic acid with vitamin E and ferulic acid, though they do not specify the percentages of that. It still comes in a dropper, but it's a good option at $55 that provides the same active form with supporting ingredients as the more expensive alternatives."

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"Paula's Choice C15 is a straightforward L-ascorbic acid option, while my Major Fade Active Steel offers a much more stabilized approach and incorporates it with other brightening actives."

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

✓Yay

"Paula's Choice vitamin C is also a great option with good formulation."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"It's naive safe, no denatured alcohol, no fragrance, no essential oils. And there are other antioxidants in this product, which is brilliant. It's an airless pump. Brilliant. And it's got glycerin in it, too. So, a humectant. So, it's done a lot right. I think the only downside for me probably is the high price point. So, it's £61 for 30 mls. But, if you can afford it, it's a wonderful, wonderful vitamin C. Definitely doctor approved."

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

55k subs

✓Yay

"I love that Paula's Choice has a C15 Super Booster, which is a 15% vitamin C."

All 2 takes from Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

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"Paula's Choice also makes a C15 Super Booster that I really like as well."

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"I love that Paula's Choice has a C15 Super Booster, which is a 15% vitamin C."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"If you don't have very sensitive skin, [L-ascorbic] acid is a good option for you. The one from Paula's Choice is a good option."

All 3 takes from Doctorly

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"If you don't have very sensitive skin, [L-ascorbic] acid is a good option for you. The one from Paula's Choice is a good option."

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"The Paula's Choice one is a really great analog of the SkinCeuticals vitamin C, and it's a lot less expensive, but it does oxidize pretty quickly. If you're looking for a vitamin C that doesn't oxidize that's probably going to give you very similar results, look for something with ethylated ascorbic acid. It's an ethylated form of vitamin C which cleaves that ethyl group once it enters into the skin and it's more stable, absorbs easier into the skin and it will have a much longer shelf life."

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"You're using their vitamin C [...] you need a reup good opportunity to get your 25% off"

208SkinDoc

2.11M subs

✓Yay

"The Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster is 15% ascorbic acid in a stabilized formula. It's definitely going to be more expensive than the previous options we've talked about, but it's a very good vitamin C, and they've done some great demonstrations through social media showing its antioxidant power."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Nay

"Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster for brightening is basically a vitamin C serum and this one is currently $55 for [...] 20 milliliters, which is a lot of money for vitamin C serum. I don't remember this one being this expensive however it's 55 bucks."

All 4 takes from No BS Beauty

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"It also includes a peptide as well for anti-aging. It's more expensive than all the other ones so far, but a lot of people like it and have good luck with it. But I will mention it's 55 bucks and it's not comparable in terms of size. This is [...] 20 milliliters. So it's two-thirds the size of the other ones. So when you're thinking about numbers, keep that in mind because if this were an ounce, this would be 70 bucks, something like that, maybe a little bit more."

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"Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster for brightening is basically a vitamin C serum and this one is currently $55 for [...] 20 milliliters, which is a lot of money for vitamin C serum. I don't remember this one being this expensive however it's 55 bucks."

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"The Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster, it's pretty expensive, that's why I don't recommend it in my favorite ones, but it's expensive and it comes in a really small bottle, two-thirds of an ounce, and it's really expensive, but I've still typically had good luck and good results with it."

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"The only thing is that [...] it is a little bit more expensive [...] and the amount is a little bit less than the average vitamin C serum, and it doesn't seem to be manufactured as regularly as [...] some competitors. There are cheaper options that seem to be more fresh, but otherwise [...] it works, it's got all the good criteria, and nothing is wrong with it."

Tea with MD

115k subs

✓Yay

"Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster is 15% L-ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and ergothionine, which is an amino acid that is commonly found in mushrooms and black beans and works as an antioxidant. This one is really well formulated and backed by science. I find that it's a very light hydrating serum. It's been another staple of mine that I've been really enjoying and that I recommend a lot to my family, friends, and my patients."

All 2 takes from Tea with MD

Dermatologist Explains: Vitamin C 101 | Dr. Joyce Park

"Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster is 15% L-ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and ergothionine, which is an amino acid that is commonly found in mushrooms and black beans and works as an antioxidant. This one is really well formulated and backed by science. I find that it's a very light hydrating serum. It's been another staple of mine that I've been really enjoying and that I recommend a lot to my family, friends, and my patients."

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"This 10% azelaic acid booster is just the right balance, and the C15 Super Booster has 15% L-ascorbic acid with vitamin E and ferulic acid. [...] This is a wonderful vitamin C that does not burn my sensitive skin and it also comes as an eye cream as well."

Sincerely Miss Ash

196k subs

✓Yay

"I really enjoy the Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster. There's a lot of vitamin C serums that I love that I still use but when it comes to these types of vitamin C's they are very unstable and they oxidize very quickly because this is the purest form of vitamin C, L ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid."

All 2 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash

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"I really enjoy the Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster. There's a lot of vitamin C serums that I love that I still use but when it comes to these types of vitamin C's they are very unstable and they oxidize very quickly because this is the purest form of vitamin C, L ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid."

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"I do like the Paula's Choice one very similar to the Timeless but again we have that 20 mil size. This one is fragrance free it does have a little bit of that smoky scent from what I can remember it's been a while since I've used this one, [...] and there's a 4 month shelf life with this one."

The Budget Dermatologist

725k subs

✓Yay

"The C15 Super Booster is a holy grail from Paula's Choice because it is a stable form of vitamin C, L ascorbic acid, and it has vitamin E and ferulic acid in it as well. It's a great product at a fraction of the price of the SkinCeuticals one. I like to use vitamin C in the morning skincare routine to help build new collagen, to help lighten dark spots and fade hyperpigmentation, and just brighten and tone the skin."

Top Pick: stable vitamin c serum

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Peptides

Peptides are short protein fragments meant to signal repair. The evidence for them is thinner than for retinoids or vitamin C, and it varies a lot by the specific peptide, so the category is more promising than proven.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster?

A 15% L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serum with ferulic acid and vitamin E, formulated to brighten skin and support collagen production.

Is Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster worth it?

Mostly yes. 9 of the 10 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 82%.

What is Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster's Guru Score?

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster holds a Guru Score of 82%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 10 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.