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Peter Thomas Roth

Potent-C Power Serum.

Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum
Serums

About this product

A vitamin C serum featuring 20% THD ascorbate, 3% vitamin E, and 2% ferulic acid, designed to brighten skin and neutralize free radical damage.

Best for

Mature skin
Serums

The Guru Index verdict

75%

Approved

✓Approved · 75%
3Reviewers
2Approved
0Mixed
1Skip

What the gurus are saying

The gurus who tested this gave it strong praise for its hydrating texture and gentleness. What sets it apart is the THD ascorbate form of vitamin C, which experts found more stable and less irritating than L-ascorbic acid, making it especially suitable for sensitive skin and daily use without stinging. The formula also discloses exact percentages of its three key actives, which dermatologists noted is rare and valuable. One caveat: a reviewer expressed caution about vitamin C derivatives in general, noting they're less studied in peer-reviewed literature than some alternatives, though this particular form was praised by multiple experts as particularly well-researched and effective.
Synthesized from 3 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Vitamin CHyaluronic acidVitamin ESqualaneFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Water/​Aqua/​Eau, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Butylene Glycol, C9-12 Alkane, Caprylyl Methicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Ferulic Acid, Squalane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Jojoba Esters, Leuconostoc/​Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Coco-Caprylate/​Caprate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Edta, Mica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

Where to buy

Every take, in full

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 Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Tea with MD
Tea with MD
106k subs · 2k devotees
✓Approved
"The Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum is 20% vitamin C in the form of THD ascorbate, 3% vitamin E, and 2% ferulic acid. I really like because it comes out like a hydrating serum. I can just use this in place of a moisturizer and it offers absolutely zero irritation. I love THD ascorbate as opposed to L-ascorbic acid because my sensitive skin just loves this stuff and I can use it every day and not have any issues. You can see how silky and lightweight this is, it's perfect for layering, and it's just a really cosmetically elegant formula that causes zero irritation or stinging."
All 4 takes from Tea with MD
Dermatologist Explains: Vitamin C 101 | Dr. Joyce Park
"The Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum is 20% vitamin C in the form of THD ascorbate, 3% vitamin E, and 2% ferulic acid. I really like because it comes out like a hydrating serum. I can just use this in place of a moisturizer and it offers absolutely zero irritation. I love THD ascorbate as opposed to L-ascorbic acid because my sensitive skin just loves this stuff and I can use it every day and not have any issues. You can see how silky and lightweight this is, it's perfect for layering, and it's just a really cosmetically elegant formula that causes zero irritation or stinging."
Ultimate Summer Skincare Transition Guide | Dr. Joyce Park
"The Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum is THD ascorbate based and also a serum, and it's so good. I love it."
Ultimate Black Friday Cyber Monday Skincare Sale Picks | Dr. Joyce Dermatologist
"As a serum it's almost like a lightweight cream. I really like this texture especially for fall and winter when my skin is dry, especially during pregnancy my skin is super dry, and it forms a hydrating base to the point where I don't usually need to use moisturizer afterwards. I've been using this personally as my vitamin C during the winter because it's very hydrating and very moisturizing."
Part 2️⃣ of what this
"This is from Peter Thomas Roth and it's the Potent-C Power Serum. This has 20% of THD ascorbate which is my personal favorite type of vitamin C. It's lipid soluble, it's very stabilized, it's less irritating for my sensitive skin than L ascorbic acid which is in a lot of other vitamin C preparations. It also has 3% vitamin E antioxidant and 2% ferulic acid. I like it because it comes out as a serum as opposed to like a liquid or an oil which a lot of other vitamin C's come out as. It's very hydrating, it's not irritating at all, and I've been really liking it as a base. Vitamin C has a whole host of benefits, it helps to brighten, neutralize free radical damage from the sun. This has been a really cool new product that I've been liking."
The Budget Dermatologist
The Budget Dermatologist
718k subs · 7k devotees
✓Approved
"This one is one of the more expensive products I will recommend on my channel but it is unmatched and it is that good. This has 20% THD ascorbate in it, it has 3% vitamin E in it and 2% ferulic acid, so I consider this your THD swap of the Skinceuticals CE Ferulic. It also has a trifecta and it has a very transparent list of the exact percent of each of those three ingredients in it, which is incredible. It's so frustrating how hard that is to find in skincare where they actually disclose how much, what is the percentage of these, because we need to know so we can go up or down based on how our skin reacts. I love that about the Peter Thomas Roth formula. Overall a really soothing formula, very nice product, unmatched, totally worth the money if you are going to go hard into Vitamin C in your skincare routine and you really want the best benefits. 20% sounds like a lot if you're trying to compare 20% L-ascorbic acid to 20% THD, they're not the same because this has to undergo a conversion to get to this, so even though this is higher I don't think you are going to get the same level of irritation with 20% this versus 20% that."
Top Pick: vitamin c serum
All 3 takes from The Budget Dermatologist
BUDGET Skincare Swaps! | The Budget Dermatologist
"This luxury vitamin C serum, I actually love this, it was my 2023 product of the year because it's so amazing. It has 20% vitamin C in the THD ascorbate form, which is one of my favorite types of vitamin C because it's more stable and less irritating to the skin. It gets better penetration than L ascorbic acid types of vitamin C. And this also has vitamin E and ferulic acid in this product, which work together synergistically with the vitamin C to help it do its job better. This one is truly an amazing, unparalleled product."
Answering Your Top 5 Skincare Questions! | The Budget Derm
"I also love the Peter Thomas Roth vitamin C that has the THD sorbate in it. It is a lot more expensive but it's another great option."
How To Pick a Budget Vitamin C Serum For YOUR Skin! | The Budget Derm Explains
"This one is one of the more expensive products I will recommend on my channel but it is unmatched and it is that good. This has 20% THD ascorbate in it, it has 3% vitamin E in it and 2% ferulic acid, so I consider this your THD swap of the Skinceuticals CE Ferulic. It also has a trifecta and it has a very transparent list of the exact percent of each of those three ingredients in it, which is incredible. It's so frustrating how hard that is to find in skincare where they actually disclose how much, what is the percentage of these, because we need to know so we can go up or down based on how our skin reacts. I love that about the Peter Thomas Roth formula. Overall a really soothing formula, very nice product, unmatched, totally worth the money if you are going to go hard into Vitamin C in your skincare routine and you really want the best benefits. 20% sounds like a lot if you're trying to compare 20% L-ascorbic acid to 20% THD, they're not the same because this has to undergo a conversion to get to this, so even though this is higher I don't think you are going to get the same level of irritation with 20% this versus 20% that."
No BS Beauty
No BS Beauty
89k subs · 2k devotees
✕Skip
"Peter Thomas Roth, I haven't been enjoying this one. This one's a different type of vitamin C, it's not ascorbic acid, it's a derivative. So just keep in mind the derivatives, they've been studied a little bit, but more studied by the manufacturers of each derivative than actual peer-reviewed journal studies like SkinCeuticals did. Some of them might be great for one person and not work at all for the next. The derivatives, I'm not so sold that those are totally gonna do the trick."
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