Future Focus Vitamin C Serum.

Serums

About this product

A 15% L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serum with ferulic acid and additional antioxidants, designed to brighten skin tone and protect against oxidative damage.

Full ingredients

Water, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Betaine, Glycerin, Acetyl Cysteine, Sodium Lactate, Xanthan Gum, Ferulic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone, Magnesium Chloride, Trehalose

Guru Score

82%

Yay

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

3Gurus

3Yay

0Mixed

0Nay

What they liked

Doesn't run or feel draggy on application
Grippy finish fades quickly, not shiny
Airtight tube packaging resists oxidation

What they flagged

Needs extra moisturizer if your skin is very dry
Ascorbic acid smell present

What the gurus are saying

The airtight tube packaging with a one-way valve is what sets this serum apart, keeping the notoriously unstable ascorbic acid formula colorless and fresh for the full eight-month shelf life without oxidizing. The texture strikes a balance: it does not run off your fingers but feels lightweight and hydrating enough that some gurus found they did not need extra moisturizer, though it may not be hydrating enough on its own for those with dry skin. The serum earns praise for evening skin tone and a non-shiny finish, though it does have the characteristic vitamin C smell and can feel slightly grippy until fully rubbed in.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take August 2024

Best for

Mature skin

Type

SerumsDrops & dropper

Key actives

Vitamin C

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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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

HotandFlashy

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"The Poems from the Lab, because of the way it's packaged, it's really a clever package and it really keeps it stable inside the tube. After 7 months, it still isn't turning yellow at all, it's really crystal clear. That one is much more expensive, $80 price point, $89 something like that, but it should stay clear and effective for at least eight months in the tube, so that one is only $10 a month to use it if it will stay clear for 8 months."

All 3 takes from HotandFlashy

Faves + Fails January 2024

"This vitamin C serum does have 15% L-ascorbic acid at a pH of 3.2, so it's formulated pretty similar to the standard vitamin C serums that I love with the low pH. It also does contain ferulic acid which is one of the helper antioxidants. The look and feel and consistency of this vitamin C serum is really beautiful, it comes out crystal clear and all you need is a few drops to treat your whole face. The feel of it is slightly thicker than, say, the Timeless vitamin C serum. It's not going to run all over the place. This one does have a little bit longer of a rub-in and it does have a slightly grippy finish at the end, which I don't mind because once I've rubbed in my neck it kind of goes away. I like the finish on it, it's not overly shiny and overly dewy. What makes this product more stable than your standard vitamin C serum is really the packaging. It seems like there's something that is blocking air from getting into the tube, which is why they include this little part here called the beam, which is almost like a toothpaste tube squeezer to help you get the serum out. Poems from the Lab makes this in small batches, so you're getting a fresh product that will last for the full 8 months."

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"The Poems from the Lab Future Focus Vitamin C Serum is supposed to stay shelf stable for eight months. It's more of like an $80 price point, but if it does last the full eight months then it's only like $10 a month, so that's pretty good. I got this in February so now I've had it for like six months and this is still nice and clear."

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Lab Muffin Beauty Science

861k subs

✓Yay

"The texture doesn't run down your fingers when you're trying to put it on, but it isn't so thick that it feels syrupy and draggy. The finish is really hydrating and soothing, it's not shiny and it gives me enough of a moisturizing effect that I haven't really needed an extra moisturizer, though I'd guess it's probably not enough if you have dry skin. Ascorbic acid has always been really good for helping my pigment get more even and evening out my skin tone in general, and this has been working really well. The packaging is also really cool, it's this protective tube, and I think it's really the best type of packaging for protecting something from oxygen. Tubes can protect against oxygen if the plastic is chosen carefully and the seal is good. I have a tube of Melano CC that is two years old and it's still colorless, so I have really high hopes for this."

Gothamista

684k subs

✓Yay

"The first thing I apply on my skin right after cleansing is [...] my vitamin C serum. I have a new favorite ascorbic acid serum. [...] This is a 15% water-based ascorbic acid treatment that is also supported by ferulic acid, glutathione, amino acids. [...] The texture overall is just very lightweight, it simply disappears in your skin after you apply it. Yes, this does have that hot dog smell because it's ascorbic acid, but what I appreciate the most about this and what makes it stand out above the others is just the airtight packaging. [...] This will dispense droplet by droplet and nothing can go back inside the tube, so you can literally put this under running water to clean it and nothing will go back inside. I've never seen any one of these turn color or even slightly oxidized. It's simple but just adds so much longevity to a formula that is notoriously unstable. [...] Ascorbic acid serums do have a reservoir effect, so it's okay if you don't use it every single day. Sometimes I just use it every other day or sometimes even three times, four times a week."

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

Frequently asked.

What is Poems from the Lab Future Focus Vitamin C Serum?

A 15% L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serum with ferulic acid and additional antioxidants, designed to brighten skin tone and protect against oxidative damage.

Is Poems from the Lab Future Focus Vitamin C Serum worth it?

Yes. All 3 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 82%.

What is Poems from the Lab Future Focus Vitamin C Serum's Guru Score?

Poems from the Lab Future Focus Vitamin C Serum holds a Guru Score of 82%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.