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Remedy

Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum.

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About this product

A vitamin C serum built on 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, a gentler vitamin C derivative, combined with other antioxidants and fragrance-free, designed to brighten and protect skin as part of a daily routine.

Full ingredients

Water/​Aqua/​Eau, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Escin, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ectoin, Ergothioneine, Superoxide Dismutase, Acetyl Zingerone, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ferulic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Leuconostoc/​Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

More from Remedy 19 products · Guru Score 94% →

Guru Score

88%

Yay

9 experts · Moderate agreement
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus

What the gurus are saying

If every classic vitamin C serum makes your face sting, this gentler ethylated ascorbic acid version is the alternative gurus keep recommending, and it didn't sting for the reviewers who tried it. The texture is a lightweight, water-based fluid that disappears without a trace, with a slightly moisturizing feel. The catch: it's slower to work than some versions, and firming results are expected at three to six months. Let it dry before sunscreen in the morning.
Synthesized from 9 expert reviews · most recent take October 2026

What they liked

  • Moisturizing texture, doesn't sting or irritate
  • Fragrance-free, won't oxidize
  • Good value for the formula

What they flagged

    Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

    Type

    Key actives

    Formula notes

    Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

    Where to buy

    Opens a store search. We may earn from these links.

    Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

    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 marks2 experts

    “This is one of the most stacked, ethyl ascorbic, stable, gentle vitamin C plus serums you can find, for dark spots and collagen.”

    Doctorly, watch at 1:15

    Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

    “and it contains ectoin, which is the best calming and soothing barrier supporting ingredient.”

    Mad About Skin, watch at 10:29

    Skin barrier support1 expert

    “and it contains ectoin, which is the best calming and soothing barrier supporting ingredient.”

    Mad About Skin, watch at 10:29

    Loss of firmness1 expert

    “Vitamin C is a really great ingredient for firming and lifting the skin.”

    Mad About Skin, watch at 3:30

    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
    Beyond50Skin
    Beyond50Skin
    32k subs
    ✓Yay
    "If you're looking for a vitamin C serum and you have kind of some sensitivity to L-ascorbic acid, this is a great alternative."
    Top Pick: vitamin c serum for ascorbic acid intolerance
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    "So, this is definitely a favorite for those of you who cannot tolerate L-ascorbic acid. This is a great choice. You know how Remedy stacks their formulas? They always have such amazing ingredients and it also has DNA repair enzymes in the form of phytoplankton which I think is so interesting. Remedy has so many stacked formulas. Like if you buy one of their skincare products, you're getting multiple amazing ingredients."
    Real Life Skincare: Messy Morning, Takeout Night & a Relaxing PM Glow Routine
    "Starting off with a vitamin C. This is the one by Remedy. Very gentle. Great for winter. It's made with 30 zero ethylated ascorbic acid. So, super gentle. It's a vitamin C derivative. Quick mist. This bomb milk. [...] It's just kind of a milky mist. Super gentle. Again, this is a really nice, gentle winter skincare routine."
    AMAZON Prime Day Skincare & Beauty Deals: I Was SO Wrong! Over 50
    "If you're looking for a vitamin C serum and you have kind of some sensitivity to L-ascorbic acid, this is a great alternative."
    AliceintheRabbitHole
    AliceintheRabbitHole
    59k subs
    ✓Yay
    "This has to be one of the most requested product reviews I get here on the channel. I like it a lot, it's a really nice kind of more moisturizing feeling vitamin C derivative serum that includes a lot of other nifty ingredients. I love that you can go to the Reme website and look at all of the ingredients and see the published literature listed for each one. Such a good formula, [...] there are plenty of brands that would charge a lot more for that exact product."
    Abbey Yung
    Abbey Yung
    886k subs
    ✓Yay
    "The Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum is my most recent favorite. I've been absolutely loving it, it's been my daily vitamin C serum for a couple months now. It's definitely not [...] weightless though, more of a serum-moisturizer hybrid."
    All 2 takes from Abbey Yung
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    "I'm absolutely loving this. It's like a milky serum hybrid and it definitely makes my skin look nice and glowy."
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    "The Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum is my most recent favorite. I've been absolutely loving it, it's been my daily vitamin C serum for a couple months now. It's definitely not [...] weightless though, more of a serum-moisturizer hybrid."
    No BS Beauty
    No BS Beauty
    89k subs
    ✓Yay
    "They call it the bright vitamin C brightening complex. [...] They gave a moisturizer in this. [...] This one is thick, too. And it feels nice. It's winter. It was like -25 out. The more moisturizer the better right now. This moisturizer has no scent. Feels pretty nice."
    The Budget Dermatologist
    The Budget Dermatologist
    725k subs
    ✓Yay
    "So I just love that texture so much. [...] It's $28. That's an incredible price for a vitamin C serum that is more in line with the price that you will find on L-ascorbic acid types of vitamin C serums. [...] I love that this is equally competitively priced with those for $28. [...] Both of these vitamin C serums get a thumbs up from me in terms of formulation and feel on the skin such that they are not irritating and they don't sting."
    Mad About Skin
    Mad About Skin
    734k subs
    ✓Yay
    "This is vitamin C done right. It removes some of the complexity from layering into your skincare routine, boosts its effectiveness with other actives, and it's at a super affordable price point, so that for me is win-win-win."
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    "It's just a nice all-round formula. Super affordable and really lightweight. This is a water-based serum, so it's really just impossible to tell you've got it on after you've used it. [...] Some other versions of ethylated ascorbic acid can be a little bit oily. Not this. This just disappears without a trace, sinks in, but is delivering you all that great vitamin C benefit."
    GLOW LIKE A PRO - How To Use Vitamin C For The Ultimate Glowing Skin
    "A more affordable ethylated ascorbic acid would come in the form of the Remedy Daily Defense serum. Again, ethylated ascorbic acid not quite as quick to work as the Allies of Skin one, but same ingredient."
    Breakthrough SKIN FIRMING ROUTINE - One Product Changes It All
    "Day to day I use the Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum, which is one of my favorites. [...] Vitamin C is a really great ingredient for firming and lifting the skin. You have to be consistent with it, as you should be with all of your skincare. I would expect for most people if you started this routine now, the firming and lifting results will probably come at the 3 to 6 month point. So be consistent and definitely invest for the long term. [...] Five days a week, I use that one by Remedy."
    5 Best HYPERPIGMENTATION SERUMS 2026 - How I Fixed Dark Spots At 40
    "If you want a similar product at a much more affordable price point, you could reach for Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C. This has a 15% dose of ethylated vitamin C, so that sweet spot between pure form and derivative form, just absolute perfection. Packed full of glutathione too, so very similar formula. I just find it takes a little bit longer to work, so it depends on your level of patience. [...] Remedy is a great dupe. You will just have to have a tiny bit more patience."
    SECRET TO FIRMER & LIFTED SKIN - Study Exposes Collagen Scam
    "One of my absolute favorites is the Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C. 15% ethylated ascorbic acid. So it's got that collagen boosting, but it's got a whole plethora of other ingredients which are beneficial for the skin. This is one of my favorites and it has a super long shelf life, so you don't have to race through it worrying about it oxidizing."
    THE ORDINARY ARE IN CRISIS - What You Need To Know (And Best Dupes)
    "If you're looking for an alternative, I would fully fully endorse the Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum. Great brand, wonderful owner of the brand in Dr. Sha. [...] Absolutely wonderful brand that I've always had the best experience with. And their Daily Defense Vitamin C, honestly, I think in most cases, is better than the offerings from The Ordinary. Very easy to make a switch and I would definitely definitely recommend that."
    Its Official: VITAMIN C JUST LEVELLED UP (2x Stronger) - Bye Bye Ascorbic Acid
    "I think this product is the one that's going to supercharge vitamin C this year because it's become such a viral hit and a phenomena. [...] This is going to be a complete game changer when it comes to the vitamin C landscape. It's £26 around $30. Super inexpensive as well when you consider the formulation and you're not rushing through and wasting this. So that money you'll be able to use this right through to the very last drop without worrying about any of that wastage or oxidation."
    The Truth About Ectoin - THE ORDINARY RICE LIPIDS + ECTOIN Exposed
    "And I would say at the moment, this is my absolute favorite vitamin C for so many reasons. Ectoin being one of them. You get fewer side effects and irritation because that ectoin offsets that. You get all that potency from the vitamin C. It's stabilized so it won't oxidize quickly and it's just doing everything we want. In fact, I loved this vitamin C so so much I featured it in a standalone video. [...] Genuinely wonderful."
    I Stopped Tretinoin - The Results Blew Me Away ( BEST ANTI AGING SERUMS )
    "The Remedy Daily Defense is a great vitamin C. You can use it to [...] sustain results at a much more affordable price point."
    Greatest SKINCARE BRAND 2026 - This Brand Took 10 Years Off My Skin
    "I'm completely in love with their new vitamin C serum, the Remedy Daily Defense. This is the product that kind of pushed them into first place. I've gone back and forth for the past month working out [...] which deserves the first place, and I finally decided that Remedy deserves that top spot because of this formula."
    New: ANTI AGING BREAKTHROUGH 2026 - How I Prevent Wrinkles At 40
    "This is your vitamin C to fight hyperpigmentation, increase glow and luminosity in the skin, but also has ectoin alongside it to minimize side effects, fight inflammation, and just bring equilibrium back to the skin. This I absolutely love, and it's a two-in-one. So if one of your skincare ethoses for 2026 is streamlining, maximum results, minimum products, this is a no-brainer because it's your vitamin C with your ectoin all in one."
    Global BESTSELLING SKINCARE 2026 - Rating Most Purchased Skincare
    "It's a hybrid. It delivers all the great benefits of those instant results of pure form vitamin C but it's shelf stable. So it won't oxidize. It'll last you forever and you get a nice longevity of use without feeling like you have to rush through it because it's already turning bad. This I love. Remedy really have just hit the market. You've got your glutathione in here too, which is fantastic for brightening the skin. Every single box they could have ticked, they have ticked."
    Vitamin C Has Changed Forever - OFFICIAL VITAMIN C HALL OF FAME 2026
    "I think this product is the closest you're ever going to come to a universal will work for everyone vitamin C. [...] Just using this in your skincare routine is a guaranteed quick win. It has so many other brightening ingredients alongside it. This is a really comprehensive formula and that's important because vitamin C on its own amazing, but if you combine it with other brightening actives and ingredients, you just get so so many more times the benefit than just using vitamin C."
    Top 10 VITAMIN C SERUMS 2026 - It's Over For Ascorbic Acid
    "Uses ethylated acid so it's super shelf stable. This isn't going to oxidize on you quickly like a lot of other pure form vitamin C's will. You get that shelf life. So you can use this in the long term and get the benefits over months rather than weeks, which I think we can all appreciate. One of the things we're all trying to do in 2026 is minimize waste. And I hate the idea of people throwing out their vitamin C's half used because they've oxidized."
    Major Update: MOST ADVANCED VITAMIN C EVER - Vitamin C Is Changing Forever
    "Remedy for Daily Defense has glutathione and vitamin C in stabilized form together. Glutathione is clinically proven to enhance the performance of vitamin C, [...] particularly when it comes to fading hyperpigmentation. [...] This is a powerhouse serum that's really inexpensive and ships well without worrying about [...] shelf life impacted by oxidation. It [...] travels well without risking oxidation in warmer temperatures. [...] Glutathione alongside vitamin C is like a match made in heaven."
    VITAMIN C SERUM BACKLASH - What's Really Going On
    "This is one of the newest launches into the vitamin C market and in my opinion, one of the best. It never claims to be the best at anything, saying using this will add an extra layer of antioxidant defense to your skincare routine and will increase radiance and luminosity alongside that. Realistic goals when it comes to how they pitch this product, and I think Remedy should really be applauded for that. This uses a stabilized form of vitamin C, so it has a longer shelf life."
    Im 40 - My FULL ANTI AGING SKINCARE ROUTINE (This Actually Works)
    "This is the Remedy For Daily Defense vitamin C, [...] a nice lightweight vitamin C emulsion. It's stunning, absolutely stunning. I want something lightweight on the skin for the warmer months, so I [...] go for lighter products like emulsions over oils, [...] and this fits. Vitamin C is fantastic for anti-aging, it fades hyperpigmentation, provides some protection against free radical damage, and brightens the skin."
    THE BEST SKINCARE OF 2026 (So Far) - My Most Repurchased Skincare Heros
    "You've also got DNA repair enzymes, which is quite an innovative ingredient collection that's really emerging in skincare, [...] and it contains ectoin, which is the best calming and soothing barrier supporting ingredient. This is a powerhouse and I absolutely love it. I know depending on where in the world you are will depend on how easy it is to access this, but I think it's the best if you can get your hands on it."
    Worlds No1 VITAMIN C SERUM - Hyperpigmentation Skincare Awards 2026
    "This is vitamin C done right. It removes some of the complexity from layering into your skincare routine, boosts its effectiveness with other actives, and it's at a super affordable price point, so that for me is win-win-win."
    Dr. Aleksandra Brown
    Dr. Aleksandra Brown
    153k subs
    ✓Yay
    "You may want to consider looking at Remedy Daily Defense if every classic L-ascorbic acid serum burns your face. It has 15% vitamin C complex based on 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, a vitamin C derivative, plus ferulic acid, [...] several other antioxidants, squalane, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, ectoine, centella, and bifida ferment lysate. It's fragrance-free and tested on sensitive skin, so I think of it as more of an antioxidant plus barrier support serum."
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    Dr Dray
    Dr Dray
    2.69M subs
    ✓Yay
    "I liked the antioxidant one just fine. [...] I would gladly use the antioxidant serum again."
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    "It's a really good morning product because the antioxidants, the idea there is put them on before you're going to go out and be exposed to the environmental aggressors. It's a weighty bottle. You get a decent amount of product in this took me a while to go through and I think it's fine. I think it's fine if you're looking for an antioxidant serum."
    Remedy Skin 15% Vitamin C Serum Review and Skincare Q&A
    "You get no niacinamide in this. So those of you who are looking for an antioxidant serum without niacinamide, this would be a great option. The texture is really nice. It's a lightweight fluid, [...] more like a very lightweight, thin almost hydrogel. You could actually use this as a facial moisturizer in the morning. Allow it to dry before putting sunscreen on and you would probably be more than set as far as your moisturizer needs for the day. It's fragrance-free."
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    "I did really enjoy their antioxidant serum, despite it having a lotty dotty derivative in it, as I call them."
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    "I liked the antioxidant one just fine. [...] I would gladly use the antioxidant serum again."
    Doctorly
    Doctorly
    3.59M subs
    ✓Yay
    "This is one of the most stacked, ethyl ascorbic, stable, gentle vitamin C plus serums you can find, for dark spots and collagen. It's one of my favorites, and at 28 dollars that's actually a really good price point to begin with."
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    "This formula is more of a super antioxidant formula that has vitamin C and so many other powerful ingredients into one formula so that you have your full antioxidant routine in one formula."
    New Advanced Vitamin C: Introducing Our Latest Remedy
    "It works really well. It smells really good. We solved basically all the issues that we wanted to solve. And it's also stable without color shift over a very extended period of time. We have on-shelf stability which very few products have for over a year now. We have accelerated stability showing three-year stability with this formula. This is a lot more than just a vitamin C serum. It really has everything that you need in a formula for healthy aging. It's complex."
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    "This is one of the most stacked, ethyl ascorbic, stable, gentle vitamin C plus serums you can find, for dark spots and collagen. It's one of my favorites, and at 28 dollars that's actually a really good price point to begin with."
    Explaining the Top Skincare Ingredients: Glycolic Acid, Retinol, Arbutin, and More
    "It's definitely my favorite. [...] People really like it because it doesn't smell, it doesn't sting, it doesn't oxidize, it doesn't have all the negative issues a lot of people have with vitamin C. [...] It also has DNA repair enzymes from plankton extract, which is rare to find at this price point, [...] and that enzyme is activated by sun, which is what makes it a great AM 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

    Vitamin E

    Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

    Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

    Frequently asked.

    What is Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum?

    A vitamin C serum built on 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, a gentler vitamin C derivative, combined with other antioxidants and fragrance-free, designed to brighten and protect skin as part of a daily routine.

    Is Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum worth it?

    Yes. All 9 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 88%.

    What is Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum's Guru Score?

    Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum holds a Guru Score of 88%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

    What is Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum good for, according to the experts?

    In their reviews, experts say Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum is good for dark spots and post-acne marks (2 experts), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert), skin barrier support (1 expert) and loss of firmness (1 expert).

    Is Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum good for dark spots and post-acne marks?

    2 experts who reviewed Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum say it is. Doctorly put it this way: “This is one of the most stacked, ethyl ascorbic, stable, gentle vitamin C plus serums you can find, for dark spots and collagen.”

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