Index / Sunday Riley / C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Sunday Riley

C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum.

Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Serums

About this product

A 15% vitamin C brightening serum using THD ascorbate, a stabilised vitamin C derivative, combined with glycolic acid, phytosterols, and pore-minimising extracts.

Guru Score

64%

Mixed

11 experts · Strong agreement
11Gurus
5Yay
4Mixed
2Nay

What they liked

  • Won't sting sensitive skin
  • Cream formula absorbs smoothly
  • Works with peptides without breaking them down

What they flagged

  • Contains essential oils despite being gentler
  • Pricey at $85

What the gurus are saying

The THD ascorbate form here is gentler and more stable than straight vitamin C, making it kinder to reactive and sensitive skin, though it carries less clinical evidence for boosting collagen compared to L-ascorbic acid. Gurus praise how it works without stinging or peeling, hydrates well, and pairs nicely with the glycolic acid and calming plant extracts for brightening dark spots and reducing redness, though the formula does contain essential oils that may catch out those with very reactive skin. The price tag sits high at $85, and anyone using the glycolic acid should pair it with daily sunscreen.
Synthesized from 11 expert reviews · most recent take August 2026

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
~Yay
"If you're using peptides, you can switch to a THD derivative vitamin C like this one by Sunday Riley. It's great for sensitive skin because it's only 15% vitamin C with a different pH balance than an L-ascorbic acid, and I love it."
All 4 takes from Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert
Over 30 and ready to master the ultimate MORNING skincare routine? 🎙️Join me for an IG Live Show
"What I'm using is a THD derivative. This is by Sunday Riley. It is a 15% vitamin C brightening serum, but it's a THD derivative. And so, what that means is it's at a different acidity, so it does not break those peptide bonds. It makes it so much better for your peptides because your peptides will continue to work. So, they're still soaked into my skin that working. This is another one I love."
Over 30 and ready to master the ultimate skincare routine? 🎙️Join me for an IG Live Show where
"The Sunday Riley C.E.O. is a great vitamin C. Like Skinfix, it's a THD derivative rather than an ascorbic acid, so there's no waiting at all before layering it with peptides."
Your neck is snitching on you
"When I am doing peptides on my neck, I use a THD derivative vitamin C like this one by Sunday Riley instead of the L-ascorbic acid version, because it is slower reacting and gives the peptide a chance to soak in and do its job before the vitamin C breaks those bonds."
10 Step Skincare Routine for “Glass Skin”✨ 🎙️On yesterday‘s live show I went over skincare 101
"If you're using peptides, you can switch to a THD derivative vitamin C like this one by Sunday Riley. It's great for sensitive skin because it's only 15% vitamin C with a different pH balance than an L-ascorbic acid, and I love it."
~Nay
"This one is an absolute disaster in a bottle"
All 2 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan
The BEST & WORST Vitamin C for brown/ black skin | Dr Vanita Rattan
"This one is an absolute disaster in a bottle"
RATING VIRAL SKINCARE - DR V
"It's £70 for 13 mil so it's very expensive. The second ingredient here is Tetra hexyl decyl ascorbate, which means it's a high percentage and actually this is one of the most expensive forms of vitamin C. It's fat soluble, it's one of my favorite forms of vitamin C for skin of color. The negatives with this is that they've gone to town with the fragrance they put in lemon citrus oil plus fragrance. It's a bit sticky, it doesn't penetrate as easily. It gives you more of a gloss finish on top of the skin."
~Mixed
"The Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% brightening serum [...] uses 15% THD ascorbate, which is known to be very stable and less irritating than other forms of vitamin C. It's also oil soluble, so there's some thought that it's perhaps better absorbed into the skin and better utilized by your skin. This has a very smooth, creamy, luxurious texture when you apply it, and I think it's going to be great for someone who has really dry skin, or maybe dry, sensitive skin. [...] It layered beautifully with my other products and my makeup was so glowy when I used it. But this product has a lot of fragrance, and over the course of the day, I could feel my rosacea getting a little bit excited. [...] If you have sensitive skin when it comes to vitamin C, but you are not necessarily sensitive to fragrance, this is a really beautiful product and it definitely feels luxurious when you apply it."
~Mixed
"The Sunday Riley CEO 15% Vitamin C Brightening serum uses a vitamin C derivative, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, which is also great for people with more reactive skin who can't tolerate L-Ascorbic acid. The downside, other than it being quite expensive, is that it has quite a few essential oils, so if you're switching to a derivative because your skin is so reactive, this might not be the best choice. It's really a treat to yourself because it smells divine and has an amazing texture, but still I'll go back to Geek & Gorgeous."
All 2 takes from Doctor Anne
I Used Up ALL of These in 2025 - Skincare, Hair & Makeup Empties | Doctor Anne
"The Sunday Riley CEO 15% Vitamin C Brightening serum uses a vitamin C derivative, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, which is also great for people with more reactive skin who can't tolerate L-Ascorbic acid. The downside, other than it being quite expensive, is that it has quite a few essential oils, so if you're switching to a derivative because your skin is so reactive, this might not be the best choice. It's really a treat to yourself because it smells divine and has an amazing texture, but still I'll go back to Geek & Gorgeous."
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Serum Review: Is Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate better than Ascorbic Acid?
"The Sunday Riley C.E.O. Serum feels like a lotion when applied, is white, and has a beautiful, subtle citrussy scent. The website recommends two pumps morning and night, but one pump is enough to cover the face and take it down the neck. It uses Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate rather than L-Ascorbic Acid, which has a lower irritation potential and can be used twice a day and alongside other actives. Squalane sits high up on the ingredient list, giving it a lotion-like texture, along with other moisturizing and hydrating ingredients like glycerin, and it can work as the last step in a routine without needing an additional moisturizer, especially if your skin is oily in summer. It also has vitamin E as an additional antioxidant, but alongside a whole lot of fragrant essential oils from the citrus family plus limonene and linalool, which kind of counteracts the benefit of choosing a gentler vitamin C for sensitive skin, so I wouldn't wholeheartedly support the recommendation of this product for sensitive skin. It has a beautiful texture and a lovely scent that makes the routine feel more luxurious, and it could be a great fit for those with maturing skin looking for a gentler vitamin C option or for anyone who struggles with irritation from L-Ascorbic Acid but still wants antioxidant benefits, if the price point is within your range. I do recommend patch testing first, especially if you're prone to reactions from fragrant essential oils."
~Mixed
"I'll be honest, not actually my favorite vitamin C."
~Yay
"I really like THD ascorbate because it's a very stable lipid soluble form of vitamin C that tends to be a little less irritating than acid, so for a sensitive skin girly that's the one I usually gravitate towards. I have been testing this and really liking it. It's hydrating, so it's very moisturizing as a serum. It doesn't sting my skin at all. It's 15% THD ascorbate but it also contains some other goodies too. It has a soybean derived phytosterol complex which helps to calm down the skin. It also has saccharide isomerate extract which helps reduce the appearance of large pores and it has glycolic acid which is an alpha hydroxy acid that helps to exfoliate. So all in all this is really great for helping to brighten up dark spots and that vitamin C will give you that antioxidant activity that helps to decrease free radical damage from the sun and oxidative damage from the sun and from pollution."
~Yay
"The one vitamin C that I love that has worked for me even though I have acne prone skin is the Sunday Riley 15% and I think it's because it's THD Corbit which is a slightly different formula than ethyl ascorbic acid, which kind of works better for me."
Top Pick: vitamin c serum
All 4 takes from Nipun Kapur
Skincare I will always buy | My holy grail skincare products
"The Sunday Riley C.E.O. the 15% THD ascorbate vitamin C serum, if I start going back to vitamin C again in my peptide break morning skincare routine, 100% I'm going to be using this one. So this is an absolute holy grail in the vitamin C category."
LAYERED - Skincare Live
"Sunday Riley is really really good it's one of my favorite."
Skincare that is worth your money! | Nipun Kapur
"Sunday Riley CEO 15% Vitamin C serum is a formula that will work on all skin types."
Best Anti Aging Products & Ingredients by Dermatologist Dr Samar Karam | Nipun Kapur
"The one vitamin C that I love that has worked for me even though I have acne prone skin is the Sunday Riley 15% and I think it's because it's THD Corbit which is a slightly different formula than ethyl ascorbic acid, which kind of works better for me."
~Mixed
"It has a type of vitamin C that is more stable than ascorbic acid, more stable, easier to get in the skin, however less evidence-based for things like improving collagen production. So if you really want the benefits of topical vitamin C, THD may be easier to tolerate, maybe more reliable of an ingredient for formulators to work with, but for you the consumer you may not be getting the full package of benefits, but you may be getting just enough benefits to meet your needs. For example, THD as an antioxidant, it may be helpful in fading hyperpigmentation, it may be helpful in combating against oxidative stress from environmental exposures. This also has glycolic acid in it, which is an alpha hydroxy acid that can smooth and soften the skin. Both ingredients, you do want to be careful that you are protecting your skin from the sun, which you should be doing anyway when you are using alpha hydroxy acids. They can make your skin more sensitive to sunburn, so you do want to be really careful in that regard."
~Nay
"This is an $85 vitamin C serum. It's tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, which is a very good form of vitamin C, but there are other vitamin Cs that have this form of vitamin C that work very well and actually have a light sealed container, whereas this one's just clear glass. I also tried these products—the C.E.O. oil and the C.E.O. cream—and both of them broke me out horribly. I'm a little bit more sensitive to citrus and maybe that's why this broke me out. I just don't recommend this and it's really expensive for what it is. If you are looking for a tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate that's really good and not like $85, The Ordinary has one that's like 10 bucks and I would highly recommend this."
~Yay
"I love this option if you've already tried the lower percentage and you're ready for something more. No irritation, you're going to go up to this one. Or if you have redness prone skin because this has some added ingredients into it to reduce redness of the skin, which is such a problem for me, it's such something I struggle with. So this is a really good option for wanting vitamin C benefits, sensitive skin, rosacea prone, redness skin. I love this option for that group of people."
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All 4 takes from The Budget Dermatologist
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"Sunday Riley has a tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, THD ascorbate form of vitamin C serum as well that is sold at Dermtore that one also contains glycolic acid to help your skin cell turnover. It's at a little bit less of a price point."
BUDGET Skincare Swaps! | The Budget Dermatologist
"This one by Sunday Riley, the 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum, it also has that THD ascorbate in it. This is going to save you some money, not a lot, it's $85."
How To Pick a Budget Vitamin C Serum For YOUR Skin! | The Budget Derm Explains
"I love this option if you've already tried the lower percentage and you're ready for something more. No irritation, you're going to go up to this one. Or if you have redness prone skin because this has some added ingredients into it to reduce redness of the skin, which is such a problem for me, it's such something I struggle with. So this is a really good option for wanting vitamin C benefits, sensitive skin, rosacea prone, redness skin. I love this option for that group of people."
Vitamin C Serum HACK! 3 Easy Steps to Make Vitamin C Work For Your Anti-aging Routine!
"This has 15% THD in it, it's kind of a serum thin lotion texture, it has a slight scent of oranges or tangerine peel to it, it also has glycolic acid in it for skin texture improvement and phytosterols to reduce redness of the skin. I love that we know the percentage of THD in this product. I think overall it is a very fabulous formulation for my vitamin C hack here, but it's not my favorite. It is very good. This one is $85."
~Yay
"The Sunday Riley CEO is definitely developed a cult following and a lot of people absolutely adore it. It also comes in a pump which I love so it's not exposed to oxygen constantly. The glass tube is semi-opaque, I think they could have done a little bit better, but this is a 15% THD. It does have more of an opaque finish and it also has a little bit of an oilier residue to it, but it is super fast absorbing and it has a slight citrusy scent just in case that may offend you."
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All 4 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss
New Vitamin C! Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate & 3-O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"The Sunday Riley CEO is definitely developed a cult following and a lot of people absolutely adore it. It also comes in a pump which I love so it's not exposed to oxygen constantly. The glass tube is semi-opaque, I think they could have done a little bit better, but this is a 15% THD. It does have more of an opaque finish and it also has a little bit of an oilier residue to it, but it is super fast absorbing and it has a slight citrusy scent just in case that may offend you."
Dermstore Black Friday Sale Top Picks 2021! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Sunday Riley C.E.O. Brightening Serum is 15 percent tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, which is better geared towards those who have sensitive skin and who don't want to use ascorbic acid. It is an extremely runny, lightweight serum, opaque in nature. The texture is beautiful and it does not feel greasy at all. This is one that I do recommend you try if you have sensitive skin and you want to jump on the vitamin C game. It is very nice."
Best Vitamin C Forms & Products for Every Skin Type! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Sunday Riley has their CEO Vitamin C Brightening Serum at $85 with squalane to help replenish your skin barrier. This one is also very liquid and syrupy."
Sephora Holiday Savings Event 2022 Recommendations! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Sunday Riley's CEO 15 vitamin C brightening serum is made up with 15 percent tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. It retails for 85 bucks. Tetrahexyldecyl is very expensive but it does help to reduce the look of redness and sensitivity."

Frequently asked.

What is Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum?

A 15% vitamin C brightening serum using THD ascorbate, a stabilised vitamin C derivative, combined with glycolic acid, phytosterols, and pore-minimising extracts.

Is Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 5 of the 11 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 64%.

What is Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum's Guru Score?

Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum holds a Guru Score of 64%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 11 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum best for?

Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum is generally suited to mature skin.

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