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

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.

Redness2 experts

“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.”

The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 11:44

Irritated or reactive skin2 experts

“It has a soybean derived phytosterol complex which helps to calm down the skin.”

Tea with MD, watch at 3:11

Breakouts and acne1 expert

“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.”

Nipun Kapur, watch at 6:57

Clogged or visible pores1 expert

“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.”

Tea with MD, watch at 3:11

Dark spots and post-acne marks1 expert

“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.”

Dr Dray, watch at 12:20

Rosacea1 expert

“So this is a really good option for wanting vitamin C benefits, sensitive skin, rosacea prone, redness skin.”

The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 11:44

Skin barrier support1 expert

“Sunday Riley has their CEO Vitamin C Brightening Serum at $85 with squalane to help replenish your skin barrier.”

Dr. Shereene Idriss, watch at 16:47

Rough or uneven texture1 expert

“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.”

The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 9:50

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

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

55k subs

~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

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"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."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

~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

"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."

Dr. Sam Ellis

902k subs

~Mixed

"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."

Doctor Anne

56k subs

~Mixed

"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 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."

Mad About Skin

734k subs

~Mixed

"I'll be honest, not actually my favorite vitamin C."

Tea with MD

115k subs

~Yay

"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."

Nipun Kapur

413k subs

~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."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Mixed

"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."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

~Nay

"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."

The Budget Dermatologist

725k subs

~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."

What the evidence says.

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

Frequently asked.

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

A 15% vitamin C serum featuring tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD), designed to brighten skin and provide antioxidant benefits without the irritation of L-ascorbic acid.

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 combination skin and normal skin.

What is Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum is good for redness (2 experts), irritated or reactive skin (2 experts), breakouts and acne (1 expert), clogged or visible pores (1 expert), dark spots and post-acne marks (1 expert) and rosacea (1 expert).

Is Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum good for redness?

2 experts who reviewed Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum say it is. The Budget Dermatologist put it this way: “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.”