Index / The Ordinary / High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution)
The Ordinary

The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution).

About this product

A water-free serum built around 15% ethylated ascorbic acid, a stable form of vitamin C, designed to brighten skin, address signs of aging and protect against everyday pollution.

Full ingredients

Propanediol, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid 15.0%, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

More from The Ordinary 89 products · Guru Score 84% →

Guru Score

76%

Yay

5 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

A stable form of vitamin C that doesn't oxidize is what wins gurus over, and it's less likely to sensitize than a sibling formula, so it suits skin that's touchy in winter. Praise centers on brightening and pigmentation, including under the eyes. The catch: quick results didn't show up for everyone, it's a water-free serum, and a skeptical camp found the formula disappointing.
Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take July 2024

What they liked

  • Stable formula lasts longer than pure vitamin C
  • Absorbs well without leaving residue
  • Less sensitizing than stronger alternatives

What they flagged

  • Slightly greasy texture, especially on oily skin
  • May not layer smoothly with other products
  • Less potent results than pure ascorbic acid

Type

Key actives

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

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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.

Dull skin2 experts

“This really is a brightening set, with the ethylated ascorbic acid at 15 percent.”

Cassandra Bankson, watch at 17:24

Dark spots and post-acne marks1 expert

“Yes, this can help with brightening, it can help with pigmentation.”

Cassandra Bankson, watch at 7:22

Fine lines and wrinkles1 expert

“but this can also help with fine lines and wrinkles if it can get into the skin and help you stimulate collagen over time.”

Cassandra Bankson, watch at 7:22

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
Mad About Skin
Mad About Skin
734k subs
✓Yay
"So I think it's on the brands to really explain it in more detail. This is great, and I'm really going to miss this one. I tended to use it in the winter when my skin was a little bit more sensitive, but I didn't want to forgo my vitamin C. This was perfect, and so I will definitely stock up with a couple of units, because it's so stable and you'll get a great shelf life on it. My skin just loves this one."
All 3 takes from Mad About Skin
BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS - My Vitamin C Favourites
"It still gives you great results, and you still get a long-term... [...] I prefer this one to the NIOD one because I think it's more suitable for everyone and less likely to sensitize, but I still didn't get the really quick results I maybe was expecting from a 15%. I think I would rather buy a fresh, pure form of vitamin C than rely on ethylated ascorbic acid, which lasts longer, but I still don't think you get quite the potency."
THE ORDINARY VITAMIN C DISCONTINUED - What You Need To Know
"This is great because it's in a super stable form of vitamin C, which means you don't have to worry about it oxidizing, and it has a super long shelf life. So if you are stocking up during the November sale period, this is a product you can buy multiple units of and not worry about it oxidizing and going out of date before you can use it. That's definitely a benefit for people like me who don't always store vitamin C in the best way possible. I leave mine on my counter."
THE ORDINARY DISCONTINUING SERUMS - Is Your Favourite Gone?
"So I think it's on the brands to really explain it in more detail. This is great, and I'm really going to miss this one. I tended to use it in the winter when my skin was a little bit more sensitive, but I didn't want to forgo my vitamin C. This was perfect, and so I will definitely stock up with a couple of units, because it's so stable and you'll get a great shelf life on it. My skin just loves this one."
Sincerely Miss Ash
Sincerely Miss Ash
196k subs
✓Mixed
"Now, the ethylated ascorbic acid 15% solution is still wonderful. It can still help to brighten up your skin, address signs of aging, and protect your skin from everyday pollution. But this is a waterfree serum. It's an anhydrous serum, so it might feel a little oily because there's no water in the formula. If you like that and you don't mind that type of texture, you might really enjoy this serum."
Dr. Vanita Rattan
Dr. Vanita Rattan
1.23M subs
✓Yay
"The ordinary's Ethylated Ascorbic Acid is actually very low, at about 2%, so this is an easy one. We have The Ordinary on one side and Kiehl's on the other, and of course the winner is The Ordinary again. The next one is an ingredient all of you are crazy about, especially on TikTok: hyaluronic acid. The hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary is 7 pounds, and I had to find an equivalent, and it was 111Skin."
No BS Beauty
No BS Beauty
89k subs
✓Yay
"With Ethyl ascorbic acid, in my opinion this one was a pass. I wish I wouldn't have purchased it. I wish [...] I wouldn't have spent the money on this. That's four or five bottles of something gorgeous I could have had instead, which is much better on so many levels. With a 10 being a perfect score, I give this one a five. It's terrible. And this one I won't even hand down to anybody, because I [...] question many things about this formula, and that's really it."
All 2 takes from No BS Beauty
Drunk Elephant Skincare 🍑🍊 C-Firma Fresh Vitamin-C Day Serum - Newest Formula Review & How to Use
"With Ethyl ascorbic acid, in my opinion this one was a pass. I wish I wouldn't have purchased it. I wish [...] I wouldn't have spent the money on this. That's four or five bottles of something gorgeous I could have had instead, which is much better on so many levels. With a 10 being a perfect score, I give this one a five. It's terrible. And this one I won't even hand down to anybody, because I [...] question many things about this formula, and that's really it."
Top Amazon Skincare Product Sale Picks for Amazon Prime Day Feat. Tatcha, Avene, Bioderma and More!
"They're Vitacy Glycolic Serum, which is fragrance free and combines vitamin C as well as glycolic acid, which are both really wonderful topical ingredients for rebuilding collagen in your skin. It's really hard to rebuild collagen through topical products, but vitamin C and glycolic acid AHAs have been shown to help do that. This serum is pretty expensive when it's not on sale, but if it's on sale for 30% off, that makes it a little bit easier."
Cassandra Bankson
Cassandra Bankson
2.46M subs
✓Yay
"Yes, this can help with brightening, it can help with pigmentation. It works really great under the eyes if you tend to have a little bit of pigmentary issues down here, but this can also help with fine lines and wrinkles if it can get into the skin and help you stimulate collagen over time. We have these special little skin cells in our faces and the rest of our skin, they're called fibroblasts, and they are a blast to hang out with."
All 2 takes from Cassandra Bankson
3 Best The Ordinary Serums for Wrinkles (New and Existing!)
"Yes, this can help with brightening, it can help with pigmentation. It works really great under the eyes if you tend to have a little bit of pigmentary issues down here, but this can also help with fine lines and wrinkles if it can get into the skin and help you stimulate collagen over time. We have these special little skin cells in our faces and the rest of our skin, they're called fibroblasts, and they are a blast to hang out with."
Deciem Sale - WHAT IS AND ISNT WORTH THE MONEY - Slowvember
"This really is a brightening set, with the ethylated ascorbic acid at 15 percent."

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 The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution)?

A water-free serum built around 15% ethylated ascorbic acid, a stable form of vitamin C, designed to brighten skin, address signs of aging and protect against everyday pollution.

Is The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) worth it?

Mostly yes. 4 of the 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 76%.

What is The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution)'s Guru Score?

The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) holds a Guru Score of 76%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) best for?

The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) is generally suited to oily skin, combination skin, normal skin and mature skin.

What is The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) is good for dull skin (2 experts), dark spots and post-acne marks (1 expert) and fine lines and wrinkles (1 expert).

Is The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) good for dull skin?

2 experts who reviewed The Ordinary High Strength Vitamin C in Hyaluronic Acid (Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution) say it is. Cassandra Bankson put it this way: “This really is a brightening set, with the ethylated ascorbic acid at 15 percent.”

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