Review & Recommendation: Vitabrid C¹²

If you watched my skincare routine video, you'll know that I looooovveee Vitabrid:

It's really the best. I thought I should write a review for those of you who prefer reading to watching. For those of you who prefer watching, here's the video review:

Anyway, full disclosure, the Vitabrid team sent me the Dual Serum, Dual Eye & Face Cream, and 3 boxes of sheet masks to try out. I've actually regularly purchased the Vitabrid FACE Brightening Powder on my own for more than a year, and I also bought a box of their anti-aging sheet masks on my own a few months before I got this offer.

Vitabrid  C¹² FACE Brightening Powder

I don't know if they rebranded this, but I could've sworn it just said Vitamin C powder when I first bought it. I've been using this for over a year now, and it's my holy grail skincare item. I've tried so many brands of Vitamin C products and this is my favourite by far.

So, Vitabrid has a patented Vitamin C formula that releases their Vitamin C continuously over a period of 12h instead of all at once, so your face is exposed to a constant dose Vitamin C 24/7 if you're using this twice a day, instead of just one huge dose, twice a day.

This comes in a powder form, which you can mix into any serum or moisturizer you're already using. Now, this is BRILLIANT, because here are the advantages of this powder form:

Keeps the Vitamin C stabilized

If you have a Vitamin C serum, you're actually supposed to use it up within 3 months, because Vitamin C oxidises and becomes less effective. I've even had my skin turn yellow from an old Vitamin C serum. This powder form lets you freshly mix your vitamin C right before you use it, so you get the most effective dose.

Less chances of a bad reaction

Sometimes, there are ingredients within a serum that we're allergic or sensitive too, and it's not even one of the active ingredients we want. It could be a fragrance, a preservative, or even a stabilizer. That's why it's awesome when we can incorporate this into a serum we know for sure we're not allergic to.

Cuts a step in you skincare routine

I use LOADS of serums (3) before my face oil, creams, masks, etc. The hard part about that kind of routine is that your face sometimes can't absorb that much products. Sure, my Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum helps me absorb a LOT more products, but being able to combine 2 steps into 1 really helps.

The only disadvantage to this powder version that I can think of is that some people may hate the idea of mixing your own serum every single time.

I found my skin ended up looking better on Vitabrid than any other Vitamin C product. Since I can mix it into Hada Labo –my favourite, holy grail, super comfortable hyaluronic acid serum–this is the most comfortable formula-wise too. And I'm not sure if I just got used to Vitamin C, but I've never experienced any stinging with this product, unlike with other products.

So far, everyone I've introduced this too have liked it, and I've bought a total of 11 bottles of this since I discovered it a year ago, just because people keep taking them from me. So now I make sure I always have spares.

Anyway, of course such an amazing product comes with a catch...it's expensive. $60 for 3g of product. 3g of product usually lasts me 2-3 months though, so I think the price isn't that bad.

Vitabrid  C¹² Dual Serum

This has vitamin C too, as well as peptides. Peptides are something I've been meaning to incorporate into my routine since they're awesome for anti-aging, so the offer from the Vitabrid team to try their peptide serum for free came at a right time. Now, one thing about peptides & vitamin C is that they're not that stable together and best used within a month after mixing. That's why this serum's design is brilliant. The serum comes in the form of a bottle where the vitamin C and peptides are kept separate. Twisting the bottom of the serum releases them into each other and you'll just have to shake to mix. Each bottle is meant to last you a month, and a pack of the dual serum comes with 3 bottles.

Ever since I started using this serum, I noticed that there were less tired looking photos when I take my selfies for instagram. I didn't realize how big of a difference this made to my skin, until I took a look at the picture I took before I started using the new Vitabrid products:

Yup, the change happened in just 45 days. My skin looks plumper and tighter.

This is now a forever item in my skincare, I need to buy more of it, I LOVE it.

Vitabrid  C¹² Dual Eye & Face Cream

So this is meant to be used as both a face cream and an eye cream. If you watched my skincare video, you may remember me raving about how my Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream EX is so awesome, it makes great eye creams look terrible because nothing can work the magic it works on my face. Seriously, once I switch to a different eye cream, the hollows under my eyes return. I've tried it with 4 different eye creams already and got the same results with all 4. Sulwhasoo is just that great. So I tried this as an eye cream without too much hope and....yup, the hollows under my eyes returned within 2 weeks. I don't think it says anything about Vitabrid's product, it's just that Sulwhasoo is wayyyyy too good.

As a face cream...unfortunately, it didn't work out for me. Now, the FACE Brightening Powder, Dual Serum, and Dual Eye & Face Cream all contain adenosine, adenosine is yeast derived, and yeast breaks me out. I knew this coming in, but I thought since I'm ok with the FACE Brightening Powder, Vitabrid may have manufactured a type of adenosine that doesn't break me out. So I went for it. And I broke out.

The breakout stopped when I discontinued this, but was still using the Dual Serum, so I think my face can handle a certain level of adenosine. Just the FACE Brightening Powder & Dual Serum is fine, but once I add this moisturizer, my face throws a tantrum and erupts in a bazillion pimples to show it.

I don't think I'm missing much though, because I don't really like the texture of this product –it feels heavy and greasy. My face has been spoiled by too many lightweight but effective moisturizers, so it feels really uncomfortable on my face. I'm now using it on my elbows and knees though, and they've gotten wayyy softer and smoother, so I do think it's relatively effective. Just not effective enough for me to tolerate the breakout or the greasiness.

Vitabrid  C¹² Sheet Masks

I got to try 3 types of sheet masks!

• Peptibrid Dual Mask Brightening Luminous 
• Peptibrid Dual Mask Soothing Balancing
• Vitabrid Dual Mask Age-Defying Firming

Yes, these masks are awesome. I have no complaints quality-wise. They're extremely generous with this serums too, so I easily have enough leftover serum to coat almost my whole body. The catch is that these masks are about $35 for 5 pieces. $7/mask is still too expensive for me, especially when cheaper $1-3 masks still work just as well. I think I may see the need to splurge on these once I'm older, but at this moment, I don't think I'd splurge on them yet. Don't get me wrong, I love these. If someone offers to send me a lifetime supply of these with the condition that I wear one each day, I'd totally jump on the offer. But spending my own money? I need to make more first...