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Airtight plastic bottle ok for vitamin c serum?
  • Susan
    I seem to recall seeing somewhere vitamin c serum should only be packaged in glass or metal; is that correct? I'm considering the Kiehl's Powerful Strength vitamin c serum, which seems to have everything right - airtight, amber colored bottle, 10% concentration, low ph - except it's plastic instead of glass. Ok or not? 
  • Right BrainRight Brain
    It depends on the type of plastic. I don't know about the Kiehl's product in particular but if the plastic used in the bottle has good oxygen-barrier properties then it should be fine. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21368554)
  • Susan
    It's a hard plastic bottle, so I will hope for the best. Thanks!
  • Susan
    Is there a certain number to look for? Milk bottles are #2 HDPE, it's definitely not made with that.
  • Right BrainRight Brain
    Check the bottom of the bottle you have to see if it tells you what kind of plastic it's made with. Let me know what it says and I'll try to figure it out for you. 
  • Susan
    Hi again! Went back to the store... the bottle is PETE #1. Thanks again for your help!
  • Right BrainRight Brain
    PETE does have good barrier properties but ideally it should be sandwiched with polyvinyl alcohol to reduce oxygen transmission. I suppose you can ask the company if it is. Or you could  find a product in a glass bottle just to be safe.  
  • Susan
    Searching for a product that is worth spending your hard earned cash on can be exhausting! Who decides on the packaging for a product, Marketing or the scientists that develop it? Do the Marketing people take into consideration what is best for keeping the product effective? It really is enough to drive me crazy :)
  • Right BrainRight Brain
    Yeah, it can be a bit overwhelming. 

    In our experience Marketing does NOT set technical parameters, such as which packaging to use. However, they may set costing parameters which prevent the scientists from using the best ingredients/packaging. That varies greatly from company to company. 
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