RESIST C15 Super Booster Paula’s Choice

Well the bottle has UV-protecting coating, but it is not airless. Otherwise the product would have been vacuum in the end. Although the opening is smaller than a jar, still if you take the dropper out air will flow in, just like jar packaging.

But a low pH value, Ferulic Acid and Sodium Metabisulfite can stabilize ascorbic acid to some extend. Paula’s Choice claims that all products are stable until the expiry date, maybe it’s true, but all companies claim to formulate stable products while many of them are not stable. It’s also something psychological, people want to apply something to their face to stop aging, and they heard and read vitamin C is good, Paula’s Choice claims its good, so they think it should make their skin at least a bit better. While in reality it could do more harm than good, if it’s oxidized. An ingredient like EGCG or retinol can only be formulated in airless packaging, while Paula uses tubes and normal bottles for some formulations.

Personally I think this dropper might be the best way to package an ascorbic acid solution, because it’s difficult to use when it’s packaged in a airless pump bottle, but it really is not the most ideal way because after using the product for some time it is very likely you will be applying significant amounts of oxidized ascorbic acid to your skin. In the scientific studies people used fresh batches of ascorbic acid, not a product in an open bottle that’s two months old. It’s not without a reason derivatives like ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate or  magnesium ascorbyl phosphate are created. They penetrate the skin more easily, are stable, can be formulated at a more skin friendly pH-value, also less oxidation of not absorbed ascorbic acid on the skin itself occurs. Also sudden high doses of Ascorbic Acid are toxic to cells, while other derivatives release it more slowly, for ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate still 75-85% is successfully converted to ascorbic acid. For a scientific study, fresh ascorbic acid is really nice, but for day to day use, I really think for us consumers a stable vitamin C derivative is the thing you should be looking for. Or an anhydrous ascorbic acid formula.

In my experience such liquid formulas of vitamin C leak very quickly in airless pump bottles, and with some also when using it. So indeed maybe you need very special airless pumps. Also many people like the sciency/laboratory look of such dropper bottles, and it’s much cheaper to produce. I think that’s the reason why companies use these dropper bottles, which are understandable reasons. And if the products stay stable for the 2 or 3 months you are using them it wouldn’t be a problem either, although I think oxidation will definitely occur with some ingredients.

That’s a real issue indeed. The general public doesn’t understand many subjects about cosmetic formulations, so still bad or average products are produced. Natural doesn’t mean its good for skin automatically, constantly people are talking about chemical free products, which doesn’t exist. Also they say lemon oil is good for this and that, people are constantly reviewing products based on how it smells.. Also people are saying silicones are bad, while they are the least allergenic ingredients out there.. nice dropper botlles…pffff.. and you could go on and on with all those misconceptions..

But all those irritant plant extract and fragrance can simply cause collagen break down and phototoxic reactions in skin, even though you don’t see that directly. So why are people willing to add those “natural” plant extracts and oils that have been proven to be irritants and phototoxic, also considering they don’t have solid research proving anti-aging benefits.