Review: Real Vita C Serum & Powder Lemon (Neogen)

This product was sent to me for review purposes.

If you’re a lover of Vitamin C (like me) then this new collection from Neogen is definitely going to spark your fancy. I received this from them as PR and, I have to say, I have been waiting really eagerly for new skincare from their brand – I always have amazing experiences with Neogen and if anyone was going to be a nice Vitamin C serum, I knew they would.

I have been very concerned with pigmentation and unevenness of my skin lately so I have been testing this product out with dedication! Although I don’t think it had lightened up my pigmentation overall (so far, nothing has been successful) it has done my skin well overall!

I’ll be telling you more about my personal experiences in this review. From Neogen, I will be talking about their Real Vita C Serum and always their Real Vita C Powder Lemon (which might be the most unique and genius skincare product I have seen all year!)

Let’s get into it!

About the Collection

I’ll be going into much more detail about this Real Vita C range but, as a general overview, these two products are a new addition to the Neogen skincare range and are Vitamic C specialised products (quite obviously). Although Vitamin C is known for being an incredible ingredient for many skin types, the main issue with it is that it can easily oxidize and become unstable – changes in colour or texture indicates that the ingredient has been altered (usually due to light exposure) and this can either lessen its effectiveness or even had a reversal effect by promoting pigmentation.

The concept behind the Real Vita C range seems to be to create effective Vitamin C skincare products that are relatively very stable and – therefore – will minimise this issue. Since I received both of these products at the same time, I have been treating them as a collection but I can’t find any information actually promoting this range – instead, the Real Vita C Serum seems to be available on the Neogen website only (?) while the Real Vita C Powder Lemon is a Sokoglam exclusive!

I’ll discuss the pros and cons of both of them because they are quite similar products but very different in usage – so you will be able to choose what suits you best.

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Real Vita C Serum | USD$26

First off, we have the Real Vita C Serum, which is more of a conventional liquid form of Vitamin C. According to the Neogen website, this is a “super potent Vitamin C Serum [sic] enriched with Niacinamide and 22% of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate – a stabilized source of vitamin C – along with citrus fruit extracts and vitamin complex (Vitamin E, Vitamin B5) that all work together to brighten and firm the appearance of skin for healthy-looking complexion.”

The point of using the stabilized vitamin C is so that it does not oxidise as easily as other formulas – this ingredient claims to be both light and oxygen stable.

This serum has four main points:

• Brightening: The mixture of 22%of Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide works as powerful reboot ingredients to help brighten up the skin tone by diminishing the appearance of photo damage, providing radiant and luminous skin.
• Firming and Revitalizing: Loaded with 5 citrus fruit (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Tangerine, grapefruit) extracts containing abundant Vitamin C deliver benefits of firm and revitalized skin.
• Prevent skin troubles:
• The formula containing Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and Panthenol (Vitamin B3) provide nutritive benefits to skin while keeping skin healthy, preventing further skin troubles.
• Hydrating: Containing Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid to provide ultimate hydration and keep skin moisturized.

Packaging

The Real Vita C products (not just the serum) come in a matte metallic silver unit carton with a simple orange design. The overall aesthetic and very in-line with the Neogen brand and it’s what I would expect from them. Whilst it isn’t very exciting, it is still a nice modern look that I do appreciate so I don’t mind it at all.

Opening up the Real Vita C Serum, I appreciate that this comes in a dark tinted glass bottle. This blocks the majority of light from affecting the formula, therefore also helping to extend the shelf-life of the vitamin C ingredient. Since it is made of glass, it isn’t the most travel friendly but the simplicity of the design means it isn’t too difficult to bring if you need to – I wouldn’t recommend decanting any Vitamin C product though (even if it claims to be stabilised).

Overall, I don’t mind this packaging design. It’s to be expected form Neogen – high quality, simple and modern design aesthetics. It isn’t exciting for me at all and isn’t a product that I would consider gifting, but it does the job well! I don’t have any complaints.

Application

The Real Vita C Serum has a white plastic dropper that is easy to use and control. You can either dispense it to the back of your hand before application or – if you’re like me – drop it directly onto your face! I tend to use around 1/2 – 1 dropper for a full face application. A little does go a long way because of the lightweight fluidity of the formula, so this 32g bottle really lasts.

This sort of dropper format is relatively hygienic too, although it can allow for more air to enter the bottle. I personally like it for the ease of application and, in the month or so that I’ve been testing this, have not seen any oxidisation of the serum at all. It’s definitely possible to finish the whole bottle without any wastage.

When using this product, I would generally apply it after my toner and essence – with a heavier cream and/or sleeping mask on top. This serum does a good job of immediately hydrating skin and gives you a nice glow but wouldn’t be enough by itself. I used this every night and had no issues with sensitivity – remember to use SPF during the day though and I would not recommend to use any vitamin c product during the day, as the sunlight can cause averse reactions.

Personal Experiences

I have been using this serum for at least a month now (it’s at this moment that I realise how slow my blog posts have been) and I have been having good results with it! It’s definitely delivered on most of the claims including helping to fade some of my acne scarring but, unfortunately, has not been able to fade my deeper hyperpigmentation spots – though I will continue to use this for longer to see how it progresses!

This serum has a light citrus scent that is typical of this type of product. However, I like that it is barely noticeable – you would likely have to be smelling it from the bottle to even remember it has a scent. I like the lightweight texture too, which is quite watery, non-greasy and absorbs into skin quickly, making it perfect to layer up with other products.

As for the claims, this serum helped to brighten my overall complexion and to fade surface scarring, but doesn’t help with sunspots or hyperpigmentation (not noticably). However, it does help to strengthen skin (minimising break outs) and to give a good boost of hydration that lasts throughout the next day.

Although I have very firm skin naturally (thanks to a baby face and chubby cheeks, as well as the fact that I’m only in my late twenties), I do notice a plumpness to my complexion – if you are looking for something to ‘firm and revitalize’ your skin, I’m pretty confident that this will be effective too!

Personally, I also have that this has a non-irritating formula, so I can continue to use this even if I’m having minor break outs (which are mostly hormonal, in my case, and unlikely to be ‘fixed’ with topical skincare).

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A stabilised vitamin C serum

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 4/5
• PACKAGING | 4/5
• SCENT | 5/5
• TEXTURE/ABSORPTION | 5/5
• BRIGHTENING | 3/5
• HYDRATION | 4/5
• SKIN STRENGTHENING | 5/5

OVERALL RATING? 8.6/10

THOUGHTS? I enjoy using this serum and I am confident that this is one that I’ll continue to use (and would be recommending to other people). Although it struggled with my deeper pigmentation spots, the formula is great for all other things – keeping my skin relatively blemish free, fading surface scars, hydration, and fixing dullness.

I also like that this is contains stabilised vitamin C; since I have a lot of skincare products, I tend to rotate through them frequently depending on my skin condition so many of these serums will oxidise on me. This is one that I will confidently keep on hand!

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Real Vita C Powder Lemon | USD$20

Next up is a Sokoglam exclusive product – and this is highly innovative! Although this is also a Vitamin C product, this is very unique because it is actually in powder form! This is described as an “innovative, DIY powder” that “offers all the brightening benefits of a powerful vitamin C serum, but without the chance of oxidation.” It is travel-friendly and also claims to be suitable for all skin types – including sensitive and oily skin.

According to the website, “The miracle solution contains 17% ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C), along with ingredients like allantoin, hydrolyzed collagen, trehalose, and lemon extract to hydrate and revitalize dull, tired skin for a more even, radiant and glowing complexion.” The actual claims for this Powder Lemon product is actually very similar to the Real Vita C Serum, such as:

• Brightening skin complexion
• Revitalising dull and tired skin
• Evening out skin tone
• Fading hyperpigmentation

This product is intended to be mixed with your toner (or a watery essence) to add that boost of Vitamin C to your skincare – or to ‘supercharge’ your existing routine. By keeping it as a powder until it is combined, Neogen has essentially given us the most stable form of Vitamin C skincare!

That being said, I don’t think that you will be needing both a serum and the powder in your routine – in fact, they also recommend that this powder is not mixed with other actives or exfoliants to ensure that you don’t over-treat your skin. Choosing between the two will really depend on how you want to use your products.

Packaging

The unit carton for the Power Lemon is essentially the same as the serum, so I won’t go into that. However, I do want to briefly discuss the actual product packaging.

This comes in a 20g glass tub, which features the same dark brown shade as the serum (to further protect the product from sunlight). The glass is thick and very sturdy, which feels secure to the touch but can be problematic when travelling – that is, it isn’t exactly light, even if the actual shape is relatively compact. However, this powder is very easy to decant so there’s definite ways around it.

It has a matte white plastic lid which twists on. The quality of this is pretty decent, especially considering the price point. I like that it also comes with a little spoon (see above) as it gives a good guideline around how much to mix in. The general consensus is one to two spoons of the powder.

Once again, I don’t think that the packaging design is very exciting – it’s simple and modern, but almost bare bones if you know what I mean. However, it’s practical and still well considered, so I still like it. It just isn’t something that I would necessarily gift or buy for the packaging.

Application

As I previously mentioned, they recommend using one to two little scoops of this powder per application but I find that I usually only use one. It really depends on how much ‘liquid’ product you are mixing it in with. There’s a bit of trial and error to perfect that ratio.

For me, I have been combining it with my essence, since it is one of my more gentle and ‘clean’ skincare products – my others tended to already have brightening functions or contained acids. When combining the powder and liquid, I find that it’s best to do it in the palm of your hand because it takes a bit of work to dissolve. If you can feel a grainy texture still, then it’s recommended to use more of the liquid product (or maybe use less powder next time).

This mixture can then be applied directly to the skin in the same way you always do. The actual application process of this isn’t difficult but I do find it a bit messy to use – it’s a bit bothersome to have two products open simultaneously and I also have to find a way to mix them without spilling it everywhere – which is especially hard with watery formulas.

Personal Experiences

I originally wanted to try mixing this with a sleeping mask – since I felt like that would allow my skin to really benefit from the Vitamin C – but I found out that the addition of the Powder Lemon actually changes the consistency of the product completely! For gel products, it can make the texture thinner and watery. It’s still usable but, in the case of a sleeping mask, defeats the purpose.

That being said, they do actuallyrecommend that this be mixed with toner or a watery essence – I just wanted to be a rebel and to try it out myself (lol). When I use it properly though, I still seem to be getting a gritty texture even though I use quite a lot of liquid. I feel like this powder struggles to dissolve at times, but I don’t mind it once its applied.

I felt that this product gave me similar results to the serum, though doesn’t have all of the benefits – it’s a good additional boost of vitamin C in your skincare routine and provides an overall brightening effect, especially if you have issues with dullness. I’m not sure if this is enough to hydrate the skin, since my original product was very hydrating to begin with.

The Powder Lemon, is comparison to the serum, does lack in other additional ingredients that helps with calming break outs and hydration. Essentially, this acts more like a supplement to your existing skincare. It does not provide a holistic formula like the serum does. However, it is very stabilised (so will have a longer shelf life) and is also travel friendly. This is a good option if you have sensitive skin too, since you can control any added ingredients,

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A Vitamin C powder to be combined with other skincare (contains 17% L-ascorbic acid)

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 4/5
• PACKAGING | 4/5
• SCENT | 5/5 (no scent!)
• TEXTURE | 3/5
• BRIGHTENING | 3/5
• HYDRATION | 2/5 (hard to determine)

OVERALL RATING? 7/10

THOUGHTS? Personally, I feel like the powder is a lot messier to work with and I would prefer something that is pre-mixed (even though the stabilisation of this is a great concept). I appreciate that it’s travel friendly and had a much better shelf life, but I’m just too fussy to be combining my products every night.

The benefits of this product is good and mostly on-par with the serum but I feel like other people might enjoy this more.

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So that’s the two different vitamin C products from the new Neogen release – the Real Vita C Serum and the Real Vita C Powder Lemon (exclusively available on Sokoglam). Although I gave my thoughts in this review, I honestly think that it comes down to personal preferences and how you like to do the skincare – the differences between these two products have more to do with skin type and application than anything!

If you’re going to pick one of these up, let me know which you got and why you chose it! I would love to hear all of the differing opinions and thoughts.

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