The first skincare product that I want to return. There’s always a first. Learn why in my Beyer & Söhne Vitamin C review.
What is it
A Vitamin C Booster from the small German brand that boasts to deliver an extra super-duper stable form of Vitamin C in a rather high concentration.
Brand Description
This small family-led company with a background in pharmacy came to be in 2011 and I bought their Hautcreme+ for the first time in 2012. It’s been my go-to moisturiser ever since. Their product range is very small and all based on the same philosophy: no filler ingredients, but instead, effective ones. They don’t use mineral oil, parabens, silicones, colouring agents, fragrance and alcohol. Their moisturiser has changed my skin for the better and has holy grail status for me. You can order samples, they ship all over the world, and, in Germany, you can also order their products at pharmacies.
- More: Moisturisers 101
Also, their website is in German, so have fun seeing me struggle to translate descriptions etc. into English. Yay. (Not.) (Some of their products are found in databanks like Incidecoder and Skincarisma.)
Here’s what they say:
(translated from the original text)
- Vitamin C serum (15%) with a light texture. For higher effectiveness our serum contains natural boosters that both stabilise L-Ascorbic Acid and provide a higher skin performance.
- pH: 3-3.5
- Comes in an airless pump container that protects it from light and high temperatures.
- Prevents wrinkles, boosts collagen synthesis and hydration levels for a natural glow. Decreases micro inflammation and gives you a calm, even complexion.
- For every skintype. Use it as first step in your AM routine. Perfect under sunscreen. Sinks in quickly and gives a pleasant finish.
Ingredients
Aqua, Ascorbic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Glucosylrutin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ergothioneine, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose, Mannitol, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Fructose, Glucose
Rather pared back, eh? Let’s have a look:
Both Pentylene Glycol and Dimethyl Isosorbide give the formula the bulk and feel. Pentylene Glycol is a humectant that’s also a solvent and gives serums a silky feel, while acting as an emulsion stabiliser and antimicrobial. Dimethyl Isosorbide helps with the delivery of actives into deeper layers of skin. Glycerin, of course, works as a humectant and moisturising ingredient. Also moisturising, obviously: hyaluronic acid.
The highlighted Glucosylrutin and Ergothioneine are both antioxidants that help to fight free radicals. Both have been used in skincare by other brands: Glucosyltrin is often used in Eucerin sunscreens. Ergothioneine can be found in all kinds of Estee Lauder brands and Paula’s Choice’s antioxidant serums.
But – Vitamin C! What about Vitamin C?!?!??!
Vitamin C is an awesome ingredient in skincare: collagen boosting (-> less wrinkles), brightening, and as an antioxidant, protecting you from free radicals that damage your skin (think pollution, UV-damage). The thing is, that a lot of people have problems with Vitamin C, and one of the problems is the low pH that most Vitamin C products have to guarantee their potency. It can be intensely irritating. If you can tolerate it, it’s one of the gold standards of skincare. No need for you to like at tranexamic acid or kojic acid for your brightening needs: Vitamin C IS best.
- More: antioxidants 101
- More: do you need Vitamin C in your skincare routine?
Beyer & Söhne Vitamin C review: Application
This is not your regular watery Vitamin C serum, nor does it feel like the silicone-based ones. It is, in fact, a gel-like serum that (on me) feels more sticky than silky and annoys the hell out of me. I was rather blindsided by the description (light?! Sinks in quickly?!??!???! Pleasant finish?!??!???!???!????!??!?!?!?!?!) and trigger happy, so when it was released two weeks ago, I unwisely pounced. (Beyer nearly always offers deluxe sample sizes of their products, and given the fact that I like NONE of their newer releases due to texture/finish issues, I REALLY should’ve waited for them to release.)
I’ve NEVER encountered a serum I’ve to baby so much. What doesn’t work at all: using it solo over toner, under moistuiser/sunscreen. A recipe for disaster that’ll provide an oily sheen, pilling and stickiness.
What slightly works: mixing it into some kind of hydrating toner/serum (never, ever more than one single pump), waiting at least 20mins before applying sunscreen over it and trying to apply said sunscreen in the quickest way with the lightest of touches.
The Vitamin C Booster (advertised to work especially well under sunscreen!) made sunscreens pill that usually never do so on me.
Potent vs. “cosmetically elegant” formulas
Let me quickly stress that ingredient lists that read great on paper sometimes leave much to be desired when testing them on skin. I want working formulas as much as the next skincare lover, but I’m not a glutton for punishment: I want my products to be at least pleasant to use, if not cosmetically elegant. B&S promote a rather pared back routine (cleanse, Vitamin C Booster or their hydrating gel, SPF). That’s mostly not what I want: I want a bit of pleasure as well. I like a multi-step routine, although right now it’s still rather minimal (toner, CBD Milk, SPF) because summer and my less-dry skin (that’ll change in winter).
I’m actually wondering whether their rather heavy formulas (I wouldn’t even characterise my skin as oily, but combination) are made with dry skin people in mind. Dayshade Oil (Astrid loves it, actually) – it’s a sunscreen OIL, come on! Dayshade Cream? Horrible thick texture on me. Hautgel+? Similarly sticky to this one.
Effect
My skin likes Vitamin C products a lot, and I’ve never had problems with 15% concentrations. I usually can see a pronounced effect in brightening/even skintone when using it regularly. I’m using the Vitamin C Booster for about a week now, which is much too short to see an effect.
What it does, though: makes every following product difficult to apply and turn yourself into some kind of human fly paper. Everything will stick to my skin.
Worth it
I’d both advise to rather try a deluxe sample first, and think twice if you’ve got oily or combination skin.
For the steep price, it also pays off to remind yourself that as fancy as the Vitamin C Booster sounds, it’s basically a one-trick-pony. Yup, it has a rather high concentration of L-Ascorbic Acid that’s still supposed to work on sensitive skin, but that’s it. A lot of brands pair their Vitamin C products with other antioxidants, and the gold standard is still the ferulic acid & Vitamin C combo with ferulic acid (Vitamin E) to stabilize and boost Vitamin C’s effects.
Beyer & Söhne Vitamin C review: Rating
It’s the first skincare product that I absolutely detest using and am strongly thinking about returning. I’m just barely prepared to baby my sunscreen, and just can’t stomach another product that I find rather torturous to use.
Where/price/size
You can order Beyer & Söhne Vitamin C Booster at German pharmacies, or at their own webshop. They also have an Amazon site. You’ll get 30ml for 49,90€ or a 4ml sample for 6,90€ (phew!). B&S has a 100 days return policy.
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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