Not All Vitamin C Serums Penetrate the Same - Summary - MDSpire

Not All Vitamin C Serums Penetrate the Same

Skin penetration data reveals a wide gap between popular formulations

  • By

  • Kerri Miller

  • April 16, 2026

  • 3 min

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Objective:

To compare the skin penetration of three vitamin C formulations using a synthetic skin membrane.

Key Findings:
  • Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate showed up to 38 times greater absorption compared to L-ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate.
  • After 6 hours, penetration was 6% for THD ascorbate, 4.8% for AA, and 0.225% for SA.
  • AA's initial higher penetration declined over time, suggesting instability.
Interpretation:

Lipophilic derivatives like THD ascorbate may penetrate the skin barrier more effectively than hydrophilic forms such as AA and SA, but formulation and delivery systems also play a significant role.

Limitations:
  • The study was sponsored by Revision Skincare, raising potential bias.
  • The synthetic membrane used cannot fully replicate human skin physiology.
  • Clinical efficacy was not assessed.
Conclusion:

While THD ascorbate demonstrates superior absorption in a lab setting, the clinical relevance of these findings remains uncertain, highlighting the need for further investigation into the effectiveness of vitamin C formulations.

Original Source(s)

Not All Vitamin C Serums Penetrate the Same

  • by Kerri Miller

  • April 16, 2026

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