Not All Vitamin C Serums Penetrate the Same - Takeaways - 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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  • 1

    Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate penetrated a synthetic skin membrane 38 times more than L-ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate in a lab study.

  • 2

    The study measured absorption of three vitamin C formulations over 72 hours, finding THD ascorbate had superior absorption compared to AA and SA.

  • 3

    L-ascorbic acid showed higher initial penetration but declined over time, suggesting instability rather than limited initial entry.

  • 4

    The study indicates that lipophilic vitamin C derivatives like THD ascorbate may more effectively cross the skin barrier than hydrophilic forms.

  • 5

    Limitations include the study's sponsorship by Revision Skincare and the use of a synthetic membrane, which may not fully replicate human skin.

Original Source(s)

Not All Vitamin C Serums Penetrate the Same

  • by Kerri Miller

  • April 16, 2026

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