All scans / Serums / COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum
COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum ingredients: is it worth it?
A genuinely potent brightening serum, but not a flawless antioxidant formula.
A genuinely potent brightening serum, but not a flawless antioxidant formula.
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The 13% pure ascorbic acid is the main efficacy driver and is reinforced by a second vitamin C derivative, while panthenol, acetyl glucosamine, and sodium hyaluronate support hydration and tolerability. The score is held below elite status because the formula does not disclose pH, pure vitamin C is oxidation-prone, and the product relies on a relatively small 20 ml package; the additional low-position antioxidants and marketing-led ingredients do not materially justify a higher score. Official COSRX lists the serum at $21, and the product is marketed for brightening and uneven tone. A Kroger listing identifies the UPC as 0880959845523.
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DemythSkin rates COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum 4.3/5 for efficacy and 4.3/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (8)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water, Ascorbic Acid(13%), Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Tromethamine, 3-0-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Sulfite, Disodium EDTA, Glutathione, Adenosine, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Dextrin, Squalane, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Arginine, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract DETAILS
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- Solvent and formula base
- Ascorbic Acid (13%)
- Pure vitamin C antioxidant
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
- Dipropylene Glycol
- Solvent and texture aid
- Tromethamine
- pH adjusting agent
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
- Vitamin C derivative
- Panthenol
- Humectant and soothing agent
- Acetyl Glucosamine
- Humectant and tone-support agent
- Caffeine
- Antioxidant and conditioning agent
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Water-binding humectant
- Sodium Sulfite
- Antioxidant stabilizer
- Disodium EDTA
- Chelating stabilizer
- Glutathione
- Antioxidant conditioning agent
- Adenosine
- Skin-conditioning ingredient
- Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
- Botanical conditioning agent
- Allantoin
- Soothing skin protectant
- Dextrin
- Texture and film-forming aid
- Squalane
- Emollient skin conditioner
- Tocotrienols
- Vitamin E antioxidant
- Tocopherol
- Vitamin E antioxidant
- Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil
- Emollient plant oil
- Arginine
- Amino acid and pH aid
- Niacinamide
- Skin-conditioning vitamin B3
- Pentylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Ascorbic Acid: Well-established topical antioxidant and collagen-support ingredient
Panthenol: Well-studied humectant and barrier-support ingredient
Sodium Hyaluronate: Established topical humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine: Evidence-supported skin-conditioning and tone-support ingredient
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper serum with a similar formula
A partial ingredient match (41%), not a close dupe.
COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum: common questions
Is COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum worth it?
COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum scores 4.3 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 4.3 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A genuinely potent brightening serum, but not a flawless antioxidant formula.
What are the key active ingredients in COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum?
COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Ascorbic Acid (13%).
Does COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum. It scores 4.3 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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