[ENG] By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid Serum Review – Will Vitamin C and I Finally Become Friends?

This review contains PR samples° and affiliate links* Wishtrend launched a new ascorbic acid serum, and it may have just finally made me a believer in the power of vitamin C, without the need for suffering discomfort! Learn all about the brand new By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid serum!

Vitamin C and I have a complicated and somewhat tempestuous relationship, in large parts thanks to a number of really not very great at all The Ordinary vit C products. Especially ascorbic acid – the most readily available and best-researched form of vitamin C, but also the most difficult to stabilise in a formula – has been a bit of a mixed bag for me for a variety of reasons. While I have always been one of the few people to have fully loved the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop* serum, I did find it a bit too sticky-oily for me in the long run.

My dream was to find a Vitamin C serum which wouldn’t have that strange sticky, oily quality to it most of vit C formulas sadly have, and above all – not stress out my skin too much (looking at you here, The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23%!).

Well…enter the new By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid, the milder, less intense version of the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 21.5% Advanced Serum*, another one of those vitamin C serums that some people love and others actively despise. Apparently, its texture is a bit strange, though I myself haven’t tried it. So it seems that Wishtrend customers have been asking for another serum with a lower percentage of vitamin C, and the Wish company happily complied. I really love how they keep improving and updating their product range according to customer and reviewer feedback (they also were one of the few Korean beauty companies to actively post about BLM and the protests in the US these past weeks).

I wanted to give the By Wishtrend serum a bit of time to work its magic on my skin before writing this review, though I will admit that it’s probably still not enough time to tell you about the sort of improvements vitamin C can bring in terms of hyperpigmentation, since that can take up to 6-8 weeks to show any progress. By now it’s been about a month since I started using the serum, and I have been using it almost daily, so I feel ready share how my skin feels, plus tentatively report back about the more short-term effects.

By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid Serum – the Basics

The first thing that I absolutely loved about the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid serum was the fact that it came sealed with a cap and a separate (!) drop applicator. How ingenious is that? You see, ascorbic acid is quite unstable and can easily oxidise once it gets in contact with oxygen and light, causing vitamin C serums to become orange or brown and lose efficacy (plus they can stain your skin). So, being able to seal the serum with a separate cap is one of many great ways to help us consumers to keep the serum fresh. I only use the drop applicator when I apply the Pure Vitamin C 15% and otherwise close the bottle with the regular cap, plus I also store it in the fridge just to be on the safe side.

Another way to stabilise ascorbic acid serums and prevent oxidisation is to add antioxidants to the formula, which By Wishtrend has indeed done. The number one antioxidant added is ferulic acid, which is known to work extremely well in combination with vitamin C – for instance, the very popular, but also very pricey SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic* serum uses this power combo.

Here is the full list of ingredients for the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid serum:

“Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Ascorbic Acid, Diglycerin, Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, C12-14 Pareth-12, Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether, Tromethamine, Ferulic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aqua (Water), Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pyridoxine HCl, Silica.”

Ah, look at this beautiful ingredient list! The By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% serum does not contain any fragrance or alcohol/ethanol, and is also essential oil free. Apart from the above-mentioned ascorbic acid and ferulic acid, this also contains sodium ascorbyl phosphate – another form of vitamin C – and niacinamide, which is a great addition due to its skin-brightening, texture-improving and redness-soothing properties. Another star ingredient is the sea buckthorn water added to the formula, which boosts its antioxidant content and is also said to have anti-inflammatory properties, as well as a high vitamin content.

Thanks to its skin-brightening, collagen-boosting and firming properties, vitamin C serums are great for people who struggle with hyperpigmentation, signs of ageing (especially sagging and loss of overall firmness), as well as inflammation e.g. because of acne. Now, having said that, some people don’t do well with high dosages of vitamin C, especially ascorbic acid, as it can aggravate breakouts for some or even cause blackheads (due to the sebum in pores oxidising). This does not happen to everyone, so don’t be terrified of trying it out, just be advised that it’s not always the miracle cure-all many skin experts like to make it out. I know I say this again and again, but it truly is so important to watch what your skin likes and what it doesn’t like. If you are trying out vitamin C for the first time, take it slowly, be patient, and check in with your skin before you increase usage.

By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid Serum: Ascorbic Acid and Me – a Drama in Five Acts (and a Happy Ending)!

So, as I mentioned – ascorbic acid and me have not always been the best of friends. I suffered through a number of The Ordinary versions, which all didn’t work for me and mostly caused my skin to get very red and angry indeed, and for me to struggle with some of the worst textures I ever had to deal with in skincare. I did like both the Klairs Vitamin C Serum (which is controversial since it “only” contains 5% of vitamin C and apparently oxidises quite fast for some) and the famous Japanese Melano CC Essence*, but both have this slightly strange “oily” texture, which I always found difficult to incorporate into my skin routine.

I personally prefer to use my vitamin C serums right after cleansing to then give the active ingredients some time (usually 5-10ish minutes) to work their magic before continuing with toner, serum and moisturiser. The oilier, stickier vitamin C serums just seemed to cause issues in terms of textures when I then followed up with watery toners and gels. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me and maybe it’s my general dislike of anything too “greasy” on the skin, but it just didn’t feel pleasant after a while.

But, guys – the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid serum has…a watery texture! No oiliness! No weird, rich and sticky feeling! It feels pretty much exactly like water, with a somewhat “metallic” scent to it due to the ferulic acid. It is just so pleasant to apply and spreads out like a dream, leaving no residue or weird “gloopy” sensation on the skin, a great plus for oilier skin types like mine.

I tried to catch the texture with my camera, but it actually isn’t that easy, given that it instantly gets absorbed into my skin and doesn’t leave any residue. As for dosage, I roughly need 4-5 drops per use, though sometimes I use more to also cover my neck, where ageing is showing up more prominently these days.

The serum does not stain my skin and also so far hasn’t shown any colour changes. I do keep it in the fridge and pay very close attention to not leaving it unopened for too long, so this may help keep it stable and fresh. For now, after about a month, the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid serum remains the same clear liquid it was when I first opened it.

As for the dosage: 15% is on the higher side, but not as high as the original 21.5% By Wishtrend serum – if you are new to vitamin C, I would try this out carefully and with a healthy respect towards actives, as the effect of ascorbic acid can feel strange at first. For me, this did not cause any irritation, as most vitamin C serums tend to do. I didn’t see any redness issues and only feel a very mild tingling on the skin after applying, no burning or increasing warmth.

And the effects on my skin? Well, it may be too early to tell, as I readily admitted at the start of this review. But, I can definitely already see that it is making my skin look a lot brighter, more glowing and healthier overall – I’ve been having a number of encouragingly good skin days lately, which hadn’t been the case for a while thanks to “lockdown skin” totally being a thing.

I think some other newbies in my routine also play a part here, such as the fantastic By Wishtrend Polyphenol in Propolis 15% Ampoule and the absolutely amazing Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb Niacinamide serum. But, I do attribute my good skin days in great parts to the Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid serum – this, truly, is the first high dosage ascorbic acid serum which I’m genuinely enjoying!

By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid Serum – the Bottom Line

You can probably guess the bottom line after reading how enchanted I am with this serum – the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid is a clear winner for me! I’m using it daily without any issues, and it’s been nothing but delightful in terms of texture and application. I don’t want to jinx it but… for now, ascorbic acid and I may have just become friends after all!

If you are interested in purchasing the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid serum, you can find it at Wishtrend* for 28.00$ (currently only 25.60$!) for a 30ml bottle – use my personal affiliate code “ULRIKE15” for an extra 15% off your entire Wishtrend purchase. You can also purchase this serum at Yesstyle* for roughly 20.00$ depending on sales prices!

Let me know in the comments: Do you use vitamin C in your skincare routine? What’s your favourite vitamin C product?

Take care guys, and stay safe!
Sugarpeaches

°PR Sample, kindly provided by a brand or shop – I am not obligated to write this blog article, was not paid for the article, and my opinions are entirely my own.
*Affiliate Links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to use the link to purchase an item. This does not raise the purchase price for you, and it helps me and my blog to grow – so, thank you for supporting me in this way!