John Masters Organics Vitamin C Antiaging Face Serum ($29.99) is an excellent product at any price and it is an extremely good buy at just under thirty bucks. I have been testing out on the backs of my hands for a few weeks now and can report that it evens skin tone and moisturizers. I would say that my hands are looking good.

There are several sources of vitamin C here. The first is supposed to be a slightly superior one. The problem with vit C in general is that it is extremely unstable. It needs to be protected from light (hence the brown bottle) and it is basically evaporating as soon as you open the bottle. Here, JMO is using ascorbic acid polypeptide, which is water soluble, stable and supposed to be ten times more effective than synthetic vitamin C.

Vitamin C is also present in the form of malphighia glabra, also known as acerola or Barbados cherry. It is said to be one those vitamin C superfruits (with 32 times the amount of vitamin C as an orange, an antioxidant and a source of beta-carotene. I haven't found any studies to back up these claims though.

A third form of vitamin C is ascorbyl palmitate. With the advantage of being lipid (fat) soluble, it can penetrate the skin and deliver antioxidants faster than the water soluble forms of Vitamin C. Furthermore, it’s been shown to work synergistically with the antioxidant Vitamin E. Studies have also show it to be more stable than L-ascorbic acid.

Also worth a shout out is tilia cordata, extract of linden, and it comprises active flavonoids and glycosides, giving this ingredient antioxidant power and water-binding properties.

There is not a single thing to dislike in John Masters Organics Vitamin C Antiaging Face Serum. Aspen bark is a John Organics favorite and may account for how the brand can avoid harmful preservatives. Aspen bark extract has shown to effectively inhibit the growth of mold, yeast, e coli, S aureus, subtilis, and P aeruginosaNatural preservative systems are limited in that their efficacy is formulation-dependent.

Ingredients

Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice,* helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil,* glycerin,* rosa damascena (rose) flower water,* populus tremuloides (aspen) bark extract, ascorbic acid polypeptide, lecithin, phospholipids, superoxide dismutase, malphighia glabra (acerola) fruit extract,* oryza sativa (rice) extract,* spirulina platensis (algae) extract,* tocopheryl acetate, retinyl palmitate, ascorbyl palmitate, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter,* triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil, rosa damascena (rose) flower oil,* citrus sinensis (blood orange) oil, tilia cordata (linden) blossom oil,* xanthan gum, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract,* sclerotium gum powder, potassium sorbate. *organic