Reviewed by Amy

Having been a big fan and follower of TIA, I was thrilled to get a sample of Mad Hippie's Vitamin C Serum.  This product was exactly the kind that I wanted to try and was a perfect match for my skin type and problems.

First, I am 36, have oily, acne prone skin and have struggled with adult acne for years.  While the breakouts have mostly subsided, they have left a lot of post acne brown scars around my mouth and chin. I don't generally use any moisturizer, as a good serum is enough moisture for my face.  I have moderate sun damage and hyperpigmentation, few wrinkles, and very little loss of elasticity. I had been using an Arcona serum that I was pretty happy with and that did not cause any breakouts. After using Mad Hippie, however, I am a complete convert.

About the product.  It has Vitamin C as the second ingredient in a form that the company calls sodium ascorbyl phosphate (STAY-CR 50) which they claim is more stable and bioavailable than the traditional L-Ascorbic acid used by most companies. Also included are vitamin E, ferulic and hyaluronic acid. My first thought was of the SkinCeuticals version that I tried a few years ago.
Now it may have been reformulated, but at that time is was tacky and smelly and not at all cosmetically elegant. I was not a fan. Mad Hippie's version is quite the opposite. Other notable ingredients are clary sage to balance oil, chamomile extract to protect, and grapefruit to exfoliate.

Now I am a true product junkie and have tried countless products, but have rarely ever finished a full bottle of anything.  Not this time ladies! The initial impression is so nice. It smells good, goes on silky and is absorbed quickly. The hyaluronic acid plumps the skin nicely. And after using about half the bottle I really started noticing some changes in my skin. So many of the brown spots faded that I felt a lot less self conscious without some makeup on to even my skin tone. Now, when I realized that I was falling in love with this stuff, I started to wonder how much it was going to cost. I never believe that anything that works will be something I can afford to buy without taking out a loan.  Boy was I wrong! I went to the website and found that my new bottle was about $40 (UPDATE: it is now in the TIA shop for $33.99).  I was truly shocked and was so happily proven wrong.  I could love something that was also in my budget.  The best part was there are no ingredients on the list that made me cringe. I ordered more and and a bottle for a friend too!

Thanks TIA for a GREAT new find for me!!

Full Ingredient List:  Water Deionized, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Alkyl Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea), Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis), Hyaluronic acid, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Vitamin E (Tocotrienol), Ferulic acid, Chamomile Flower Extract (Recutita Matricaria), Sodium Phytate, Xanthum Gum, hydroxyethylcellulose