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Vitamin C is simultaneously one of the most advantageous and most confusing skin-care ingredients. Dermatologists tout its brightening, anti-inflammatory properties, but just because vitamin C is in a product you're using doesn't mean you're getting those benefits — it all depends on its form, its stability, and the ingredients surrounding it. But even though Korean brand Neogen's new Real Vita C Powder Lemon adds an extra step to your skin-care routine, it subtracts the vitamin C guesswork.
I have to admit, when I first heard that Real Vita C Powder Lemon is a powder that you have to add to another product, I was ready to write it off. I don't trust myself to do anything even remotely DIY when it comes to my skin care, so I scoffed at the itty-bitty scooper that comes with the darkly tinted glass jar. But after hearing Charlotte Cho rave about the 17 percent pure ascorbic acid powder on her Instagram Stories, I decided to keep an open mind. The founder of Soko Glam, where Real Vita C Powder Lemon is a U.S. exclusive, made it sound both truly unique and long overdue. But it wasn't until she posted on Saturday that it was already sold out that I had to see what everyone else was so excited about.
According to the brand, it "helps brighten, protect, and improve the skin’s tone and texture," hydrating and revitalizing with the help of allantoin, hydrolyzed collagen, trehalose, and lemon extract. Because it's presented as a powder, it needs a liquid vehicle to help get it into your skin, and the box advises adding it to a skin-care product you already love. However, Soko Glam's website gets a little more specific, saying that a toner or essence that doesn't contain AHA, BHA, retinol, or its own vitamin C is the best choice.
I decided to stick with the K-beauty theme and went with True Water Deep Toner by Korean brand Thank You Farmer. After squeezing a few pumps into my cupped hand, I dumped two tiny scoops of the white powder — which smells weirdly delicious, kind of like a lemon cookie — into the liquid and mixed it up with my finger. I then applied it all over my face.
Although I could've sworn I felt the granules as I applied the mixture, it was not visible on my face and seemed to absorb into my skin easily and immediately. And even better, the whole mixing-it-myself anxiety I felt was immediately dissolved by how simple and fast the process was. Of course, in just one use, I can't be sure of the difference it's going to make in my skin over time, but between the surprisingly easy application, how it left my skin feeling comfortable, and what Cho tells me about it, I have a feeling I'll be getting on that waitlist — which is now 2,000 people deep — for my second jar.
"For years, we've been educating our community about the powerful skin-brightening effects of pure ascorbic acid, and it's one of the strongest categories on Soko Glam," says Cho, who had a feeling Neogen Real Vita C Powder Lemon would quickly become a best-seller, knowing shoppers have been in search of a more stable, effective, affordable, and travel-friendly vitamin C. "The powder format accomplishes all of that. And it's also one of the few vitamin C powders on the market that's suitable for all skin types — especially sensitive."
Soko Glam is expecting a restock soon, at which point you can get Neogen Real Vita C Powder Lemon for $20. In the meantime, you can sign up to get notified when it makes its triumphant return, and you have the option of getting a deluxe sample any time you order anything else from the site.
More on vitamin C:
- The Best Vitamin C Serums, Moisturizers, and More for Brighter, Smoother Skin
- How to Layer Your Skin-Care Products in the Correct Order
- This Fan-Favorite Vitamin C Serum Is Back After Selling Out Three Times
Now check out 100 years of face masks:
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