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Given up using vitamin C serums on sensitive skin? Here’s some to try again | Sali Hughes on beauty


Some people are unable to use vitamin C skincare comfortably but there are ways round the problem

While tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (let’s go with “TA” for brevity) isn’t significantly gentler, it is oil-soluble and better absorbed, so can be added to skincare at lower concentrations to much the same effect as other ingredients at higher, more skin-aggravating levels. It doesn’t smell great (even for a vitamin C, which is notorious for making skincare stinky), but this should quickly dissipate after application. For more slip and slick on drier skins, Medik8’s C-Tetra Luxe(£59) mitigates the high-ish 15% concentration of TA with moisturising, softening vegan squalane and high-quality natural, fatty oils.

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