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Dermatologist Shares Her Choice from The Ordinary Vitamin C Serum Range
- Dr. Alpana Mohta
- Jul 22
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 31
So when The Ordinary finally launched in India, I was so excited. We’d all seen the viral videos, the minimal packaging, people swearing by it. And what I loved was how it wasn’t about fancy marketing or “fixing” your skin. It was ingredient-focused. Simple, affordable, and kind of forced you to learn what your skin actually needed.
Around the same time, I had just finished my residency and was on the hunt for a good Vitamin C serum. Also, patients wouldn’t stop asking: “Which one should I use?” “Is the 30% too strong?” “Why does this one sting so much?” So yeah, this blog's been a long time coming.
The Ordinary had so many options, and as someone who’s both curious and clinically cautious, I decided to try all of them.
In this post, I’m going to go through all eight of The Ordinary’s Vitamin C products. I’ll tell you which ones are worth it, which ones aren’t, and which I’d actually recommend to a patient sitting across from me.
This is the most well-formulated and effective product in the range, in my opinion. It uses ethylated ascorbic acid, which is a stable form of Vitamin C that doesn’t need to be converted by the skin. It acts quickly and is much less irritating than pure L-ascorbic acid.
It’s a light, serum-like texture. Slightly oily, but it absorbs fast. Great under sunscreen or makeup.
It brightens the skin over time and helps even out tone. It’s also less prone to oxidizing in the bottle, which is a big plus.
If you're going to try just one from this range, make it this one.
This is a serum with a lower percentage of Vitamin C (8%) paired with 2% alpha arbutin, which is known to fade hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin production.
It has a watery, slightly tacky texture, and absorbs fairly well.
Because of the lower strength, it’s less irritating and can be used even on sensitive skin. The alpha arbutin makes it a nice choice for people dealing with melasma or post-inflammatory pigmentation.
But don’t expect miracles. This isn’t a strong collagen booster—its main benefit is mild brightening and spot fading.
Now, this one is intense. It contains 30% pure L-ascorbic acid, which is above the concentration most people tolerate comfortably.
It has a smooth, velvety texture thanks to the silicones. Feels almost like a primer, but you’ll likely feel a strong tingling or even stinging when you apply it—especially on damp skin or after exfoliating.
There are no stabilizers like Vitamin E or ferulic acid in here, and 30% is unnecessarily high. Higher concentrations don’t always mean better results—just more irritation.
I’d only suggest this for someone who’s used to strong actives and knows their skin can handle it.
This one uses a derivative, ascorbyl glucoside, which is more stable than pure Vitamin C. It needs to be converted into ascorbic acid once it’s in the skin.
The texture is watery-gel and quite pleasant. It sinks in nicely without any tackiness.
It’s not irritating, so it’s a good choice for beginners or people with sensitive skin. It can help brighten the complexion and improve skin tone, but it’s not very effective at stimulating collagen or treating deep pigmentation.
A good starter product, but not a heavy lifter.
This is pure Vitamin C in powder form. The idea is that you mix a small amount into your serum or moisturizer right before applying it.
Now, in theory, this gives you fresh, potent Vitamin C. But in practice—it’s messy, unpredictable, and easy to mess up.
You don’t control the pH, the concentration, or how it interacts with your base product. The powder can clump, leave gritty residue, and cause irritation or uneven results.
The consistency depends on what you mix it with, but I’d call it unreliable. Personally, I don’t recommend it. Skincare shouldn’t be a chemistry experiment unless you really know what you’re doing.
This one also uses pure L-ascorbic acid but in a 23% concentration—so still quite strong. It has a gritty, slightly greasy feel because it’s in a water-free base with hyaluronic acid spheres.
It doesn’t glide on smoothly, and most people feel a noticeable tingling when using it.
Like the 30% version, it lacks stabilizers and has an unpleasant texture.
I’ve seen many people stop using it not because it didn’t work, but because it simply felt bad on the skin. It pills under sunscreen and makeup and leaves a grainy finish.
If you’re experienced with strong actives and don’t mind texture, it might still give you some brightening results. But if you're looking for something pleasant and easy to work into a daily routine, this won’t be it.
This is another derivative, less potent, but also less irritating. It’s a water-based cream rather than a serum, with a light lotion-like consistency that spreads smoothly and feels hydrating.
There’s limited data on how effectively it converts to active Vitamin C, but some studies suggest it can mildly improve skin tone and help with hydration.
I think this is more of a supporting product, something you’d use alongside other active ingredients. Don’t expect it to dramatically fade dark spots or boost collagen. But it is gentle, and might suit those with dry or sensitive skin.
This one's oil-based and has a very silky, emollient texture. It feels more like a nourishing facial oil than a treatment serum.
Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate is a lipid-soluble Vitamin C derivative. It’s stable and can penetrate the skin more easily than water-soluble forms, but again—it needs to be converted to active ascorbic acid in the skin, and that conversion rate isn’t very well studied in real-world use.
It also contains Vitamin F, which is a mix of fatty acids, so it’s great for people with dry or compromised skin barriers. But the anti-aging or brightening results may be mild.
I’d say this works better as a gentle antioxidant facial oil than as a true Vitamin C powerhouse.
Final Thoughts
So, now that we’ve gone through all eight, what’s the takeaway?
Most of The Ordinary’s Vitamin C products either swing too far in one direction—too strong and irritating, or too far the other way, too mild to make a difference. A lot of them also lack the supporting ingredients that are known to stabilize Vitamin C, like ferulic acid or vitamin E.
If you really want results and you're not just experimenting, the Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% is the most balanced, effective, and tolerable of the bunch. It’s stable, doesn’t sting, and gives visible brightening with consistent use.
For hyperpigmentation, the Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% is a good targeted option, gentle, and supported by a pigment-fighting ingredient.
And for absolute beginners or sensitive skin types, Ascorbyl Glucoside 12% or Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate are gentle and unlikely to cause irritation, though their results will be more subtle.
I don’t recommend the L-ascorbic acid powder, it’s too unstable in real-world use. And the 23% and 30% suspensions just cause too much irritation for most people, with textures that make them unpleasant to use.
So there you have it. Eight products, one train ride, and hopefully a little more clarity on what to use and what to avoid.
Vitamin C can do amazing things for your skin, but only when it’s well-formulated and used consistently. That’s the key: consistency. Not just in how often you apply it, but in the texture, the strength, and how it fits into your routine. No one wants to use a serum every day that feels gritty or stings their face.
And of course, none of it matters if you’re not using sunscreen. Vitamin C is a great partner to SPF, but it doesn’t replace it. If you’re serious about sun damage, aging, or pigmentation, sun protection still comes first.
Anyway, I’m off to drink some water and lie down before I rest my eyes for sometime. Thanks for reading, and I hope this helped you pick the right Vitamin C for your skin. Let me know in the comments if you've tried any of these, or if you’ve had different experiences, I’d love to hear what worked for you.
Take care.
With that, this is Dr Alpana, signing off!
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