An Honest Review On FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum

My mad love for vitamin C has led me into a wild testing-spree of different vitamin C formulas, from different brands and different derivatives. Starting from the one from Timeless and Skinceuticles, to Geek & Gorgeous down to The Ordinary brand. All worked well with my skin. 

But this particular vitamin C serum review is different. And why’s that? That is because it’s a Ethyl ascorbic acid based vitamin C serum, which is known to be one of the most stable and potent vitamin C derivatives. 

The stability and potent attributes of ethyl ascorbic acid caught my attention. And then I thought to myself, “I need to test this vitamin C derivative” to see if it worth the hype. Which led me into purchasing the FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum, which I used everyday morning (AM) and night (PM) for five (5) weeks to test its efficacy. 

After five (5) weeks of everyday usage of this vitamin C derivative serum, which includes AM and PM, as usual, I’ve come to share my candid experience with it. But before I hit the accelerator pump, let me briefly educate you on what ethyl ascorbic acid really is, for those who are still new to it. 

What Is Ethyl Ascorbic Acid?

Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, also known as 3-O-Ethyl-L-ascorbic Acid, Is the most recent derivative of vitamin C, where L-ascorbic acid is combined with an Ethyl group molecule, bound to the third carbon position. This makes vitamin C gentle on the skin, very stable and soluble in both water and oil. Thus making ethyl ascorbic acid vitamin C suitable for every skin type.

About FaceTheory Brand.

A reputable UK skincare brand, which prioritizes in formulating affordable, but quality skincare products to address numerous skin concerns and suitable for all skin types without creating a whole in your pocket. Their products are all clean, vegan and cruelty-free. 

FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum.

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A vitamin C serum from a reputable brand, which cocktails 20% ethyl ascorbic acid with amino acids making it a double-up, while vitamin C helps illuminate the skin, fight free radicals and induce collagen production, amino acids help promote hydration and strengthen skin barrier function. It Also contains ferulic acid, a powerful antioxidant that helps stabilize active ingredients and prevents damages caused by free radicals. FaceTheory brand also has a 30% formula of ethyl ascorbic acid – Regena C30 Pro Vitamin C Serum.

Other prominent actives in this formula will be briefly explained below:

• Ferulic Acid: A powerful antioxidant, sourced from rice bran. Which helps stabilise actives and prevents damage caused by free radicals.

• Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide: Not really an active ingredient, but also a prominent ingredient in this formulation. It’s an amino acid, which helps repair damaged skin and promote wound healing, increase water retention in the skin and improve skin barrier function. Dibutyl ethylhexanoyl glutamide is also cosmetically used as an oil gelling agent that magically turns liquid oils into nice gels. 

• Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide: Similar to the aforementioned, it’s also an amino acid and also a gelling agent that magically turns liquid oils into nice gels during cosmetic formulations. 

Packaging.

FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum comes in a dark tinted glass bottle, with a dropper for dispensing product-content. 

Texture.

FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum has a lightweight, transparent texture. Which feels slightly greasy when applied on the skin, accompanied with a warm sensation, but doesn’t leave skin feeling greasy after absorption. All you need to do is, gently massage till fully absorbed and don’t apply too much. 2-3 drops is sufficient for the whole face and neck, a little goes a long way.  (But you can apply more if need be). 

The reason for the oily feeling is because of the presence of propanediol – a solvent and humectant which is used to dissolve skincare ingredients and also hydrates the skin.

Color.

FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum has a clear and transparent color. 

It’s a vitamin C derivative which is known for its reputation of being most stable and potent which doesn’t make it oxidize just like L-ascorbic acid does. 

Size.

FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum comes in a 30ml bottle size. 

Ingredients:

Propanediol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Olive Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Ferulic Acid.

My Honest Review On FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum.

At first, when I applied the FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum on my face, the texture was lightweight, but I was kind of surprised why I felt a slightly greasy feeling on my skin, accompanied with a warm sensation (which I have no problem with). But I had to give it a more gentle massage, which absorbed fully and guess what? The initial greasy feeling dried down to nothing. I never felt any oily feeling anymore after the product was fully absorbed. You don’t need to apply too much, 2-3 drops is sufficient for the whole face and neck. Applying too much would make your face feel greasy. 

Also, apply the FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum on a damp skin (and not on a completely dry skin) this will help encourage good absorption, thus boost efficacy and curtail greasy feeling. 

The effect on my skin tone? Magnificent!. Just magnificent. In Fact I can confidently say I experienced all three vitamin C benefits on my skin. After the first day of usage, I experienced a slight improvement in skin tone and texture, fast forward to after five (5) weeks of usage, I can see a massive improvement in my skin complexion and texture. 

Honestly my skin tone conspicuously improved, looking all bright, while my skin texture turned more refined, smooth and firm. Which all makes sense because according to research ethyl ascorbic acid penetrates deeper into the skin (unlike L-ascorbic acid) due to its lipophilic (lipid-loving) features, which enables it work its magic from the deeper layer of the skin which encourages efficacy. 

Due to the stable nature of ethyl ascorbic acid, I confidently used my FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum without the fear of it getting oxidized or going bad, unlike L-ascorbic acid based serums which forces you to use it up before three (3) to avoid getting oxidized. 

The most joyous thing is, while using FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum, I never experienced any sort of irritation, no breakouts, redness nor inflammatory-irritation. That’s a huge plus. Like I keep saying, “instead of a product to break me out, it’s way better it didn’t work at all”. 

But always endeavor to perform a patch test prior to commencing any product application, to test for allergies, because skin type differs, so shall results differ too. 

I had a good time with the FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum, and I will definitely purchase it again when I run out. 

In Conclusion.

My experience with the FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum was wonderful and I’ll definitely repurchase it again when I run out. It’s definitely one of the best vitamin C serum I’ve ever used. All thanks to ethyl ascorbic acid. 

What I Like About FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum.

• It is budget friendly. 

• Well packaged in a UV-protected glass bottle (to protect the liquid from sunlight which is known to instigate product oxidation).

• It is potent and effective.

• It is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), although it’s best advised to perform a patch test prior to commencing full product application. 

• It contains no skin-toxic ingredients or chemicals.

What I Dislike About FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum. 

• Feels slightly greasy on the skin – if you’re on the oily skin side (just like me), you may find the FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum slightly greasy on your skin during application, due to the presence of propanediol, which is a solvent and humectant which is used to dissolve skincare ingredients and also hydrates the skin. But know that this vitamin c-serum absorbs without leaving a greasy feeling behind, the trick to this is to ensure you apply as little as 2-3 drops of it on a slightly moist or damp (not dripping wet) face. This won’t only increase product absorption rate, but also reduce the greasy feeling. Applying a moisturizer afterwards further counteracts the greasy-feeling too. 

Possible Questions & Answers. 

Q: How did you use the FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum?

A: I used it everyday both morning (AM) and night (PM). Below is how I used it:

During The Day:

• Step 1: Cleanse my face with Zapzyt Acne Wash Cleanser.

• Step 2: Pat (not rub) my face with a clean towel. 

• Step 3: While my face is slightly moist or damp, I apply 2-3 drops of FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum.

• Step 4: I gently massage till fully absorbed.

• Step 5: I plunge ahead to apply my moisturizer (Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream).

• Step 6: Then I apply my sunscreen (Missha Aqua Sun Gel SPF50+)

During The Night-Time:

• Step 1: I double-cleanse, first with The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, secondly with CeraVe foaming Cleanser. 

• Step 2: I Pat (not rub) my face with a clean towel.

• Step 3: While my face is slightly moist or damp, I apply 2-3 drops of FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum.

• Step 4: I gently massage till fully absorbed.

• Step 5: I plunge ahead to apply my moisturizer (CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion). You can apply your favorite or skin suitable moisturizer. I love playing around my moisturizers in my skincare routine. I use lightweight moisturizers during the day. That’s why I used Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream during the day, while I used moisturizers with richer texture during night-time. 

Disclaimer: This is a personal experience with FaceTheory Regena C20 Serum, you may have a whole different experience as skin type differs, so as result differs too.

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