SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic: A Gold Standard Antioxidant

Proven in clinical studies to visibly reverse up to ten years of ageing signs*, C E Ferulic is SkinCeuticals’ iconic vitamin C serum. Considered a gold standard by dermatologists worldwide, two decades after its launch it continues to prove its defence against today’s environmental aggressors.

For our 2026 Aesthetics Guide, we’ve partnered with leading skincare brand SkinCeuticals. To celebrate, we’re offering C&TH readers the chance to win a bespoke bundle of bestsellers worth over £400 including the cult C E Ferulic, widely known as the original vitamin C serum. Read on to find out how to enter, but first discover what makes C E Ferulic a gold standard when it comes to serums, 20 years since its inception.

Plus, shop SkinCeuticals now and use the code CTHSKC to receive an exclusive 10% off plus a complimentary deluxe 15ml C E Ferulic sample when you spend £140.

What Makes It A Gold Standard?

Vitamin C is widely known to be a powerhouse ingredient, protecting the skin from environmental damage while brightening, firming and reducing fine lines and wrinkles.  

And yet the antioxidant responsible for neutralising free radicals caused by UV light and environmental stress varies radically from one formulation to another.

‘C E Ferulic is the best and original vitamin C serum – every vitamin C product that came after it is a spin-off of the research and science that Dr Sheldon Pinnell at Duke University did twenty years ago,’ says Dr Wassim Taktouk from The Taktouk Clinic in London. ‘What he discovered is that vitamin C is not only a brilliant antioxidant, but when combined with vitamin E and ferulic acid it becomes eight times more effective.’

He adds, ‘The original scientific research was focused on its contribution to reducing the damaging effects of UV exposure. Twenty years later, studies have shown C E Ferulic’s ability to defend against other types of environmental aggressors such as ozone, pollution and metals,’ explains Dr Taktouk.

The Duke Parameters

L-ascorbic acid is the most proven, bioavailable form of vitamin C, helping to target signs of ageing caused by collagen loss and to brighten the skin. Its Achilles heel, however, is that it is a highly unstable molecule that oxidises easily, which is why many of the ‘dupes’ available at a fraction of the cost opt for less potent alternatives with a longer shelf life.

SkinCeuticals takes the long view, utilising the most effective, purest form of vitamin C and formulating it at just the right pH (below 3.5) with two complementary antioxidants at optimum concentration. To this day, explains Dr Taktouk, SkinCeuticals formulates every bottle to a strict protocol known as the Duke parameters. ‘The science shows there’s a sweet spot that delivers stability with optimum benefits and little to no irritation.’

Dr Taktouk believes faithful dedication to this delicate orchestration is what drives consumer loyalty, despite it costing more. ‘C E Ferulic is expensive in comparison to many other vitamin C products, therefore it’s important that clients see the value they are getting from their investment,’ he says.

The Results

The results, reports Taktouk, range from an immediate dewy glow to long-term brightening and evening out of the complexion, alongside a softening of fine lines and a firmer, bouncier quality to the skin.

Still, anecdotal evidence does not cut it in today’s crowded skincare market. Therefore, SkinCeuticals continues to put its most iconic product through rigorous scientific trials.

The latest – and arguably most impressive – in vivo (tested on living human skin) clinical study, carried out on 50 participants over 20 weeks visual grading found it improves eight key signs of ageing**. These include reduction in the appearance of wrinkles by 36 percent, reduction in discolouration by 39 percent, 44 percent increase in radiance, 37 percent increase in firmness and 37 percent increase in elasticity. 

Overall, it was found to visibly reverse up to ten years of ageing signs*.

Discover your perfect antioxidant skincare at skinceuticals.co.uk 

_{*Clinical study on 32 subjects (aged 55-65) after 12 weeks. Average results, visual grading. Equivalence in years of improving the appearance of firmness, radiance and fine lines.
**Clinical study of 50 subjects after 20 weeks, visual grading.}

Competition Time

Win A SkinCeuticals Best-Sellers Bundle Worth £464


 Experience the ultimate defence against signs of ageing and reveal glass-skin radiance with this SkinCeuticals best-sellers routine, featuring C E Ferulic (30ml), the renowned Vitamin C serum, P-TIOX (30ml), a revolutionary wrinkle modulating peptide and Advanced RGN-6 (50ml), a skin rejuvenation cream.

SPECIAL OFFER

Use the code CTHSKC to receive 10% off plus a complimentary deluxe 15ml C E Ferulic sample when you spend £140.