Are you looking for a powerful vitamin C shot? elmt developed Pure Vitamin C 20% Element face serum with a long-lasting formula.
Vit C has a capricious nature but elmt created a special formula with a longer lifespan so you can enjoy Pure Vitamin C 20% Element benefits and worry less.
elmt Pure Vitamin C 20% Element: product & packaging
Korean brand elmt is a squad of dermatologists in a bottle: they go straight to the very essentials with performative formulas that work well together. This is true for both their solutions and their latest product, Pure Vitamin C 20% Element. This brightening and firming face serum ($36.00, regularly at $45.00) comes in a forest green shaded bottle with an airtight system to protect its 30 ml of treatment from light and excessive airflow.
About airless product design in skincare packaging, I heard some words of wisdom from an expert chemist on IG (labmuffin/Dr Michelle Wong): airtight doesn’t mean 100% free from air, so keep this in mind.
Formula
The highlights of this face serum are the high concentration of vitamin C (20%), smaller particles to make ascorbic acid suitable for sensitive skin and a water-free base to preserve the active ingredient efficiency. Vitamin C, in fact, tends to be unstable in water solution and deteriorates quickly with exposure to sunlight and air.
elmt created a protective design and a formulation to make their vitamin C serum last and work longer. The powder-in-suspension technology in a biolipidic base is the trick to activate Vitamin C when needed: when you apply it on your skin. No water but propanediol as the first ingredient, followed by pure ascorbic acid. This formula contains fermented extracts, panthenol and apricot oil as well.
Texture and scent
Pure Vitamin C 20% Element face serum is a pearly white gooey product with a characteristic greasy texture due to the waterless base. It has an almost imperceptive scent but – sad note for us – it can develop some skin “odour” depending on how you use it (more below).
How to use Vitamin C 20% Serum:
The cardboard package, the back of the bottle and the leaflet inside the box share plenty of information on how to use elmt Pure Vitamin C 20% Element correctly and what to expect when trying this product. In short, it’s recommended at nighttime on damp skin to maximise the topical effects of vitamin C. If used in your AM regime, you need to apply an SPF at all times to avoid photosensitivity.
All clear so far but, at this point, elmt suggests using this serum at the end of your skincare routine as a night mask or before your favourite serum or face cream. Depending on the application that suits you best, the product can react to your skin chemistry…
BRAND’S TIP:
Use this serum after an elmt solution, so that your skin is still damp, or mix it with a water-based toner or a moisturiser.
TOP TIP:
When mixing elmt Pure Vitamin C 20% Element face serum with a liquid treatment (my preferred choice), wash your hands as soon as possible to minimise stains (evidence below).
PROS:
- it has a high concentration of vitamin C;
- for all skin types, including sensitive (with caution);
- cruelty-free and vegan;
- it improves skin complexion;
- lightens sun spots and redness;
- brightens up skin tone;
- supports skin elasticity.
CONS:
- it can feel temporarily harsh on some skin;
- can develop a skin odour;
- can react to sunlight and leave yellow stains;
- contour improvements might be light.
With so many precautions and instructions, introducing yourself to elmt Pure Vitamin C 20% Element can feel somehow daunting, at least it was for me. As your Guinea pig, I needed to try the highest vitamin C product found so far to have my say, so I armed myself with patience and tried my best.
Note: as a loyal reader of the blog you can enjoy an additional 15% OFF by using the code VALENTINA15 at the checkout. It can also be applied during many ongoing promotions.
Vitamin C isn’t one of my evergreen ingredients, yet I tried some products in the past and had the pleasure of discovering another innovative system to preserve ascorbic acid in skincare treatments. With elmt, I’ve been surprised by the strength of this preparation and how my skin adapted very quickly after the first “warm up” sensation.
After using this face serum on and off for a couple of weeks amidst much uncertainty, I found how I like to use it and recorded the progress achieved in over one month. I decided to use it in the morning and the evening before my face cream with a strict step-by-step. After spraying my Ampule Mist, I mix 2 pumps of Pure Vitamin C 20% Element with 1 or 2 drops of dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner. I focus on the areas I need to target, such as my forehead where a big sunspot stays on holiday in Summer. Then I put what’s left on the rest of my face. After that, I run to wash my hands because the more the product stays unprotected on the skin the faster it stains.
Targeting critical areas with this serum is the best way, in my opinion. After this test, my big sunspot looks lighter and more even, and the enlarged pores on my forehead shrunk as well; those pesky red spots on my cheeks have almost vanished and, generally, my skin is brighter and more luminous.
Before this main test, I tried to conclude my regime with Pure Vitamin C 20% Element but it didn’t work well. The serum reacted with my skin’s pH and created an unpleasant scent: sweet and metallic, a sort of sweat and iron. It was so bad I nearly concluded my experience before seeing any improvements! However, consistency is key in life and skincare, as well as the ability to listen to your skin and know when to change.
True is, this serum can be tricky to include in your skincare routine and might not give the result you wish for or as quickly as you want (firmness in my case), but if you’re a “skincare explorer” and your skin isn’t the worst of the sensitive, then it’s worth a try, at least for the glow.
Valentina Chirico aka Valens
