Middle-Aged Shoppers Say Their Skin Improved "Significantly" Thanks to This Now-$19 K-Beauty Serum

Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

One person’s esthetician even noticed their “much brighter” skin tone.

After six years of trying thousands of skincare solutions, I’ve whittled down my favorite vitamin C serums to a handful. Admittedly, my picks are on the pricier side; and, until I noticed the $19 SeoulCeuticals Vitamin C Serum at Amazon, I’d assumed they had to be expensive to be good. Shopper acclaim, however, has convinced me otherwise.

Shop now: $19 (Originally $25); amazon.com

The SeoulCeuticals Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Serum + CE Ferulic Acid is a potent anti-aging skincare solution with a lightweight, watery consistency. Infused with a notably high dose of vitamin C, in addition to ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid, it offers some of skincare’s most time-tested anti aging skincare staples, blended specifically to improve skin brightness, fight hyperpigmentation, and deliver an overall smoother look and feel.

Vitamin C, an excellent hyperpigmentation fighter, antioxidant, and a staple for dermatologists everywhere thanks to its anti-aging benefits, is infused at an impressive 20 percent concentration in this serum, making for a powerful, potent, and fast-working skin-brightening effect. The ingredient is further bolstered thanks to the addition of ferulic acid, which can help stabilize the notoriously finicky ingredient.

The serum also contains hyaluronic acid, a hydration hero by any dermatologist’s standards. The molecule, which draws moisture from the surrounding air and holds onto hydration, can “plump and smooth the skin” in light of its hydrating properties, dermatologist Dr. Lian Mack previously told InStyle. Also of note is Centella Asiatica, aka cica, an ingredient found in many Korean skin care products. As dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner previously told InStyle, cica calms skin inflammation and offers “potent antioxidant properties.” For this reason, the SoeulCeuticals serum is perfect for people with sensitive skin: Vitamin C, especially at high doses, can cause tingling and mild irritation for sensitive skin types. Thanks to cica and hydrating hyaluronic acid, however, this formula is generally well-tolerated by sensitive skin types, making it a go for virtually anyone. Per one shopper, who has “very reactive” skin, “many products with vitamin C are too stimulating for my skin…but this one really agrees with my skin.”

The scent is also notable, particularly as vitamin C serums have a reputation for smelling less-than-lovely. Shoppers say this one has a zesty citrus scent that makes the product pleasant to use. One reviewer even calls the fragrance “terrific.”

As for the anti-aging benefits: One 70-year-old shopper, who says they’ve always had good skin with few wrinkles, swears they look 20 years younger after using the SeoulCeuticals serum: “I look like I’m in my 50s now,” they share. Another shopper notes that the serum effectively fades age spots: “I have a lot of sunspots on my face and backs of both hands,” they say, “[and] I have noticed it has worked well on the smaller, lighter spots.” Yet another reviewer, who is over 60, echoes this sentiment, sharing that the product moisturizes, “minimize[s] fine lines, and reduce[s] brown spots.” Another shopper in their 40s says that they’ve been using the serum alongside their mother, who is in their 60s; after three months, their “skin improved significantly,” they share. “My under eye wrinkles are gone…[and] my mother said her esthetician noticed her skin tone got much brighter.”

Shop the under-$20 skin-brightening Korean beauty serum shoppers say delivers anti-aging results that, FWIW, seem on par with benefits of the much pricier options I swear by. 

For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on InStyle.