Is this $6 powder the secret to younger-looking skin? Reviewers seem to think so

Kayla Kuefler
·3 min read

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The Ordinary 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder (Photo via The Ordinary)
The Ordinary 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder (Photo via The Ordinary)

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Spend 30 seconds in the skincare aisle of any pharmacy or department store and you will almost certainly be bombarded with labels promising skin-renewing, anti-aging and nourishing something or another properties.

Anti-aging is big business. While thousands of products compete to be the top dog in wrinkle avoidance, a quick scan of their ingredient lists reveal one super-ingredient they all seem to share: vitamin C.

Topical vitamin C has a range of skincare benefits like no other. The powerful antioxidant can help brighten skin, increase collagen production, even out skin tone, and target dark spots. It's also a notoriously effective anti-aging ingredient.

Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As collagen production is negatively impacted as we get older, L-ascorbic acid has been shown to boost collagen and elastin in the skin, which, in turn, may help keep skin firmer for longer.

The Ordinary’s 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder

The Ordinary's 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder (Photo via The Ordinary)
The Ordinary's 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder (Photo via The Ordinary)

SHOP IT: The Ordinary, $5.80

However, vitamin C is also highly unstable and prone to a short shelf life. Exposure to air, light, and heat oxidizes the antioxidant, rendering it more-or-less useless if it's not kept in perfect conditions.

Enter: L-ascorbic acid powder. The powdered version of the antioxidant has all the same benefits as other vitamin C derivatives but is highly stable. This means you can mix and match your powdered vitamin C with other (non-acidic) treatments and reap all of its benefits.

ALSO SEE: This $13 dermatologist-approved hand cream saved my skin from dry winter weather

The Ordinary's 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder has become a cult-hit for this reason. If you're familiar with Deciem and The Ordinary brand, you probably know the item has a waitlist more often than it doesn't. The no-fuss topical powder is drastically cheaper than other vitamin C-based products, ringing in at less than $6.

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To use The Ordinary's Vitamin C powder, combine a tiny bit of the powder (1/5 of a teaspoon) with a water-based product (for example, a serum or lotion) and apply it to the skin at night. It's normal to experience a slight tingling sensation for the first couple of weeks while your skin is getting adjusted to the new product.

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🍊100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder is a very fine powder (that comes with the cutest little spoon) which targets uneven tone, signs of aging and dullness. This powder can be mixed into any of your treatments (that are not highly acidic, contain Niacinamide, peptides or EUK 134) for a boost of Vitamin C. As with any highly concentrated pure Vitamin C, a tingling sensation is to be expected. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ 🍊Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% consists of stable L-Ascorbic Acid that visibly targets uneven skin tone, dullness, textural irregularities and signs of aging all in one. It may feel a bit gritty for a few seconds after application due to the high exposure of fine Vitamin C powder - if you prefer to avoid this gritty feel but love the high concentration offered by a suspension, please explore our Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone or our 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder. Like the other pure Vitamin C counterparts, we do not recommend using this formula with EUK 134, peptides or Niacinamide. We suggest applying Suspensions as the final step of your routine.

A post shared by The Ordinary, NIOD, & more. (@deciem) on

"I'm 40 years old and have normal to dry skin. [The Ordinary's 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder] improves my skin tone, radiance, tightness dramatically - from one day to another," according to one user. "My skin looks just wonderful! Younger! I mean, I look in the mirror and love what I see."

ALSO SEE: 7 powerful treatments to battle hyperpigmentation

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𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆: IMPRESSION: THE ORDINARY 100% L-ASCORBIC ACID - 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚙𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚘𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘 | | I am so excited to share my impression because this is my very 1st time trying out powder L-Ascorbic Acid. If you have no idea about this ultimate ingredient, let me share with you. | | L-Ascorbic Acid is AHA and it’s use for anti-ageing skincare. It work as anti oxidant.

A post shared by 𝐅 𝐄 𝐋 𝐈 𝐂 𝐂 𝐈 𝐍 𝐄 | FILTERS (@feliccine) on

When using the powder, it's important to read the label and not combine it with certain other ingredients like EUK 134 and Niacinamide.

"This has done wonders for my 72-year-old skin. Since using it, I am frequently told I look much younger than I am," writes another reviewer.

The Ordinary's product is infamously always out of stock, so if it sounds like the anti-aging product you've been searching for, you better act quickly. And for less than the price of a Starbucks latte — what do you have to lose?

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter.

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