Wait till you C this. Vitamin C serum is not another internet fad. In fact, vitamin C is one of the most common ingredients springing up in the skincare arena, and for good reason. It’s also known as ascorbic acid , and it plays a crucial role in your body’s built-in healing process, including skin healing.
Everyone can benefit from a good skincare routine. And really, does anyone actually celebrate the physical signs of aging? You can be a total silver fox – or vixen – and still take good care of your skin.
Insert Geologie’s Vitamin C serum and its skin-tone-brightening and fine-line-zapping properties for smoother, softer, and healthier skin. No matter your skin type, you can add it to your routine for incredible results.
But is it worth it? What results should you expect? Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
As with all products, Geologie Vitamin C serum could be better for one person than another. Here’s a rundown of Geologie Vitamin C serum’s features to decide whether it’s right for you.
Geologie Vitamin C Serum Pros & Cons
Pros
- Vitamin C helps boost collagen synthesis, which combats wrinkles and skin aging.
- Geologie’s formula contains supportive agents like vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and ferulic acids for maximum hydration, skin rejuvenation, and brightening.
- Works for all skin types
- Geologie’s pump design and opaque, airless bottle help prevent the oxidation of vitamin C and keep the formula stable for longer.
- Aloe-based gel formula that helps improve vitamin C’s absorption and improve its efficacy that doesn’t stay sticky after putting it on.
- One bottle can last at least two months if you use it as instructed.
Cons
- Some users didn’t love the smell when applying (although some did… to each their own?) but noted that it went away almost immediately.
- The price point is a bit high for 30ml, but if you bundle, you can save money and get the full benefits for 5+ months.
- Geologie’s formula uses 5% vitamin C in its blend, and experts recommend a concentration of 10% or higher for maximum benefits.
Best vitamin C Serum: Geologie vs The Ordinary vs Lumin vs Skinceuticals
Take a look at how Geologie’s vitamin C serum compares to some other top skincare brands.
| Best Vitamin C Serum | 
| 
| 
| 
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Vitamin C+E Ferulic Serum | Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% | C E Ferulic With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid | Anti-Wrinkle Serum |
| Price | 30-ml bottles 1-3 pack bundles: $32-$48 each ($1.06-$1.60/ml) 15-ml bottles 1-3 pack bundles: $18.67-$28 each ($1.24-$1.87/ml) | $12.90 ($0.43/ml) | $169.00 ($5.63/ml) | $19.00 ($2.38.ml) |
| Quantity | 30 ml or 15 ml | 30 ml | 30 ml | 8 ml |
| Benefits | Anti-aging Antioxidant Brightening Diminishes discoloration | Anti-aging Antioxidant Even skin tone | Anti-aging Brightening Neutralize free radicals | Anti-aging Even skin tone Hydration |
| Key active ingredients | Vitamin C Vitamin E Ferulic acid Hyaluronic acid | Ascorbyl Glucoside | L-ascorbic Acid Alpha tocopherol Ferulic acid | Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Pomegranate Extract |
| Bottle type | Opaque pump | Clear dropper | Clear dropper | Opaque roller |
| Gel or liquid form? | Gel | Liquid | Liquid | Liquid |
| Trial set? | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Website |
Are vitamin C serums worth it?
If you ever google “Vitamin C serum,” you’ll likely find dozens of products that all claim to revolutionize your skincare, and the hype is well-earned; research shows that vitamin C can boost collagen synthesis while reducing the breakdown of the same protein.
What are the benefits of vitamin C on your skin, though?
- Even skin tone: Lowers UV (sun) damage, so you can expect skin with less discoloration and overall smoother appearance.
- Glowing complexion: Widely regarded as one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients on the market, it’s an essential element in achieving an even and glowing complexion.
- Antioxidant: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps prevent the formation of free radicals that degrade collagen and elastin. This may in turn lead to protection from cancer and heart disease.
- Protection: Your body naturally produces vitamin C, which helps maintain the protective skin barrier. It also assists with water retention for maximum hydration, which gives healthy skin its fullness.
- Anti-aging: As people age, collagen levels naturally decline. This gives rise to the signs of aging we want to avoid, like wrinkles, fine lines around the eyes and mouth, and sagging skin.
So, if you’re looking to combat these issues and give your skin a refreshed look, the right serum can absolutely be worth the investment.
Why not just take vitamin C orally?
While vitamin C is an important nutrient for overall health, little enters the skin when consumed orally.
Your skin’s outermost layer lacks adequate blood vessels to transport nutrients, and another strike against oral vitamin C: it’s water-soluble. This means most of it is rapidly dissolved as soon as you consume it.
With this little biology lesson in mind, we can now understand why directly applying a vitamin C serum to your skin can have much more powerful effects than oral supplements, especially in improving our complexion and fighting off signs of aging.
No vitamin C serum or (really any) beauty product can replace a healthy lifestyle. Skin health, collagen production, and vitamin absorption are all influenced by your habits. BUT, they can serve as a supporter or enhancement for people who are already doing the right things (i.e., eating well, exercising regularly, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep.)
Geologie's Vitamin C Serum Review: Are all vitamin C serums created equal?
The truth is, most consumers aren’t aware of how products like vitamin C serums differ. Most of them are marketed so well that it’s hard to find any major disparities between brands.
When choosing a Vitamin C serum, it’s important to check its combination with other supportive ingredients. Namely, look for ferulic acid and vitamin E (tocopherol), and, for bonus points, hyaluronic acid (pssst… Geologie has all three).
Let’s talk about what else makes Geologie Vitamin C serum stand out from the masses.
Better composition
Geologie’s Vitamin C Serum is an aloe-based, gel texture formula that locks Vitamin C into the skin, promoting higher absorption.
More effective formula
- Vitamin C + ferulic acid: Improves the stability of its solution, increases its potency and makes it less prone to skin irritation.
- Vitamin C + vitamin E: Combined, they create potent antioxidant protection. Vitamin E keeps vitamin C from oxidizing too quickly, and vitamin C makes vitamin E more active, enhances its effects, and improves its ability to combat free radicals.
- Vitamin C + vitamin E + ferulic acid: Provides twice the level of photoprotection (the ability to minimize sun damage).
Packaging
Being transparent is an admirable quality in humans, but the same can’t be said for vitamin C serum bottles.
Clear bottles invite overexposure to light, and droppers expose the serum to air, both of which can cause vitamin C to oxidize and degrade over time. When vitamin C degrades, the color darkens – you can still use it, but the benefits will be much less.
Geologie Vitamin C serum is packaged in an opaque pump, which means it won’t come into contact with air and isn’t prone to light – the ideal match for vitamin C’s efficacy over time.
Geologie Vitamin C Serum ingredients breakdown
Obviously, Vitamin C shouldn’t be the only ingredient in Vitamin C Serum. (And no, I’m not talking about it needing serum, too…) Let’s dig into everything that Geologie packs into their Vitamin C Serum:
5% Vitamin C: I mean, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it? Vitamin C naturally blocks excess pigment creation, which can help eliminate those dark under-eye circles. Studies have also shown that it increases collagen synthesis, stabilizes collagen fibers, and decreases the degradation of collagen – all powerful antiaging effects.
We’ve also got 0.5% Vitamin E in there, which protects your skin against damage from free radicals (those pesky, unstable atoms that lead to cell degeneration and aging). And beyond just protecting your skin, Vitamin E also replenishes your skin’s fatty acids, which helps you achieve young, hydrated, and healthy skin.
Ferulic acid is an antioxidant that actually stabilizes both Vitamins C and E when they’re combined. It also boasts some potential anti-aging effects by stimulating collagen and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 1.5% Hyaluronic acid is there for hydration, immediately activating for maximum moisturizing power. While other Vitamin C serums, Cerave, do include hyaluronic acid, they don’t really reveal how much of it they’re including in their product.
How to use Geologie Vitamin C serum?
Geologie has a handy Skincare Set that you can combine for maximum benefit and an all-in-one routine. To get the most out of your serum, it’s recommended you follow this routine in the morning:
- Wash your face thoroughly: Use your own preferred wash or Geologie’s Everyday Face Wash.
- Apply your Geologie Vitamin C serum: Squirt two pumps into your palm (pea-sized), then massage it all over your face and neck. Dot it and massage it under your eyes, but don’t get the formula itself into them.
- Moisturize and protect: Finish your application with some moisturizer to lock in the serum, then top it all off with some SPF 50.
Geologie Reviews: What are other customers saying?
You can find a plethora of great reviews on Geologie’s website about their services and the Vitamin C Serum working wonders for many people. Everything from:
Feature |
Review |
| Smoother look | “Into my first week of use and seeing a smoother look to my face…” |
| Fading dark spots | “…in a few short weeks, I’ve noticed smoother skin and even some fading of dark spots.” |
| No side effects | “My skin is very sensitive, but I have not experienced any negative side effects since using this product.” |
| Better than competitors | “I used to use CE ferulic from SkinCeuticals, which I did like. Well – this is now my new favorite.” and, “Worked as well for me as SkinCeuticals CE ferulic at a much more affordable price point.” |
| Worth it | “Short Answer: Yes, this stuff is great, if you got the extra $$$, just get the full size… I noticed my skin was a bit brighter. It also seems to reduce the amount of oil build-up… I’m sure it’ll last for at least 2 months. If you’re on the fence about it, I’d say buy the full-size one-time to see if you like it.” |
There were some mentions of the smell (“mediciney”, “different”), but we like that Geologie doesn’t add any scents or unnatural ingredients to mask that. Most users also mentioned that it goes away after application, aka the smell doesn’t stick with you all day.
Because their Vitamin C+E Ferulic Serum is a new product, there weren’t many reviews outside their website. But users as a whole love Geologie and their customized products and skincare routines, so if you’re on the fence, check out their other products while you’re at it.
Review | Source |
| “I’ve used [Geologie’s Vitamin C+E Ferulic Serum] for a couple of weeks now. I like the feel of this product. It goes on smoothly and soaks in quickly. It doesn’t make my face feel dry or sticky like other serums I’ve tried.” | Amazon |
| “Never had a skincare routine before but wanted to start. Geologie had a great algorithm to determine my needs. Since then, I’ve added on body wash, face wash, deodorant, vitamin C serum, etc. Skin looks and feels great. Highly recommend.” | Trustpilot |
| “Been using my regimen for a few months now, and it’s only gotten better with time. I ran into some breakouts early on… but the CS team walked me through it and got my products adjusted… I also wasn’t getting much use out of the eye cream and followed up again to see if they could help me remove that from the set. They did, and I’ve been in a pretty good spot with pricing and results ever since.” | Trustpilot |
| “I love these products. At first, I wasn’t sure if they were working, but I started to see a difference after the first few weeks. My wife also mentioned that she noticed a difference and that the dark circles under my eyes have started to become less noticeable. I can at least recommend trying the 30 days and see if it works for you, it sure did for me. | Amazon |
There are some reviews out there that are ragging on Geologie’s subscription service, especially when going from a trial to a subscription. Make sure to read the fine print before purchasing (as with literally any online service) so that you don’t make the same mistake.
tl;dr – Is Geologie Vitamin C serum for men worth it?
Given their price point and formula combination, Geologie’s Vitamin C serum shows promise. The benefits are there, especially after combing through reviews – users report brighter and smoother skin with a reduction of dark spots and sun damage, some after only one week of use.
The price point is high but not as high as some competitors for the same ingredients. Plus, their bottle and application method keep the formula stable, enabling you to stock up (and save money) without it oxidizing in the meantime.
If you’re on the fence, Geologie offers their trial size (15ml), which will still last you an entire month, should you use it properly. It’s definitely worth a try to add to your morning skincare routine and maybe impress your S.O. or… ya know, your friends…
But if you’re ready to go all in on an entire routine, Geologie can do the work for you to customize your regime based on your unique skin, conditions, and concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! Originally, Geologie was a storefront for men’s skincare, but they’ve since transitioned to a good-for-everyone, unisex skincare space with personalized products for anyone, every skin type, skin concern, and skincare routine (including hair care, now!).
No, shipping is $4.95 for every order (again, buying in bulk saves you money 😉).
You’ll receive your order within 2-8 business days.
Go to Account → Account settings → Cancel subscription
If you have a subscription, make sure to cancel before your renewal date, and if you’re ordering one-offs, cancel before processing.
You cannot return a Geologie product after receiving it. If it’s damaged, however, you can email them with a photo for a refund.
How much does Geologie Vitamin C serum cost?
For a one-time purchase:
Based on reviews, one bottle can last you at least 2 months if you’re using it as instructed.
If you choose the subscription route, you can get a bottle shipped every month, bi-monthly, or quarterly. While it’ll save you the trouble of re-ordering when you run out, it won’t save you any money – the total for each bottle will end up being the same as a single-bottle purchase.
So, if you want our advice, we recommend bundling and saving as one-time purchases and just reminding yourself to re-order before you run out. 🙂
What other skincare products does Geologie have?
Geologie offers a TON of other customized skincare products for everything, including face routines, full body, hair, and more. As just a sample, they have:
- Face and body wash
- Face and eye cream
- Sunscreen
- Serums (duh)
- Shampoo, conditioner, and co-wash
- Natural deodorant
