Vit C Sérum - fake tan smell & *effect* - beware!!

[Vitcserum]

I have a vit c serum, and it hadn’t been opened and I used for the first time last night. It smelled fine, very orangey actually, so all good.
I became aware overnight that my hands and my face smelled strange. When I got up the serum indeed appeared to have given me extra radiance - but not in the way I’d hoped. I thought I looked a bit orangey tbh ☹️. I was a bit confused as it thought it’s purpose was to mainly moisturise.
The weird smell on my hands persisted despite several hand washes and perfumed lotions, and it gradually dawned on me it was a fake tan smell. Went back to the packaging - no mention of it being a gradual tanner, so I was a bit perplexed. Now the fake tan smell is pretty unmistakable so I was convinced that is what it was, so back to manufacturers instructions- no mention of fake tan in there either.
Eventually I had a google and there it was, an explanation …. as vitamin c degrades it turns into an ingredient which is active in fake tanners and it does cause an orange / discolouration to skin cells ☹️
So I’m pretty annoyed as the thing hadn’t been opened, and now I’ve got a definite albeit it slight, fake tan on my face which was very much unintentional.
So that’s a warning for anyone who wonders why they smell weird and have a slightly orange face after using a vit c serum.
Need to buy something else now.

Name changed for this

It sounds like it oxidised before being opened. What was the brand?

Avon

I've recently had the same thing happen with a vitamin c serum I've been testing for the Beauty Bible. Took me a couple of nights' use before I twigged that my hands were developing that unmistakable smell overnight. Fortunately no tanning effect.

I’m thinking it’s irritated me too, DD had just asked me if I’ve been sun bathing (I’ve not), and said I looked red.
Feeling pretty annoyed now as my skin feels a bit tender too.

Yes, Vit C should be kept in the fridge which slows the oxidation down, but it's got a pretty short shelf life. It's why you don't get huge bottles of it.
The smell you usually get with oxidised vit V is metallic.

Btw, vit C should be used as a morning serum (it's an anti-oxidant, we use them to put s barrier between our skin and pollutants that we come into contact with during the day) but as it also can make skin more sun sensitive, you need an SPF (preferably) 50 on as well.

Make sure you buy high quality vit C as it's quite unstable in a cheap formula and bottle

I've just looked at the ingredients list on the Avon one and it's only 10% ascorbic acid. While ascorbic acid is the best kind of Vit C for topical skincare, 10% is pretty low. Most are between 15% and 23%. The most effective ones are combined with ferulic acid.
Vichy LiftActiv, Timeless, Garden of Wisdom and La Roche Posay are all good ones (though the RP is in a clear glass bottle which vit C doesn't like) and are reasonably priced. (And shouldn't make toy orange!)

look for products in airtight, opaque packaging and containing ascorbic acid (often referred to as L-ascorbic acid), which is the term for the chemically active form of vitamin C. Products like Drunk Elephant and Timeless 20% otherwise you're wasting money on ineffective products

Vitamin c is an antioxidant and at best may be more of a hydrator than a moisturiser. It actually can be a bit of a mild exfoliator - that's how it often adds a radiance to the skin. You can get moisturisers with vit c in, but I doubt their efficacy to be honest.
Storage of vit c is a pig. It needs to be kept in an opaque bottle and kept out of sunlight and heat. But some vit cs actually have a short shelf life so start degrading before you've even opened the bottle. It all depends what stabiliser they're formulated with.
Depending on the percentage of vit c, it can be difgicult to tolerate it. Personally I struggle with it. I tend to use niacinimide as my anti oxidant and use lactic acid as my exfolitor. But I also use tretinoin which is pretty good at exfoliating too. Lol.
Actually there is very little scientific evidence that vit c works that well, its usually anecdotal. Nothing wrong with that. Most written evidence tends to have been commissioned by the vit c manufacturer. There are different sources of vit c, some of which work better on sensitive skin. The ordinary do Ascorbyl Glucoside. My skin tolerates that but I'm not sure how efficacious it is.
Skin care - the 21st century minefield!

Thanks all- this sounds a bit complicated and as you can probably tell I don’t know what I’m doing!
This was my first foray into serums and it’s put me off…. More research required I think!

I'm 60. Good skin but some wrinkles. 😪 Normal to dry.

In a morning I use
Hyaluronic acid serum (hado labo)
Niacinimide (anti oxidant)
(The ordinary buffet - peptides. My choice - not nec)
Moisturiser that is an emollient and occlusive.
SPF 50 this can act as your moisturiser.
If you're going to use Vit c, it goes on in a morning with your serums.

Evening.
Exfoliant - lactic acid, mild once or twice a week. Don't overexfoliate it breaks down the water barrier for no good gain.
Hyaluronic acid, buffet.
Tretinoin with or without moisturiser depending on skin condition. You should be thinking of using a retinol of some kind.

I do occasionally use other things or move things around. Have a look at a YouTuber Pampered Wolf skin routine for ideas. She's quite informed. Add new products slowly and build up your routine.

My routine (37, acne prone but dry skin)

Am
Cleanse
Vitamin c
Moisturiser
Spf

Pm
Cleanse
Moisturiser (I do this first and let it sink in)
Skin and me prescription

If I'm having a night off skin and me then I use a gentle acid and a serum then my moisturiser

Hi I have noticed this too with the vit c serum I use. Smelling my hands just now as used it last night and yes very strong smell of fake tan. I though it was perhaps because they put vit c into fake tan🤷‍♀️. But although the smell is not the best I have to say I've noticed my skin has been much clearer and brighter so I'm going to continue with it. I use mine at night before bed and apply before my moisturiser. My skin has been the best it's been.

Vitamin C (made with L-ascorbic acid) is a total diva of a serum. It's a bit like food, the fresher the better, and it goes off if you leave it out of the fridge 😀.

The problem with Vitamin C serums bought off the shelf, is you have no idea how long they have been there. Many companies tint their serums orange, and give it an orangey smell for 'authenticity' - people think vitamin c = oranges, so that's good. But actually, what they are really doing is covering up the fact that it may have oxidised while sitting on the shelf. Very annoying.

Your best bet is to buy from a company that produces it fresh in batches (like Geek & Gorgeous and others), it should be clear when you get it, and may turn a slight yellow after a few weeks, but if it's too orangey or brown it's gone.

Some companies use derivatives or esters of L-ascorbic acid which are more stable, so will last longer, but don't have the same effectiveness.

Apologies for bringing up an old thread but thank you OP for this. I couldn’t work out the smell on my hands. Have just stated using a vit c serum in the last week. It’s a garnier one.

I can’t work out if mine is off/gone bad and I should return or if it’s ok to use. I need to remember to wash my hands rather than rub the residue into my hands if I keep using it.

I usually add 5-10 drops to a cotton pad and wipe it all over my face. Keeps the orangeyness from getting on your hands.