If you’re even remotely interested in skincare, you probably already know that incorporating an antioxidant-rich vitamin C serum into your nightly routine is essential to fighting the signs of aging and for both protecting the skin from—and reversing—existing damage from pollution, free radicals, and the sun.

Vitamin C is lauded for its unrivaled power to visibly fade dark spots, soften the appearance of fine lines, combat dullness, and improve overall elasticity (read: firmness). Unfortunately, it’s an active ingredient that’s pretty challenging to stabilize, making skin-care products made with it among the pricier ones on the market.

While there’s a slew of popular (and effective) vitamin C skincare products available in an array of different price points and formulations, the coveted C E Ferulic Serum by SkinCeuticals is one of the most raved about and best-selling options you’ll find today. It’s also one of the most expensive. While paying the price for good skin is considered a worthy investment for some, we did some research to try to track down actual dupes to this coveted serum that have similar formulations of active ingredients but cost a fraction of the price.

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The Original: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum

One of the reasons that the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum is so hard to mimic is that SkinCeuticals patented the serum’s blend of active ingredients (15 percent L-ascorbic acid, 1 percent vitamin E, and 0.5 percent ferulic acid). This is important because if the formulation isn’t properly balanced, not only might it be less effective, but because vitamin C has a pretty short shelf life, it can go “bad” as early as one to two months after opening the bottle.

Unlike other similar serums, SkinCeuticals has formulated and packaged the serum to remain stable and effective for up to six months after opening the bottle. (Light exposure can essentially destroy vitamin C’s potency, by the way.)

If you google this ever-popular serum, you’ll find plenty of reviews from beauty editors, dermatologists and loyal users of the product touting its skin-transforming benefits and promising that it’s worth the steep price tag. However, if you can’t fathom tossing out nearly $200 on a serum, according to the internet (and a substantial number of stellar reviews and side-by-side comparisons), you don’t have to invest the $166 to reap the benefits of this powerful triad of ingredients. Here are six solid options we’ve found that deliver comparable results without the price tag.

 

Timeless 20% C + E + Ferulic Acid Serum

Like the SkinCeuticals serum, this $17 dupe is formulated with 20 percent vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic acid, one percent vitamin E, and 0.5 percent ferulic acid. It also contains hydration-boosting hyaluronic acid for added anti-aging power. With an Amazon 4-star rating backed by an impressive 1,500+ reviews, this serum’s blend of active ingredients is a near dupe to the original.

Buy: Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C Plus E Ferulic Acid Serum $21.49

Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum

The trio of powerhouse ingredients (20 percent Vitamin C, three percent Vitamin E, and two percent Ferulic Acid) combine in this rich and moisturizing serum. The opaque jar with pump dispenser are designed keep light, air and bacteria from mixing with the delicate vitamins and actives in the formula so that it stays potent (as the name suggests) and stable for longer—meaning the last drop will be just as strong as the first.

 

TruSkin Vitamin C Serum

This vitamin C-infused facial serum has over 40K reviews and basically a five-star rating—oh, and it’s only $20. Not only does it contain both vitamins C and E like Skinceuticals’ version, but it’s also formulated with witch hazel to clarify and refine pores and hyaluronic acid to help lock in moisture and enhance volume.

Buy: TruSkin Vitamin C Serum $19.99

Paula’s Choice BOOST C15 Super Booster 15% Vitamin C with Vitamin E + Ferulic Acid

Like the SkinCeuticals serum, this $50 vitamin C product contains nearly the same blend of the holy trinity of actives. It contains 15% of stabilized vitamin C with a pH of 3.0 and a blend of peptides to boot. Another bonus of this product is that you can either wear it alone or mix it in with your favorite moisturizer or primer without it pilling up under your foundation.

Buy: Paula's Choice BOOST C15 Super Booster Serum $49

Cosmetic Skin Solutions Vitamin C + E Serum Advanced Formula

Another dupe that offers the same percentage of the vitamin cocktail, this serum from Cosmetic Skin Solutions is backed by 446 reviews and comes with (almost) a 4-star rating. We took a deep dive into the customer reviews, and countless loyal fans of the $40 dupe (who had previously been using the SkinCeuticals serum) swear that it’s just as effective in fading dark spots and softening lines.

Buy: Cosmetic Skin Solutions Supreme Serum CE $39.99

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum

While the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum is another cult favorite when it comes to skincare—and certainly not the most wallet-friendly option on the list—it’s still almost 50 percent cheaper than the SkinCeuticals serum. This serum also is formulated with its own patented blend of antioxidants, including 15 percent of vitamin C, as well as vitamin E and ferulic acids (these percentage levels aren’t listed), plus pumpkin ferment extract and pomegranate enzyme, which help to accelerate the turnover of dead skin cells.

It has a 3.3 pH level, making it less irritating on sensitive skin and claims to last up to 72 hours (even when the product’s been rubbed off). Endless reviewers of this serum claim that it’s reduced the appearance of their pores, restores luminosity to the skin and is less sticky (and therefore under-makeup-friendly) than other vitamin C serums on the market. 

Buy: Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum $80

from StyleCaster