Hello, lovelies!
How are you today? It's been one of the toughest days ever, and everything seems to go wrong, so I decided to sit down and shake it all off by doing one of my favourite things: chatting about skincare!
You might know by now that Korean skincare products are all the rage, many of the big occidental distributors and retailers have included great Korean products to their assortments, so this is not new. I appreciate finding many of my favourite Face masks at Sephora, for example. But the truth is, when I am trying to explore a little deeper into the ocean of Korean brands and products, I turn to one of the specialized boutiques in Switzerland. BoOonBox is where I go to pick items I never tried before, like this Vitamin C Serum from the brand Tia'm.
Keep reading to find out more!



I have been battling with skin discolouration since I had my first child (it feels like forever) and my face has always some dark marks called "melasma", a condition which is also known as "pregnancy mask". This isn't right because my last pregnancy was three years ago. However, I also suffer from endometriosis and I'm under hormonal medication for this reason, which could also be contributing to my dark spots to persist.
I have tried so many of the "brightening" skin care treatments from many known (and expensive) brands with very little success. You can see a little bit of my struggle in different posts in this blog under the tag "brightening".
I have always tried to use products, serums and oils which contain vitamin C as I've learnt this is one of the best ingredients to really battle dark spots and hyperpigmentation. But the results were not as evident as I was hoping. It's been two years now since I first introduced vitamin c in my skincare routine and the spots (although lighter) are still there. I am aware that if the hormones that produce this hyperpigmentation are still active because of my medication (warn you, I'm not a specialist) it is a little useless to put anything on my skin, whatever result I might achieve, then my medication counters it. But I still had one thing to try, that was PURE vitamin C.
Well, "pure" it is a fashion of speech because I believe that is a chemical impossibility, you always need other substances to mix the vitamin C with. What I meant is I don't want "a moisturizer WITH vitamin C", I want vitamin C in a bottle. And that EXACTLY is what I've found in BoOonBox.


Tia'm My Signature C Source 20%**



This bestselling Vitamin C Serum from Korea promises a healthy skin through the fast and effective efficacy of Vitamin C. This serum contains 20% Vitamin C which is far the highest percentage available in the market!!

The claims

  • It smells like a  fresh citrus fruit and as as a natural anti oxidant,
  •  it is safe and can be used daily. 
  • It prevents early signs of aging, moisturizes and smoothens skin. 
  • It is also helpful in fading acne scars and other skin hyperpigmentation, 
  • produces collagen and restores and regenerates your skin, 
  • exfoliates dead skin cells including blackheads and tightens pores.


**This is the former OST C20 Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum: the brand name and product name have been changed, but all ingredients and elements in the product remained the same.


How to use

This is labelled to be safe for "all skin types". But as usual, you must pay close attention to the "how to use" instructions. Here is how Jodeth from BoOonBox explains us how to use it.

After cleansing and toning apply 2-3 drops of the serum to dry skin, like how you use ordinary serums or ampoules. It is recommended to be used in the evening. If you choose to use it in the morning, it is recommended to use some sunscreens. 

Please note that: slight tingling would be experienced at the first time of use, which should fade away in a few seconds or minutes. 

Tip

Since applying this serum could cause sticky feeling, a few drops of this serum mixed with your favourite toner would do the trick! Although some bloggers say that the sticky feeling is actually a temporary once you follow it up with your other skincare products.

Caution:
  • Please avoid using this product in tandem with high levels of BHA and AHA.
  • TIP: you can alternate the use of the BHA/AHA in your routine with Vitamin C. Like for example:  today use BHA/AHA, tomorrow Vitamin C; or mornings AHA/BHA, evenings Vitamin C. If you want to use all of them at the same time, you need to give each product at least a 30 minute wait before applying the next product (AHA/BHA/Vit.C)
  • Please store the bottle in a dark cold place preferably in the fridge to avoid oxidation.
  • Sediment may occur in the neck of the bottle and at the bottom, which is safe. Browning of the liquid is a natural phenomenon of highly concentrated pure Vitamin C.


Ingredients:

Here is the full list of ingredients:
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Ethanol, Sodium Lactate, Butylene Glycol, Glucose, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosa Davurica Bud Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, BIS-PEG-18 Methyl Esther Dimethyl Silane, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Xanthan, PEG-180, Gluconolactone, Beta-Glucan, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Zinc PCA, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tocopherylacetate, Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ubiquinone, Diisopropyladipate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben


My experience

How invaluable are the advice of an expert and passionate skincare lover! I followed all these tips and had great results.
I personally store the bottle in my fridge (even before opening it) and it is in a perfect state as the first day I opened it. No sediment, no colour change, nada. I apply 3-4 drops after cleansing and toning and follow with an oily serum and other lotions.
I've been using it for about 4 weeks now, once per day, although I do skip it on the rare occasion when I'm tired and I forget to pick it up from the fridge, haha. I have been using it regularly and the results are amazing. What started as an "experiment" definitely became a must have for me. My skin has a better texture, a softer feeling, looks and feels younger, my dark spots (still there) considerably faded, I couldn't be happier with this product!
There is also another good thing, this serum is really affordable! The bottle contains 30ml and costs 21.50 CHF. Honestly, of all the specific products I've tried, this is the least expensive and the most effective (don't want to think about all the money I've thrown away). The 30ml bottle can seem small, but you only need 3 drops per day. I have been using it for 4 weeks and I'm not even through one-third of the bottle, so I suppose this will last me for three months, but I'll keep you updated on this.



Bottom Line

I'm super happy with my new vitamin C serum, the results are visible and my wallet is happy! Kudos to the lovely Jodeth for her advice. If you are struggling with hyperpigmentation, dark spots, acne scars (even if they are very old) I encourage you to incorporate pure vitamin C in your skincare. If you ask me, the Ti'am My Signature C Source is an excellent option!

What about you? what is your "skin-struggle" if any? Have you tried Korean beauty products? Do you use skincare with vitamin C? Let me know in the comments!

Love,
Nati


*The items reviewed were purchased by me unless otherwise stated.