Shwally Elemental C Brightening Serum
Our ultra-concentrated, 100% Vitamin C gel-oil serum boost brightness and fade dark spots in just 2 weeks. One ingredient, no water, no fillers, no fragrance, for a brighter, more even-looking glow every morning.
The most powerful Vitamin C serum you’ll ever meet.
- 100% THD ascorbate, the oil-soluble vitamin C that holds up far better than water-based C
- Helps defend skin against daily stress from modern lightning and pollution
- Supports a brighter, more even-looking tone with daily use
- No low-pH sting, unlike classic L-ascorbic acid serums
- Water-free, so there are no preservatives and nothing to dilute it
Good for: Dullness · Uneven tone & dark spots · Sun-exposed skin · Mature skin · Sensitive skin
Size: 1 fl oz (30 ml)
Ingredients: Vitamin C (Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate)
What you won't find: Water, Preservatives, Fragrance, Fillers & thickeners, Low-pH sting.
- Cleanse. Start with clean skin in the morning.
- Hydrate. If you use a water-based serum like our Hyaluronic Serum, apply it first.
- Brighten. Press 1–2 pumps of vitamin C over face, neck and chest.
- Protect. Finish with your Shwally moisturizer, and our Sunbalm Stick when you'll be outside for a while.
- Step 1 · Hydrate: Shwally Hyaluronic Serum – Hydrate & Plump. Water-based, so it goes on first.
- Step 2 · Brighten: Shwally Elemental C Brightening Serum. Your morning antioxidant layer.
- Step 3 · Protect: Shwally Sunbalm Stick – Lightly Tinted SPF 20. For longer days outside.
Buy It With
Buy It With
Vitamin C, Minus The Water And The Markup
Most of us have probably owned a vitamin C serum that turned orange halfway through the bottle, or stung every time you put it on. That's water-based vitamin C, which is inherently very unstable.
Ours is 100% THD ascorbate, a vitamin C that dissolves in oil instead of water. No water in the bottle means no preservatives and nothing diluting it.
Because it's oil-soluble, THD blends into your skin's natural oils, and your skin converts it into the same vitamin C used in the clinical studies below.
Use it every morning under your moisturizer. Give it a few months, and skin looks brighter, more even and more rested.
We hope you love it as much as we do.
-Amanda
Shwally vs.
- Form of C: Oil-soluble THD ascorbate (typical: water-based L-ascorbic acid)
- Water: None (typical: usually the first ingredient)
- Preservatives: None needed (typical: required)
- In the bottle: Holds up far better (typical: oxidizes and turns orange)
- On skin: No low-pH sting (typical: can tingle or sting)
What To Expect
The Research Behind It
Published studies on these ingredients, summarized in our own words. They describe the ingredients, not tests of this product.
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In a six-month, double-blind trial, women with sun-damaged skin applied a 5% vitamin C cream to one side and a plain cream to the other. Dermatologists and the women themselves rated the vitamin C side as significantly improved, with a finer skin surface, fewer deep furrows and signs of elastic tissue repair in skin samples. This trial used L-ascorbic acid, the form THD is a precursor to.
Source: Humbert PG, et al. Experimental Dermatology, 2003. View study
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Researchers in Germany found that dermal papillae, tiny structures that feed the upper skin, grow sparser with age. When 33 women applied a 3% vitamin C cream to their forearms for four months, papillae density increased compared with the plain cream.
Source: Sauermann K, Jaspers S, Koop U, Wenck H. BMC Dermatology, 2004. View study
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Skin naturally stores vitamin C, but levels fall with age, especially in the outer layer, according to the research reviewed alongside the dermal papillae study.
Source: Sauermann K, et al. BMC Dermatology, 2004 (literature review section). View study
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In a three-month split-face trial, the vitamin C side showed a 71% greater combined improvement in skin surface texture than the control side, with gains in fine lines, roughness and tone.
Source: Traikovich SS. Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 1999.
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Topical vitamin C increased the activity of the genes for collagen types I and III, and the enzymes that process them, in human skin.
Source: Nusgens BV, et al. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2001.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This is a single ingredient serum – there are no additives or other ingredients – this means the formula is 100% THD Ascorbate. Since our Vitamin C is supremely stable (is not affected by light or air), this also means it is 100% potent every time you use it.
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Yes, it can be used on all skin types, including sensitive skin. It is non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic and contains no fragrance. The molecular structure of this formula is also ideal for sensitive skin - it maintains stability at a higher PH which means it is less likely to aggravate.
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Elemental C has a non-comedogenic, gel-oil texture that deeply nourishes. Its lipophilic
structure (oil soluble) is easily recognized by skin’s natural lipid structure, allowing the ingredient to be absorbed deep into the surface layer of skin where it is needed the most. -
L-ascorbic acid is water-soluble and oxidizes quickly. THD ascorbate is oil-soluble, holds up better in the bottle, and is typically gentler on skin.
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No. Vitamin C doesn't make skin more sun-sensitive the way retinol or acids can. It's a morning antioxidant, and it pairs well with sun protection.
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Yes. We already pair the two in our Repair Face Cream. Apply water-based serums like our Sunshine Serum first, then vitamin C.
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Yes. Many people use vitamin C in the morning and a retinol alternative at night, like our Extra Potent Night Cream with bakuchiol.
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Much of what you pay for in many serums is water, thickeners and packaging. Ours is one ingredient with nothing to dilute it, priced like the simple product it is.