Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review

4.3/5 - (3 votes)

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review: Hey guys, let’s get into talking about a Vitamin C serum today. Ole Henriksen‘s vitamin c serum aka the Truth serum has been around for many years now. Earlier it used to come in a see through glass bottle which honestly is quite questionable for a vitamin c serum. Thankfully now, they have changed the packaging to an opaque orange coloured pump bottle. Let’s get into more details below.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review

About Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum

Truth Serum is like a daily multivitamin for the skin and Ole Henriksen’s #1 age-defying serum. Ole was an early adopter of vitamin C in skincare, believing that its antioxidant properties and role in promoting collagen make it a crucial ingredient. Supercharged with True-C Complex™ and collagen, this potent vitamin c collagen serum helps brighten and firm the skin as it delivers all-day hydration.

Enriched with orange and green tea extracts, this fast-absorbing, oil-free formula revives the complexion. Indulge in this serum’s sweet, energizing citrus aroma and silky texture as it glides beautifully on the skin for a healthier, more youthful-looking Ole Glow™.

  • Brightens
  • Firms
  • Fights visible signs of aging
  • All-day hydration

How to Use Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum

Apply evenly to face and neck daily, taking time to enjoy the uplifting citrus scent and silky texture. After fully absorbed, follow with the OLEHENRIKSEN moisturizer of your choice. For external use only. Use as directed. Avoid contact with eyes. In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately.

In an independent consumer study on 35 women over 8 weeks:
97% agree this product smoothes skin.
94% agree this product leaves skin soft.
91% agree this product absorbs quickly and easily into skin.
85% agree this product improves skin radiance.
80% agree this product creates healthier-looking skin.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review details

Ingredients in Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum

Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Oleth-20, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Parfum/Fragrance, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Benzophenone-4, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aroma/Flavor, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Disdodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Thioctic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate, Sodium Phosphate, Sorbitol, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Sodium Benzonate, Alcohol, Absoribic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Threonate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Limonene, Linalool.

Price of Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum

$52.00 for 1.0 oz in USA

In Detail Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review, Swatches and My Experience

Like I mentioned above, when I was in college, I have used this serum when it came in a glass bottle. Fortunately, now the packaging is pretty thoughtful. I always prefer pump dispensers for serums because with droppers, I tend to touch it on my skin sometimes. But pump dispensers are better because they ensure that the unused product inside the bottle remains untouched.

Lets talk about the ingredients briefly here. Truth serum is marketed as a vitamin c serum by Ole Henriksen. It contains vitamin c in the form of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (I will refer to it as SAP in this write up). SAP is more stable form of vitamin c. However, it is less potent and less effective than L Ascorbic acid.

Because SAP is more stable and less potent, it can be used by most skin types as the chances of irritation are really low. It is going to work like L ascorbic acid but the effects won’t be as quick and evident. SAP is also very resistant to photo oxidation, so if you’re someone who used your vitamin c serums really slowly, you might want to invest in SAP instead of L ascorbic acid.

Now I am not going to elaborate on effects and benefits of vitamin C for skin here in this post because that would just make it super long. I am sure most of my lovely audience is already aware of the basic benefits like it fights free radicles, boosts collagen production (anti ageing), evens out skin tone and has numerous other amazing effects on the skin. But remember, never to overuse it because it still is an acid, specially skin of colour must never over-use any form of vitamin c.

Besides the hero vitamin c, the ingredients list has many other components. The other ingredients which catch my attention include

  • Hydrolysed collagen – Please note, collagen molecule cannot penetrate the skin. Hydrolysed collagen only acts as a mild moisturiser in topical products.
  • Thioctic acid – a good antioxidant.
  • Sodium Hyaluronate – a humectant.
  • Aloe vera leaf juice, orange extract – Not in significant concentrations.
  • Calcium ascorbate – sounds like vitamin c right? Well it is a salt of vitamin c which we give as a prescription oral vitamin c to our patients but on the skin, topically it is even less effective than SAP. A lot of times it acts as an antioxidant for the ingredients in a product.
  • “Absoribic Acid” – Now this ingredients list is picked from their official website and this looks like a spelling mistake. They probably wanted to write Ascorbic acid. But then I wonder why? Why place another form (a more potent form) of vitamin c by the end of the list, UNLESS they have put it as an antioxidant for the ingredients in the product itself. So basically this will help prevent oxidation of the ingredients.

Other than these, it contains a handful of other organic extracts which in my opinion aren’t going to do much specially in presence of so many different alcohols, preservatives, fragrances etc. I am not saying these are bad, I am just saying that the tiny amount of organics aren’t really going to do much. Therefore, like ole henriksen has said – its a vitamin c serum because the concentration of vitamin c is the only one which is in a significant proportion.

Also please do not miss glycerin and oleth 20 on top of the ingredients list (even before SAP). Glycerin super ingredient in skin care, absolutely fantastic – but remember it is very inexpensive. So to see an expensive product list it at the top of its ingredients list is interesting. Secondly- Oleth 20 is a surfactant. This guy is the younger brother of SLS/sulphates. (Again a very inexpensive ingredient).

Now they talk about “True-C complex”- on their website they explain it as “Stabilized vitamin C derivatives formulated to help brighten the skin and fight visible signs of aging; also delivers antioxidants”. So you see a fancy name to something we already know. I always encourage everyone to really look into the ingredients list and then read the claims of any product.

Speaking of the truth serum itself, it is an orange coloured serum, with a thin consistency. Has a citrusy smell to it (has an added fragrance). Because of its light weight texture, it doesn’t feel like anything when I put it on the skin. It almost immediately gets absorbed. So you can easily layer other skin care products on top.

I usually use this during the day. I do not suggest using vitamin c serums twice a day because vitamin c has a reservoir effect and you really do not need to repeat vitamin c before 24 hours. No matter what any brand says, always go by the facts. Brands conduct their trials in a very controlled environment. Have you ever seen a brand say- use this vitamin c product only once a day or once in 2 days?

So coming to the effects, well I used this daily for a month and I suppose a month should be enough for any commercial product to show acceptable degree of results. However being bluntly honest, with this, I do not see any drastic changes on my skin. Yes, it makes the skin brighter on continuous usage but thats about it. It does not lighten my spots or anything.

Second vitamin c claim, which the brand repeats a lot in their list of claims is its collagen boosting powers. Well it is true that vitamin c boosts collagen synthesis but thats a property of vitamin c itself. So if you use this or any vitamin c serum daily for a long period of time, you may have benefit in collagen business. Remember, neocollagenesis is a gradual process and is aided by vitamin c, does not matter which serum or formulation you use, it just needs to be a good form of vitamin c.

Always remember to do a patch test before starting to use any new product.

Overall I feel this is a decent vitamin c serum but this is expensive. If you’re comfortable spending this much, it is a good product to try, specially because SAP is a more acceptable form of vitamin c which has very less chances of causing any irritation even for sensitive skin beauties. Otherwise, I do not see this showing any drastic changes, you can see the same results using a decent drugstore vitamin c product.

I am no one to talk about the pricing of a product. I believe it depends on a plethora of factors. How a brand sources its ingredients, brand’s production system, branding and I believe brand’s name and legacy, all play a role when it comes to pricing of a product. So yes this is an expensive vitamin c serum and I believe all skin types can benefit from it. But it is upto you if you want to indulge in it.

More Photos, Swatches

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review MBF
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review MBF Blog
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review before & after

PROs of Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum

  1. Pretty, functional packaging.
  2. Decent effects as you would expect from a nice vitamin c serum.
  3. Does not cause any irritation on my skin, even when it becomes slightly sensitive.
  4. Light weight texture, absorbs easily.
  5. Has a brightening effect on the skin when used daily.

CONs of Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum

  1. Quite expensive.
  2. I wish it had the exact percentage of vitamin c used in it.
  3. Has some not so expensive ingredients sitting on top of the ingredients list. Also a lot of fragrance (more than I am personally comfortable with).
  4. Not easily available outside USA.

MBF Advises

  1. Always make sure to use your vitamin c serum as you buy it. Do not keep it unused for a long period of time.
  2. You don’t have to purchase each and every product you see influencers using. Remember there is a lot of marketing and brand promotions involved. If you like something, always try to use a small or a sample size and then make up your mind.
  3. After a lot of experience, I now firmly believe that it is foolish to blindly believe in reviews that we see on any retailer’s website. Read reviews by bloggers, read some blogs. I believe, there are a lot of honest bloggers still left in the beauty world. I always recommend checking out at least 4-5 blogs before deciding on a product.

MBF Rating

3/5

1 thought on “Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Serum Review”

  1. I’ve recently added a Garnier Vitamin C into my routine, I haven’t noticed any results yet but I had no idea vit c was good for collagen I was just using it for the brightening effects!
    Milli

    Reply

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