Many of you may know Mesoestetic for their stalwart Cosmelan treatment, one of the most effective depigmenting treatments without hydroquinone. But they also offer a wide range of products, and today’s review will be about their ascorbic acid serum, which I would call the closest dupe for the famous CE Ferulic. 

The serum is an aqueous solution that includes 15% of ascorbic acid, 1.5% of Protech-cell Complex, which is jazzed up vitamin E known as RoncaCare AP by Merck, the same ingredient as in Rohto’s sunscreens, and 0.5% of ferulic acid. The rest consists of emulsifiers and preservatives. The formula is free of fragrance and alcohol, suitable for all skin types. Ascorbic acid is the best form of vitamin C to use; it protects from free radicals, brightens skin, and stimulates collagen production. The two other antioxidants reinforce ascorbic acid to yield even better results against skin ageing and pigmentation. Mesoestetic have kindly shared the information regarding the pH level with me, and it is around 3.5. It’s not a solid piece of information. The pH level could be anywhere between 3 or 4 and still called around 3.5; an effective ascorbic acid serum should have a pH below 3.5. I have had this serum opened for about two months, and it hasn’t changed its colour much. So I would say it is pretty stable, but does it bring results?  

Since the very beginning, I have been pleased with the results. The serum has given my complexion more luminosity and bounciness. The product works well for hyperpigmentation and marks left by spots. I’ve also noticed that it has brightened up my undereye area. Naturally, it can’t vanish dark circles, but the skin looks much lighter. Another positive aspect of the serum is that it doesn’t oxidise on skin – it doesn’t turn orange. You will get a yellowish hue after a few hours of wearing, which happens with all ascorbic acid serums. And to prove that the serum works, I have conducted a semi-scientific experiment with apple slices. 

In my test, I’ve used three apple slices tagged with self-adhesive page markers. At the beginning of the trial, starting from the left, the Orange Slice was smothered with the serum entirely, the central Yellow Slice got the serum only to the left side, and the Green Slice, on the right, was used as the control sample. After applying the serum to two pieces, I left all of them at room temperature, not exposed to sunlight for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, The Orange Slice had remained unchanged. The Yellow Slice had no changes on the treated side, but the uncoated side had started to show slight colour differences in the centre, as I had forgotten to apply serum there. The Green Slice had begun to turn brown. After photographing the samples, I layered the serum on the bare half of the Yellow Slice and put them away. 

The following check-in was after another 45 minutes. I could observe a bit of darkening in the upper right corner of the Orange Slice, probably due to an uneven application. The colour on the right side of the Yellow Slice had improved, and the core had darkened even more. The Green Slice appeared darker and drier. 

After another 30 minutes (120 min total), there were no significant differences from the last time. The Orange Slice had remained without any further changes as well as the Yellow Slice, except for the centre. The oxidisation of the Green Slice had progressed further. 

I have no photos for the last follow-up. I had left the slices unattended for three hours, and I checked on them when I wanted to dispose of them. After three hours, there were no notable transformations to appearances of the Orange Slice and the Yellow Slice. The Green Slice, the baseline sample, had become coffee-coloured allover and looked even drier, though it doesn’t seem like that in the photo.

To sum up my experiment and the review, the serum works as a proper ascorbic acid serum. It limits oxidisation by combatting free radicals, and with continuous use, it can aid in lessening hyperpigmentation and signs of ageing. The product brightens up skin, improves its resilience, and keeps it moist, as my experiment shows. 

Ingredients: incidecoder.com

The AOX Ferulic is available from Mesoestetic’s stockists worldwide.