Current Price $8.10
Highlights
- Hyaluronic acid
- Vitamin C
- Good for: Dullness
Details & care
What it is: A water-free, silicone-free facial treatment that contains 23% pure l-ascorbic acid, otherwise known as vitamin C.
What it does: A brightening formula that uses direct Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to help visibly reduce signs of aging by brightening and balancing uneven skin tone. This water-free formula provides 23% pure l-ascorbic acid, which remains completely stable due to the absence of water. The formula is supported with spheres of hyaluronic acid for added hydration.
How to use: Apply a small amount to the face once daily, ideally in the evening. Use sun protection during the day. A tingling sensation can be expected.
Note: The slightly granular texture of this product is due to the vitamin C powder being suspended in an oil-like base, and therefore each application requires a few seconds to feel absorbed by the skin. If desired, this formula can be diluted in a cream base per application to allow the skin to build tolerance over time.
- 1 oz.
- Paraben-free; phthalate-free; silicone-free; sulfate-free; water-free
- Made in Canada
- Item #5982021
Ingredients
Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Coconut Alkanes, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Trihydroxystearin, BHT.
Ingredients are subject to change at the manufacturer's discretion. For the most complete and up-to-date list of ingredients, refer to the product packaging
Shipping & returns
Free shipping. Free returns. All the time. Purchases made online can also be returned or exchanged at any Nordstrom store, free of charge. Read more about our shipping & returns policies.
Gift options
Choose your gift options at checkout. Some items may not be eligible for all gift options.
Delivery
- Email gift message (free)
- Printed gift message (free)
- Fabric gift bag ($5)
Need help finding the perfect gift? We've got you covered.
The Ordinary
The Ordinary is democratizing skin care by bringing well-known active ingredients to market at sensible price points. All products are made in the brand's lab, tested on humans (The Ordinary is vegan and cruelty-free) and use ingredients at their highest quality and most effective concentrations. The Ordinary is Clinical Formulations with Integrity.
Most helpful positive review
Mar 12, 2026
Wow. Great price. Great value. Grid solved. Read
Great strong strength and quallity. Some complain about the grit which is why i moved it to evening to rotate one night this vit c product, next night retin A. However ChatGPT advises dermatologists recomend to reduce grit in this product, put pea size in palm mix with your moisturizer (I use Cera Ve AM and PM) or use another. This reduces the gritty feel, prevents pilling of multiple products, and keeps same potency. . Worth a try before going to a more expensive line. This is such a great product at a great price. I am ok with the grit as the value and stregth is amazing.
GoldenEmily
Reposted from deciem.com
Most helpful critical review
Jan 16, 2026
Not for me
I buy many products from the The Ordinary on repeat, but this wont be one of them. I wish I had read the online description before I purchased in-store. The texture is grainy and very greasy on the skin which left me shiny all day.
Cat
Reposted from deciem.com
deciem.com response
Hi there! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%. We're sorry to hear it didn't work out but would love a chance to chat through your skin type and concerns in more detail to suggest a more suitable alternative. Please feel free to reach out to our Product Experts via our Contact Page: www.theordinary.com/contact
5 stars
46%
4 stars
15%
3 stars
13%
2 stars
9%
1 star
17%
Pros:
Cons:
Sort by Most Helpful
GoldenEmily
Reposted from deciem.com
Mar 12, 2026
Wow. Great price. Great value. Grid solved. Read
Great strong strength and quallity. Some complain about the grit which is why i moved it to evening to rotate one night this vit c product, next night retin A. However ChatGPT advises dermatologists recomend to reduce grit in this product, put pea size in palm mix with your moisturizer (I use Cera Ve AM and PM) or use another. This reduces the gritty feel, prevents pilling of multiple products, and keeps same potency. . Worth a try before going to a more expensive line. This is such a great product at a great price. I am ok with the grit as the value and stregth is amazing.
Neel
Reposted from deciem.com
Mar 1, 2026
Brightens and smoothes but use with precaution
Usage- only a pea size amount and pat only on dry or slightly damp skin. Rubbing may damage skin barrier as it is gritty. Leave and wait for few minutes as it automatically dissolves into the skin.
Pros- brightens, fades redness, makes skin softer(just like glycolic acid), plumps the face next morning, increases moisture into the skin. Better barrier friendly than retinal.
Cons- sensitive skin should use carefully, very strong active for skin barrier. Not sure about collagen in the long run.
scottie
Reposted from deciem.com
Feb 13, 2026
Fades sun spots and dermatofibromas
This is the only vitamin C product that works on my sun spots and dermatofibromas! I tried most other Ordinary vitamin C products in order of strength, none of the others worked for me. Yes, it's grainy. Yes it even stings a little sometimes. It's definitely not for sensitive skin and you should definitely spot test. But it works GREAT for my skin type.
I slather this stuff on morning and night followed by the Alpha Arbutin 2% and non-Ordinary moisturizer with sunscreen and it faded my most recent dermatofibroma in 6 months. It's also improved my redness (kind of a "ruddy" look) and sun spots. Skin looks so good I no longer wear foundation. I LOVE IT.
Els lee
Reposted from spacenk.com
Feb 1, 2026
Amazing
I love this product and will continue using it over and over again. I wish they did a big size as I would defo buy it. This is so much cheaper than the vitamin c serum that I was using previously from summer Fridays. Both are good but I will buy this as it’s a good price point and brand. Sometimes I even get it for free with my ndulge points which is amazing. Recommend this product, perfect for all skin types and ages
AK725
Reposted from deciem.com
Jan 27, 2026
Works great, smells horribly. Priced great
I like the way my skin looks after using it but the texture, and more importantly the smell, is hard to move past. I don’t have sensitive skin and I avoided the eye area as instructed so some of the complaints on here are invalid. I’d recommend using at night (again, as suggested in the instructions) to move past the texture and really awful smell. Price is amazing for what you get.
SBmom2
Jan 18, 2026
Tricky to rate bc there are pros and cons
The positives: it really does work to brighten skin and reduce pigmentation, and it's soooo inexpensive compared to other brands (ahem, Skinceuticals).
But, the negatives: the feel of it is weird, like greasy and dry at the same time, and a bit gritty. And it stings when you use it. And leaves your skin shiny.
For these reasons, I only use it at night even though they say you should use vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night. It seems to work ok putting it on first, waiting a bit, then using the retinol.
So, if you don't mind using it at night and dealing with the creepy consistency, and you like saving money, it really does work.
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