Gentle brightening with Valentia Even Glow Serum

Written By Jenny Wu on February 26, 2015

As you may know, brightening has always been one of the main focuses of my skincare routine. So of course when I was given the chance to review the Valentia Even Glow Serum with 20% vitamin c, I jumped right at it.

The Claim

Even Glow Serum will repair, refresh, and renew your skin; restoring evenness to your complexion, giving you an extra boost of confidence each time you look in the mirror. (official site)

It claims to even out skin tone, increase glow & radiance, provide all day hydration, reduce lines & wrinkles, and boost collagen production.

The Findings

First of all, vitamin c is an active ingredient, so any exposure to air and light will cause it to oxidize and lose its effectiveness. The amber glass bottle of the Valentia Even Glow Serum does a good job to minimize light exposure, but sadly the dropper still exposes the product to air, so once opened, it’s important to use the product as soon as possible.

The serum itself has a slightly watery texture and a really nice citrus scent. While the fragrance may be pleasant to the nose, the source of it – grapefruit essential oil – can actually irritate those with sensitive skin. Fortunately it’s pretty far down the ingredients list, and personally I’ve had no problems with it so far.

Thanks to the serum’s watery texture, it blends and absorbs quite well on the skin. I use about 3 drops for my entire face, focusing on my cheeks where my d7ark spots are. It does leave a slightly sticky finish at first, but it goes away as soon as I apply my moisturizer. Despite its claim to hydrate the skin with its array of ingredients (more on that below), my skin definitely didn’t feel moisturized afterwards, and those with dry skin will find this seriously lacking in that aspect.

Now let’s talk about the main ingredient – vitamin c. The most effective and proven form of vitamin c in skincare is ascorbic acid. However, ascorbic acid requires a specific pH level for it to be effective, and can be slightly irritating for sensitive skin. Valentia Even Glow Serum uses a more stable and less irritating form of vitamin c called sodium ascorbyl phosphate, so it doesn’t cause any of the stinging or redness that occurs with ascorbic acid. Those with sensitive skin or who had bad skin reactions to vitamin c in the past would definitely appreciate this alternative form. On the other hand, because sodium ascorbyl phosphate is relatively new, there is less research on its effectiveness, though the findings so far have been positive.

The serum contains some other great ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, MSM, rosehip seed oil, green tea leaf extract, and seabuckthorn oil, but it also contains some questionable ones. I already mentioned the grapefruit essential oil, but there’s also the “proprietary organic skin tea”, which is listed first in the ingredients. I couldn’t find any information on their website that clarified what this was, so for all we know it could be unicorn tears or cat pee. I’m really hoping it’s not the latter.

So did the product actually work? Yes, I think so. I’ve been using this serum for a month now and have noticed that my skin is now brighter and half a shade lighter. But this past month was also when I completely switched up my skincare routine and introduced several new products (all focused on brightening, amongst other things) in the lineup. So was my skin the result of just the Valentia Even Glow Serum? Absolutely not. Did it contribute to the brightening? To a certain extent, yes.

Key Points

Uses a more gentle form of vitamin c, suitable for sensitive skin.
Contains plenty of great ingredients with moisturizing, brightening, and anti-aging properties.
Does not require specific pH level or additional wait time to be effective.
Easy to apply and absorbs quickly.
Slightly sticky finish that goes away after applying moisturizer.
Dropper packaging limits exposure to fingers, but still exposes product to the air.
Doesn’t specify what’s in the “proprietary organic skin tea”.
Grapefruit essential oil can be irritating for sensitive skin.

Final Verdict

6.5

out of 10

Packaging

6.5
Ingredients

7
Performance

6
Price

6.5

While I did enjoy using this serum, I still find it to be a bit expensive at $25 for 1.18oz. It's brightening effects didn't wow me, and its hydrating effects were non-existant, making this a slightly above-average serum at best. Since sensitivity is not an issue for me, I prefer to use the more effective and proven form of vitamin c, but those with sensitive skin might appreciate the gentleness of this serum.

Where to buy

Amazon – $25 – Free 2-day shipping for prime members. Rotating cash back categories at Ebates.