A 2 week trial with the freshly activated Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment

It’s been a while since I shared a review about a Vitamin C serum. The reason is because I took a short break after using the last one. It wasn’t intentional but circumstantial.

After a month or so, I decided to get back into the groove, and picked up the Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment that I’d been sent to try. I thought it was intriguing, because it had a ‘fresh activation’ packaging, rather like the one from Clinique.

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Even more interesting is that the Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment comes in a very small 12.5ml dose, and is recommended to be used up in 2 weeks. Little things like this often make me wonder about the product efficacy and potency, so I put it to the test.

Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment Serum

The product comes in a rather large box, with what looks like a complicated mechanism. It isn’t really. It just looks it.

You get a bottle of what is labelled as ‘Potent Hyaluronic Acid Concentrate with rosehip, daisy, mandarin’ with a screw on cap, and a separate pipette dropper.

What you are supposed to do, is to press the button of the cover down, which breaks open a vial of pure 6% strength ascorbic acid, and dumps it into the solution. Then, shake it up vigorously to mix, and swap the cover for the dropper.

As we know by now, Ascorbic Acid is a very volatile ingredient. It is very effective as an antioxidant, and to brighten the skin, but it oxidises quickly on contact with the air. Once oxidised, the efficacy reduces, and it isn’t good for your skin.

Packaging like this ensures that the Vitamin C is kept fresh, until you are ready to use it, to ensure it is as fresh as can be.

However, I ran into a few snags.

The colour of the solution is dubious

I was kindly gifted a box of the Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment by local distributor, TNS Skinlabs, because they know how much I love Vitamin C serums. I received it a few months ago, but only managed to now try it. It has been kept in its box, in a cool, dark cupboard all this time.

When I opened the box, I noticed that the solution in the bottle was a clear, light orange. I found it a little odd, so I tried to find images online of what the colour of a fresh product should be.

However, I could not be sure.

The colour of the solution online ranges from clear to a light yellow. Mine looked like a light orange. I wasn’t sure if it meant that the product had oxidised, or if it was it was meant to be.

I however continued to use it, as the solution remained clear and wasn’t cloudy or murky. The reason this troubles me is because usually, when Ascorbic Acid oxidizes, it turns orange. Usually therefore, when a Vitamin C serum takes on an orange tint or turns orange, it means it has oxidized. While this is not always the case (Please see: Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum) it is a general rule, and therefore, troubles me.

The Vitamin C powder can get stuck if you’re not careful

When I depressed the button on the cover, I felt a little pop. When I looked at the underside of the bottle cap, I noticed that a little compartment had been forced open, releasing the Vitamin C powder into the solution.

However, the powder looked like it was compressed, and it was stuck.

I do not know if this was because some of the solution had leaked into the Vitamin C powder (and thereafter oxidizing, resulting in the solution turning orange) or if it was made that way.

What I recommend therefore, is that you check the cap properly before throwing it away, to ensure that all the powder has been released into the solution. I solved this problem by hitting it sharply against a piece of towel on the table. This dislodged the Vitamin C powder.

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Always shake it up to mix properly

If you look closely at the close-up image above, you will see little bits of powder distributed through the liquid. This photo was taken after I had deposited all the Vitamin C powder into the solution, and shaken it up.

The Vitamin C will eventually dissolve into the solution, but you must shake it up properly to ensure it mixes and dissolves into the liquid.

Eventually, the solution will just be back to a clear solution, but I still shake it up before use, just to be sure.

Lightweight, hydrating texture

The nitty-gritty aside, I must say that the texture of the Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment is very nice.

It is a liquid, and you are recommended to use 2-3 drops of it twice a day. I am fairly generous, because the bottle is only meant to last you 2 weeks. So, I use about half to one pump each time.

The texture is very watery, and resembles an essence. It sinks right into your skin the moment it touches it, and dries quickly, leaving no residue. It is very comfortable.

What I also like is that it is hydrating. The box says that the solution is a hyaluronic acid based solution, so that makes it a wonderfully hydrating lotion. It is also fortified with Daisy extract, and Rosehip and Mandarin Oil to boost the skin brightening properties.

2 weeks later – What’s my verdict?

I’m no stranger to using Vitamin C serums, as regulars will be aware. I am, in fact, a huge fan of Vitamin C serums for brightening and evening skin tone, and strengthening the skin.

RELATED READING: What Vitamin C serums have I tried or recommend? READ HERE

After 2 weeks of using the Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment, I can safely say firstly, that the 12.5ml bottle will last you longer than merely 2 weeks. I am very generous with my use, and I can easily stretch it to 3 weeks. If you follow the instructions and use just 2-3 drops each time, I forsee you using it for at least a month.

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However, I cannot say with great certainty that my skin looks any brighter or more even-toned than it has been before. I certainly do not notice any dramatic changes.

It must be said however, that I do not expect to see dramatic changes in my skin texture or tone. This is because I am a regular user of Vitamin C serums, and therefore cannot expect a dramatic improvement each time I use a new product. It is ridiculous to expect that! 😛

Perhaps, if you have never used a Vitamin C serum before, and want a formula that is very hydrating, then you could start with this. Based on the information on the box, the strength of the Vitamin C is about 6%. It is enough to show a noticeable improvement to those who have never used a similar product before.

However, if you are regularly using a 10%-20% strength Vitamin C serum, then I expect that this is too low for you to notice a significant result. Perhaps it helps maintain your skin luminosity, and help with hydration. But it is otherwise a little redundant.

I will finish this bottle, but I struggle to consider a repurchase, because the colour of the solution disturbs me (I can’t tell if it should be clear or tinted) and because I am used to a higher Vitamin C strength in my serums.

But if you prefer something that is formulated naturally, and contains Vitamin C, or if you don’t want a formula that is too strong and potentially more drying, this Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment is one to consider.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment is a vitamin c serum that comes in a fresh-activation packaging. The Vitamin C powder (6% strength ascorbic acid) is housed in the cap, and you activate the product only when you want to use it. The solution is very hydrating and very comfortable on skin. There is no discernible scent, and the product feels gentle on my skin. However, I did not notice a significant skin brightening or luminosity after the recommended 2 weeks use (day and night). My skin did feel more hydrated and it was comfortable. But I think this is better recommended for someone new to using Vitamin C serum, or who prefers a more natural formula.

PROS:
Fresh Vitamin C product as only activated when ready for use
Lightweight, hydrating solution
May potentially result in brighter, more luminous skin tone
Can last longer than the recommended 2 weeks use

CONS:
Pricey for the amount of product
Colour of solution isn’t indicative of freshness
Vitamin C powder can get stuck in its case
A little fiddly to activate at the beginning

WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who wants a gentle, hydrating, natural based Vitamin C serum

PRICE: RM154 | US$44 | £29.50 for 12.5ml

WHERE TO BUY: TNS Skinlabs stores and online, Lookfantastic, Ulta

For those interested, this is the ingredients list for the Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin) Peel Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Parfum, Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Limonene, Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Benzyl Alcohol

Have you tried this Trilogy Vitamin C Booster Treatment? What Vitamin C serum have you used lately?

I’m finishing this quite quickly, and then moving on to something else. I have to say that this serum gets a lot of rave reviews online, so I’d recommend that you look up what some other people have to say, to get a more balanced view 🙂

Paris B

Disclosure: Featured products were press samples by the brand for consideration. Our commitment is to honesty and fairness. For review guidelines please read the disclaimer.