Minimalist

Minimalist 10% Vitamin C Face Serum with PHA.

Masks & Peels

About this product

A vitamin C serum with gentle exfoliating PHA and Centella Asiatica, designed to address dark marks and uneven skin tone.

Full ingredients

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pullulan, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lecithin, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Citrate

Guru Score

78%

Yay

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

What the gurus are saying

The formula itself is anti-inflammatory and safe, with good ingredients at correct percentages, but gurus flag a critical packaging flaw: vitamin C oxidizes in the opaque jar and you cannot tell once it becomes ineffective, potentially wasting your money. The gentle PHA exfoliant and gluconolactone mean this should not be used daily or in the mornings. It's still affordable and fragrance-free, so no irritation risk for sensitive skin.

Synthesized from 2 expert reviews · most recent take July 2026

What they liked

Gentle vitamin C derivative, safe for sensitive skin
Fragrance-free and dye-free
PHA provides gentle exfoliation

What they flagged

Not suitable for daily or morning use
Jar packaging exposes product to air

Best for

Dry skin Sensitive skin

Type

Masks & PeelsDrops & dropper

Key actives

Vitamin C Hyaluronic acid

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Mixed

"So I would say if you want to use this product I'm happy for you to use it, I can't vouch for how effective the vitamin C is going to be, but it is a nav safe product. I like the form of vitamin C that's been used. I do like the fact they've used gluconolactone, but it means that you should not be using this in the mornings and certainly not daily either. So for that reason I am going to say it's Dr V kind of approved but you can do better."

All 3 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan

MINIMALIST (non-sponsored) Dr Vanita Rattan Reviews

BEST & WORST Vitamin C in Sephora for skin of colour | Doctor V

"I actually really like this formula, it's a naif safe formula, it's at a decent price point. What I don't like about it is that it's not in airless packaging, and the problem with this is that you actually don't know once it's ineffective and once the oxygen has oxidized all of this vitamin C. I think they got a lot right but I think that they got the packaging wrong and that's a problem for us because it could just be a waste of your time."

Brightening Serums Rated on NYKAA

"I love that they've gone in with 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, not pure ascorbic acid. The only downside with this formula is that it's not in an airless pump, they've gone with an opaque jar, which is better than what we've seen so far, but an airless pump really would have increased the number. [...] So this formula is getting an 8 out of 10, which is decent. It's not bad, but if they did put this into an airless pump, it would be better."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"This is a nice vitamin C gentle serum with some nice derivatives in it, no fragrance, it's got ferulic acid in it, so it's a nice way to try it without having to buy a bunch from the brand to get free shipping. [...] It's still really affordable even compared to a lot of other brands these days."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Minimalist 10% Vitamin C Face Serum with PHA?

A vitamin C serum with gentle exfoliating PHA and Centella Asiatica, designed to address dark marks and uneven skin tone.

Is Minimalist 10% Vitamin C Face Serum with PHA worth it?

Mostly yes. 1 of the 2 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 78%.

What is Minimalist 10% Vitamin C Face Serum with PHA's Guru Score?

Minimalist 10% Vitamin C Face Serum with PHA holds a Guru Score of 78%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 2 expert reviewers we have collected.