Review: Dr. Wu Intensive Whitening Serum with Vitamin C+

This is my second marriage to the Dr. Wu Intensive Whitening Serum with Vitamin C+, after my first in 2014. Dr. Wu reformulated this product in 2016 hence this should be the upgraded formula of the previous one that doesn’t work for me. I have tried Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, Laneige White Dew Ampoule Essence and The Ordinary Arbutin 2%, so I am sure I can have a better idea on this whitening serum now than 4 years back. I bought this when I visited Taiwan in May 2018 for wedding photoshoot. I was gonna get the For the Beloved One whitening line before the beautician stopped me and recommended me this instead. So I took her advice and decided to give this a second try. I have seen good results after using it days and nights for some 2 months now, which is why I am pretty excited to share it with you guys.






The Dr. Wu Whitening Serum is formulated with vitamin C, an ingredient popular for its skin refining, repairing, brightening and anti-aging benefits. Its new VC-laseryl technology combines three vitamin C derivatives with vitamin B3 (niacinamide), B5 (panthenol), and E (tocopheryl) to brighten the skin, reduce dark spots, as well as protect, hydrate and soothe the skin. In short, this is a powerhouses of skin hydrating, brightening and anti-oxidizing agents!

The product is packed in an opaque bottle, presumably because of the photosensitivity characteristic of vitamin C derivatives. The serum comes in a viscous, yellowish liquid that gets absorbed easily by the skin. It has a very mild vitamin C scent but it is odourless most of the time. The liquid will gets darker as you use it so you are advised to finish it as quickly as possible after opening, preferably within 12 months from opening.

INGREDIENTS

Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Niacinamide, Methyl Gluceth-20, Trimethylsiloxyphenyl Dimethicone, Arginine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Panthenol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Species Peel Extract, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Hyexyl 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

INGREDIENTS ANALYSIS

(CosDNA)

Main ingredient here is ascorbyl glucoside, a commonly found vitamin C derivatives with skin brightening and antioxidizing benefits. It can also stimulate collagen synthesis of the skin and make it less prone to external damages and pre-mature aging. Niacinamide, that is really similar to vitamin C effects, especially in terms of its elasticity improving and dark spots reducing benefits are also included here. My skin reacts well to niacinamide so I am pretty sure this ingredient contributes to the fading of my freckles within just two months! Panthenol, arginine, glycerin, codium tomentosum extract are also added here for their soothing and hydrating benefits. Together, they work well for sensitive skin and can counter any sensitive reaction of the skin towards the above-mentioned vitamin derivatives. The list also looks impressively clean with minimal red flags and irritating ingredients.

PERFORMANCE

I use this day and night ever since opening it for the past two months. I normally only apply one or two drop(s) at a time, depending on my skin needs. I use this after a toner and before a cream. I stopped using my other whitening serums when I started to use this. I recalled only using this with Belif Prime Infusion Ampoule and some simple hydrating essences.

After two months, I did notice a fading in the biggest dark spot on my left cheek. There is an improvement in my overall skin tone as well, but I did not pay enough attention to my other freckles. The biggest dark spot on my left cheek has been with me for years so I can be sure that it is a lot shallower than it was before. My acne scars also fade quicker than normal. I did not see any major improvements in my skin texture and firmness though, despite the potential anti-aging benefits of vitamin C, but its skin brightening effect is definitely noticeable.

CONCLUSION

Most Taiwanese girls swear by either this Dr. Wu Whitening Serum or Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution when they want to fight acne scars or freckles. I have tried 30+50ml of Kiehl’s but I must say that its freckles-fading effect is not as obvious as Dr. Wu. Maybe I wasn’t using Belif Prime Infusion when using Kiehl’s, who knows? My mom who is also using Dr. Wu did not export the same improvements in her dark spots, only the overall radiance of her skin, so there is certainly some grounds to this Dr. Wu’s brightening claims as both myself and my mom have seen results from using it within just two months!

In short, this is a great whitening serum for all skin types, especially sensitive and dull skin. It will work well for both oily and dry skin as well, as the texture is very lightweight and can be easily absorbed by the skin. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to give whitening serum a try, especially if you are visiting Taiwan (you can easily get something like a 1+1 deal on this serum!), or find Kiehl’s too expensive.

Have a nice skin journey!