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Todays review of the pixi Vitamin C Lotion marks my last in a long line that started quite some time ago with the pixi Vitamin Wakeup Mist (Review here). I admit I hadn´t thought about that one in a while, as that product was released years ago, but apparently pixi are building more and more whole lines around their hero products, and I am here for it.
I loved the pixi Vitamin Wakeup Mist, I loved the pixi Vitamin C line and I already have the pixi Hydrating and pixi Retinol lined up on my bathroom shelf – I am in a pixi swing. Which written down sounds like some kind of dance move rather than skincare.
The order the products were reviewed in was random, based on how long I had used them and how quickly I could make up my mind, and not based on personal preference or seasonal considerations. Yet, as it sometimes happens, the pixi Vitamin C Cream that I will review today is much better suited for my skin in the upcoming colder months than it was during the summer heat.
What the pixi Vitamin C Lotion claims
Skin brightening moisture lotion
Some facts about the pixi Vitamin C Lotion
Prize and size
One tube contains 50 ml and retails for 24 $ on the website here. The tube is easy to handle, dispenses the right amount of product and didn´t leak when traveling.
Texture and smell
The scent is the same sweet citrus scent all products from the line have, though less intense than in others. The lotion itself spreads easily, but feels less lightweight than I would have expected. It is not too rich, but feels more like a cream than a lotion to me.
How to use the pixi Vitamin C Lotion
That is pretty straightforward: You cleanse your skin, then do toner and serum if you want to and apply the pixi Vitamin C Lotion as last step in your routine, before SPF (when used in the mornings).
The lotion itself works both morning and night and contains no ingredients that make it suitable for one time of the day only (sunscreen for example), so depending on your skins needs and routine you could use it either way. I prefer using my Vitamin C products in the mornings, but have used the pixi Vitamin C Lotion both morning and night when on holiday and had great results. Despite being outdoors in the wind and sun a lot, my skin stayed calm, supple and without any aggravation of my hyperpigmentation, something that usually happens every summer when I get a lot of sun.
Ingredients of the pixi Vitamin C Lotion
Favorable ingredients
- Tocopheryl Acetate: More stable form of Vitamin E, antioxidant
- Ferulic Acid: antioxidant, known for stabilizing other antioxidants like Vitamin C, thus enhancing their efficacy
- Lactic Acid: AHA, hydrating
- Ascorbic Acid: reduces hyperpigmentation, important for collagen production, antioxidant
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Callus Culture Extract: Rich in antioxidants, brightening
- Bifida Ferment Lysate: potential antioxidant effect, hydrating
- Salix Alba (Willow) Bark extract: Natural source of salicylic acid and tannins, acts as preservative
- Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride:Occlusive, antioxidant
- Hydrogenated Polydecene: Emollient
- Glycerin: Humectant
- Propanediol: Humectant, penetration enhancer
- Glyceryl Stearate: Fatty acid, naturally occurring in the human body, emollient
- Cetearyl Alcohol: Emollient, emulsifier
- Sorbitan Stearate: Humectant, emulsifying
- Polysorbate 60 : Thickener
- Palmitic Acid: Emollient
- Stearic Acid: Fatty Acid, mild surfactant
- Betaine: Humectant
- Phenoxyethanol: Preservative
- Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil: Natural source of Vitamin C
- Citrus Grandis Peel Oil: Natural source of Vitamin C
- Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil: Emollient, soothing, rich in antioxidants
- Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil: natural source of Vitamin C
- Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil: potentially astringent
- Carbomer: Thickener
- Arginine: Aminoacid, healing, increases cell turnover, stimulates growth factors
- Sodium Hyaluronate: Hydrating, smaller form of hyaluronic acid with deeper penetration
- Allantoin: Aminoacid, soothing irritated skin
- 1,2-Hexanediol: Humectant
- Pentylene Glycol: Humectant
- Butylene Glycol: Humectant, penetration enhancer
- Caprylyl Glycol: Humectant
Other ingredients
- Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Water: Fragrance
- Ethylhexylglycerin: Preservative
- Disodium EDTA: Binding Agent
A blend of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid, quite a few humectants and some emollients and occlusives. There is Rice Extract for extra brightening, Arginine and Allantoin for soothing and healing and a lot of different Citrus Essential Oils that might be troublesome for some.
Basically what it says on the packaging: A brightening moisturizer.
Does the pixi Vitamin C Lotion live up to its claims?
Yes.
It contains brightening ingredients high up in the formula and is a moisturizer, I can´t argue with that.
How does the pixi Vitamin C Lotion compare to the…
pixi Vitamin C Caviar Balm
While the pixi Vitamin C Caviar Balm is marketed as overnight leave on mask and the pixi Vitamin C Lotion as regular moisturizer, I don´t find them both to be that different. They are pretty similar in terms of ingredients, with the exception that the Caviar Balm is a lot richer and contains shea butter. If you ask me, I wouldn´t really call one a mask and one a lotion, but would treat both as moisturizer either for normal to combination oily skin (pixi Vitamin C Lotion) or as moisturizer for dry skin (pixi Vitamin C Caviar Balm).
You can read my full review of the pixi Vitamin C Caviar Balm here.
La Roche Posay Redermic C
Another more lightweight cream, similar in texture and with a focus on Vitamin C. The La Roche Posay Redermic C one contains 5% Vitamin C, which isn´t much, and has no Ferulic Acid or Vitamin E, but instead combines it with Madecosside, and ingredient from Centella Asiatica that claims to enhance the brightening effect. I am not sure how much Vitamin C the pixi Vitamin C Lotion (or any other of their products) contain, but as it is high up on the ingredient list I think it is higher. While both are similar in price, the pixi one contains slightly more product.
Read my full review of La Roche Posay Redermic C here.
Instytutum c-Illuminating 3D Moisturizer
This moisturizer for example is one that I would limit to day time use, as it contains shimmer for a (very subtle) glow on the skin. The texture of the Instytutum product is more lightweight than the pixi Vitamin C Lotion and it has three different kinds of Vitamin C on the ingredient list: 3-O-Cetyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate and Ascorbic Acid. While the first two are more stable than Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid is the best researched, and all of them come in the middle and second half of the ingredient list, indicating a lower concentration. It is worth noting that the Instyutum C-Illuminating 3D Moisturizer costs about twice as much as the pixi Lotion.
Read my full review of the Instyutum C-Illuminating 3D Moisturizer here
Would I repurchase the pixi Vitamin C Lotion?
I am not sure yet.
Out of all the products I have tried from the line I am most excited about the pixi Vitamin C Serum and the pixi Vitamin C Tonic, and I am not sure if I need any more Vitamin C than these two in my routine. When choosing a moisturizer I usually go for a lightweight formula with repairing ingredients rather than more actives, but I will use it up in the winter and then see how I feel once it is finished.
Who do I recommend the pixi Vitamin C Lotion to?
I think this moisturizer is best suited at normal to combination skin types and is suitable for any age.
