I Pay $166 for This Serum, But These Drugstore Dupes Might Be Just as Good

Ever since I started writing about beauty six months ago, there has been a handful of new-to-me skincare products that I keep hearing about. And one of those standout products is vitamin C serum, particularly the cult favorite SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic ($166). Seriously, it is spoken about with extreme reverence among my Who What Wear colleagues. They aren’t even paid to say those things! And don’t even get me started on those rave online reviews on Dermstore.

I had never really given much thought to adding a vitamin C serum to my skincare routine because I thought my skin was doing okay. Not to brag (and don’t hate me), but I’ve been blessed with pretty good skin. It’s probably genetics, right? I don’t experience breakouts that often, and oil production is pretty manageable. My main skin gripes are dryness and dark under-eye circles that never seem to go away. So that’s all to say I didn’t really think I needed it. But my co-workers kept talking about how vitamin C serums—not just C E Ferulic, but vitamin C serums in general—really make your skin look awake, even when you don’t feel that way.