CE Ferulic vs. Vitamin C: A Professional Perspective on Skincare's Power Duo

I am sure you are aware that the price of a skincare product can significantly influence your consultation with a client. 

It might lead your client asking for something more affordable, especially them knowing that there are plenty of alternatives out there with similar active ingredients. 

In such situations, several questions arise for you as a skin professional. 

Why are some products more expensive despite having similar active ingredients? 

Does a higher price always means better quality? 

And how can you explain these differences to your clients in an informed manner?

Setting aside aspects like user experience, special packaging, and luxury appeal, which are valid considerations if desired by the client, I wanted to focus on efficacy and evidence, which are crucial for you to understand as a skin professional.

To demonstrate, let's compare two vitamin C products containing L-Ascorbic Acid: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic and Drunk Elephant C-Firma Serum (Not sponsored from either of these brands). 

Despite the significant price difference, their ingredients tell a different story. In fact, Drunk Elephant's serum contains more active ingredients compared to the pricier SkinCeuticals version. 

So why the high price tag?

SkinCeuticals pioneered the development of a stable vitamin C formula, using pure ascorbic acid as the gold standard. Formulating with ascorbic acid is extremely challenging and requires careful attention to stability. 

They have spent years perfecting this formula that sustains ascorbic acid long enough to be stable and effective. Moreover, they patented the formula of 15% ascorbic acid along with 1% vitamin E and 0.5%. Patenting formulations costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention the additional expense of conducting multiple clinical trials to prove stability and efficacy, one trial lasting 12 weeks with 55 people and another trial lasting 4 weeks with 15 people.

Does this mean Skinceuticals' C E Ferulic is better than Drunk Elephant's vitamin C? Not necessarily, but C E Ferulic has data and clinical trials supporting its efficacy, whereas Drunk Elephant may or may not have conducted rigorous clinical trials to prove the formula. 

As a skin professional, how can you convince a client of the value of C E Ferulic despite its high price tag? (This can also be for any high-ticket item you are selling in clinic) 

Explain how the product underwent rigorous efficacy testing and research to gain a patent on the formula, which many cosmetics don't undergo due to its cost and lack of legal requirement. Emphasize that when a brand invests millions to prove efficacy, it shows their confidence in the superiority of their formula, compared to other brands. Share published data with your clients, explain the findings, and showcase before-and-after pictures from the brand's studies. 

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