Compare / Vitamin C serums
Timeless vs Maelove vs SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic: which vitamin C serum should you buy?
Timeless has the most vitamin C (20%) for $35.95 on Amazon. Maelove has 15% at a gentler pH for $39.90. SkinCeuticals is the only one that publishes all three actives (15% vitamin C, 1% vitamin E, 0.5% ferulic acid), for $185.00.
- Most vitamin C for the money: Timeless 20% 20% L-ascorbic acid, pH about 2.4. $27.95 from Timeless. Buy on Amazon $35.95
- Gentler: Maelove Glow Maker 15% L-ascorbic acid, pH 3.1–3.4. $32.95 from Maelove. Buy on Amazon $39.90
- The original: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic 15% / 1% / 0.5%, $185.00. Not sold by SkinCeuticals on Amazon; buy from the brand or a dermatologist.
Amazon prices checked 2026-10-01. Some links earn us a commission. It does not change the comparison.
01 / Side by side
What is in each bottle, and what it costs
Percentages are what each brand publishes. "In the formula" means the ingredient is on the label but the brand does not say how much.
| Serum | Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) | Vitamin E | Ferulic acid | pH | Price | Per mL | Bottle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic30 mL | 20% | in the formula, % not published | in the formula, % not published | 2.4 | $35.95 on Amazon · $27.95 brand site | $1.22 | glass bottle with pump |
| Maelove Glow Maker30 mL | 15% | in the formula, % not published | in the formula, % not published | 3.1–3.4 | $39.90 on Amazon · $32.95 brand site | $1.35 | opaque bottle with dropper |
| SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic30 mL | 15% | 1% | 0.5% | not published | $185.00 from the brand or a dermatologist | $6.26 | amber glass bottle with dropper |
02 / Which one for you
Pick by what matters to you
You want the strongest serum for the money
Timeless. It has 20% vitamin C, the strength where skin absorption peaked in a pig-skin lab study. It costs $35.95 on Amazon, about $1.22 per mL. Expect more tingling: its pH is about 2.4.
Your skin stings easily
Maelove. It has 15% vitamin C at pH 3.1–3.4, plus aloe, grape seed and magnolia extracts. It costs $39.90 on Amazon, or $32.95 from Maelove.
You want the exact original formula
SkinCeuticals is the only one of the three that publishes all three numbers. For the same three numbers for less, Trader Joe's Vitamin C Serum lists 15% vitamin C, 1% vitamin E and 0.5% ferulic acid for $9.99, in stores only. All C E Ferulic dupes, ranked →
03 / Ingredient lists
What is actually different
- Same core. All three list water, ethoxydiglycol and L-ascorbic acid in their first three ingredients, with vitamin E (tocopherol) and ferulic acid further down.
- Timeless is the shortest list (11 ingredients). It adds panthenol and sodium hyaluronate, and uses polysorbate 80 and benzyl alcohol. Timeless says it has no fragrance.
- Maelove adds aloe leaf juice, grape seed extract and magnolia bark extract, and uses sodium metabisulfite, an antioxidant. Maelove says it has no artificial fragrance.
- SkinCeuticals uses propylene glycol, laureth-23 and triethanolamine around the same three actives, and adds panthenol and sodium hyaluronate.
All three should be kept closed and away from heat; L-ascorbic acid turns yellow-brown as it oxidizes. Timeless tells buyers to refrigerate after opening.
04 / Questions
Frequently asked
- Is Timeless as good as SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic?
- On vitamin C, Timeless has more: 20% L-ascorbic acid against SkinCeuticals' 15%. Both list vitamin E and ferulic acid, but only SkinCeuticals publishes how much (1% and 0.5%). Timeless costs $35.95 on Amazon ($27.95 from Timeless) against $185.00 for SkinCeuticals. The trade-off is pH: Timeless says its serum sits around 2.4, which is more likely to sting.
- Is Maelove Glow Maker the same as SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic?
- Close, not the same. Both use 15% L-ascorbic acid with vitamin E and ferulic acid, but Maelove does not publish its vitamin E or ferulic acid percentages. Maelove adds aloe, grape seed and magnolia extracts and states a pH of 3.1–3.4. It costs $39.90 on Amazon ($32.95 from Maelove).
- Is 20% vitamin C better than 15%?
- Not by much, and it can irritate more. In a pig-skin study, skin absorption of L-ascorbic acid rose with strength up to 20% and needed a pH below 3.5 (Pinnell 2001, PMID 11207686). All three serums here are low-pH L-ascorbic acid, so the 15% options still work. If your skin stings easily, start with 15%.
- Which one should I buy on Amazon?
- Timeless or Maelove. SkinCeuticals does not sell on Amazon; Amazon listings for it are third-party resales, so buy it from SkinCeuticals or a dermatologist's office. If you want the original's exact three numbers for less, Trader Joe's Vitamin C Serum lists 15% vitamin C, 1% vitamin E and 0.5% ferulic acid for $9.99, in Trader Joe's stores only.
05 / Sources
Where the numbers come from
- SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic: 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E, 0.5% ferulic acid, as disclosed by the brand. Ingredient list from the C E Ferulic dupe report.
- Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum: product page on timelessha.com (20% L-ascorbic acid, ingredient list, $27.95 for 1 oz), read 2026-10-01; pH from Timeless's own pH article.
- Maelove Glow Maker: product page on maelove.com (15% vitamin C with vitamin E and ferulic acid, pH, ingredient list), read 2026-10-01.
- Amazon prices: read from each amazon.com product page by our daily price check.
- Pinnell SR et al. Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies. Dermatol Surg. 2001;27(2):137-42. PMID 11207686.