Verified Beauty Data

Dupe report Nº 001 / Vitamin C · E · Ferulic serums

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic dupes, ranked by formula match

The patent expired. The clones came.

Some links earn us a commission. It never changes the verdict — the methodology is public.

02 / The scoreboard

Seven formulas, three numbers that matter

Read the actives column first — it is the apples-to-apples comparison. $ per gram of active is what the working ingredients cost you; the base-formula score is supporting evidence, not the verdict.

Product Actives vs original $ / g of active Price Base formula Verdict
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic (1 fl. oz.) Disclosed by brand $37.91 $185.00 30 mL 100% the reference The original
Exact disclosed trio the direct clones — same actives, same percentages
Trader Joe's Vitamin C Serum From the printed label $2.09 $9.99 29 mL 53% highest measured The winner
e.l.f. Cosmetics Bright Icon Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Serum From retailer listing $3.48 $17.00 30 mL 41% Best available Amazon →
Same three actives percentages differ or are undisclosed
Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum Disclosed by brand $4.73 $27.95 30 mL 46% Stronger pick Amazon →
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow Disclosed by brand $3.20 $14.90 30 mL 27% Best budget Amazon →
Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum Disclosed by brand $7.43 $32.95 30 mL 25% Skip price on Amazon
Partial overlap missing actives — different formula wearing the keywords
FARMACY 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum From retailer listing $17.58 $52.00 30 mL 12% Skip price on Amazon

✓ same % as original ≠ different % ? in formula, % undisclosed — not in formula

03 / The original

Why the original is the original

The formula is three numbers: 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% alpha tocopherol, 0.5% ferulic acid. L-ascorbic acid is the pure, proven form of vitamin C — and it only penetrates skin when the formula's pH sits below 3.5, acidic enough to hold the molecule in its skin-permeable state.

The catch: L-ascorbic acid in water is fragile. Light and air oxidize it toward uselessness — which is why the original ships in amber glass, why an opened bottle is best used within about three months, and why a serum gone distinctly orange or brown belongs in the trash. That is what the other two numbers are for: Duke University researchers showed ferulic acid stabilizes both vitamins and roughly doubles the formula's photoprotection.

Duke patented that specific stabilized combination. For two decades, copying it meant a courtroom. The patent has expired — copying it now just takes a competent lab. Which is why this page exists, and why every candidate below lists what its bottle ships in.

04 / The candidates

Every candidate, examined

01 / Trader Joe's

The winner
$2.09 per g of active
$9.99 retail · 29 mL
53% base formula · highest of 6

Trader Joe's Vitamin C Serum

Shared formula DNA 8 of 12 original ingredients present
Aqua Ethoxydiglycol Ascorbic Acid Glycerin Propylene Glycol Laureth-23 Phenoxyethanol Tocopherol Triethanolamine Ferulic Acid Panthenol Sodium Hyaluronate

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
The same disclosed actives as the original — 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E, 0.5% ferulic acid — and 8 of the original's 12 ingredients, including the rare Ethoxydiglycol + Triethanolamine delivery system almost nobody else copies. This is as close as a clone gets without the SkinCeuticals label.
What differs
It swaps in sunflower seed oil and a different emulsifier (Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate), and drops Laureth-23. The ingredient list is transcribed from label photographs and cross-checked across two independent ingredient databases — and we say so plainly below.
Who it's for
Anyone within reach of a Trader Joe's who is willing to check the shelf more than once: it sells out, and there is no online listing. We earn nothing if you buy it — it is still the best match on this page.
Ships in
Packaging not verified No brand or retailer statement on the bottle — we won’t guess.
pH
pH not published L-ascorbic acid needs pH below 3.5 to absorb
Data source
From the printed label Ingredient list transcribed from the product label; cross-checked across two independent ingredient databases.

$9.99 for 29 mL → $2.09 per gram of active — 18.2× cheaper per active gram than the original's $37.91.

No affiliate relationship possible

Trader Joe's doesn't sell online, so there is no link to click and no commission to earn. We make nothing if you buy it. It is still the best match we measured — that is the whole point of this site.

02 / e.l.f. Cosmetics

Best available
e.l.f. Cosmetics Bright Icon Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Serum bottle
$3.48 per g of active
$17.00 retail · 30 mL
41% base formula · 3rd of 6

e.l.f. Cosmetics Bright Icon Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Serum

Shared formula DNA 8 of 12 original ingredients present
Aqua Ethoxydiglycol Ascorbic Acid Glycerin Propylene Glycol Laureth-23 Phenoxyethanol Tocopherol Triethanolamine Ferulic Acid Panthenol Sodium Hyaluronate

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
Discloses the identical 15/1/0.5 trio and shares both of the original's rarest markers — Laureth-23 and Ethoxydiglycol — 8 of 12 ingredients in all. On disclosed actives, it is a direct clone you can buy today.
What differs
Adds a second vitamin C form (3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid) on a dipropylene-glycol base, plus sea buckthorn oil. The INCI comes from a retailer feed, which can lag reformulations — e.l.f. itself notes ingredients may vary by batch.
Who it's for
The best-available clone: stocked nearly everywhere at $17, no Trader Joe's pilgrimage required. If you want the original's exact disclosed trio shipped to your door this week, this is the pick.
Ships in
Dropper bottle light protection unconfirmed
pH
pH not published L-ascorbic acid needs pH below 3.5 to absorb
Data source
From retailer listing Ingredients and percentages from the product's Ulta listing.

$17.00 for 30 mL → $3.48 per gram of active — 10.9× cheaper per active gram than the original's $37.91.

Buy on Amazon $16.97 Amazon price as of 2026-06-12; $17.00 direct retail.

03 / Timeless Skin Care

Stronger pick
Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum bottle
$4.73 per g of active
$27.95 retail · 30 mL
46% base formula · 2nd of 6

Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum

Shared formula DNA 7 of 12 original ingredients present
Aqua Ethoxydiglycol Ascorbic Acid Glycerin Propylene Glycol Laureth-23 Phenoxyethanol Tocopherol Triethanolamine Ferulic Acid Panthenol Sodium Hyaluronate

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
The same core chemistry — L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid in the original's Ethoxydiglycol carrier — sharing 7 of the original's 12 ingredients, with the highest base-formula match (46%) of anything sold online.
What differs
The headline number: 20% L-ascorbic acid against the original's 15% — more potent on paper, and more likely to sting, flush, or irritate reactive skin. Vitamin E and ferulic acid percentages are undisclosed, and the preservative system differs (benzyl alcohol and dehydroacetic acid instead of phenoxyethanol).
Who it's for
The stronger pick — for experienced vitamin-C users who want more than 15% and know their skin tolerates it. If 15% already tingles, stay at 15%. A 4.8-star average across 11,127 Amazon ratings, at $4.73 per active gram.
Ships in
Glass bottle with pump light protection unconfirmed
pH
pH ~2.4 brand-published — we have not lab-tested it
Data source
Disclosed by brand Percentages published by Timeless Skin Care on their product page.

$27.95 for 30 mL → $4.73 per gram of active — 8.0× cheaper per active gram than the original's $37.91.

Buy on Amazon $35.95 Amazon price as of 2026-06-12; $27.95 direct retail.

04 / Geek & Gorgeous

Best budget
Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow bottle
$3.20 per g of active
$14.90 retail · 30 mL
27% base formula · 4th of 6

Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow

Shared formula DNA 5 of 12 original ingredients present
Aqua Ethoxydiglycol Ascorbic Acid Glycerin Propylene Glycol Laureth-23 Phenoxyethanol Tocopherol Triethanolamine Ferulic Acid Panthenol Sodium Hyaluronate

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
Discloses 15% L-ascorbic acid and 0.5% ferulic acid, with tocopherol present in the formula — 5 of the original's 12 ingredients shared.
What differs
The delivery system is genuinely different: Dimethyl Isosorbide instead of the original's Ethoxydiglycol, and the vitamin E percentage is undisclosed. Fewer shared ingredients means texture and skin-feel drift further from the original.
Who it's for
The strict-budget pick: at $3.20 per active gram, the lowest cost-per-active of anything you can order today — if the actives matter more to you than formula fidelity. Its airless pump is also the most oxidation-proof packaging on this page.
Ships in
Airless pump bottle good light protection
pH
pH 3.0–3.4 brand-published — we have not lab-tested it
Data source
Disclosed by brand Percentages published by Geek & Gorgeous on their product page.

$14.90 for 30 mL → $3.20 per gram of active — 11.8× cheaper per active gram than the original's $37.91.

Buy on Amazon $14.90

05 / Maelove

Skip
Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum bottle
$7.43 per g of active
$32.95 retail · 30 mL
25% base formula · 5th of 6

Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum

Shared formula DNA 7 of 12 original ingredients present
Aqua Ethoxydiglycol Ascorbic Acid Glycerin Propylene Glycol Laureth-23 Phenoxyethanol Tocopherol Triethanolamine Ferulic Acid Panthenol Sodium Hyaluronate

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
The full C + E + ferulic trio appears in the INCI alongside the original's Ethoxydiglycol — 7 of 12 ingredients shared.
What differs
No percentages disclosed for vitamin E or ferulic acid, and the formula is padded with botanical extras — aloe, grape seed, magnolia bark, orange callus culture — that dilute the alignment. At $7.43 per active gram it costs more than any candidate above it on this page.
Who it's for
Skip. At $32.95 it is the second-most-expensive dupe with the second-lowest match score; every product ranked above it gets you closer to the original for less.
Ships in
Opaque bottle with dropper good light protection
pH
pH 3.1–3.4 brand-published — we have not lab-tested it
Data source
Disclosed by brand Percentages published by Maelove on their product page.

$32.95 for 30 mL → $7.43 per gram of active — 5.1× cheaper per active gram than the original's $37.91.

price on Amazon ($39.90) — not recommended as a dupe

06 / FARMACY

Skip
FARMACY 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum bottle
$17.58 per g of active
$52.00 retail · 30 mL
12% base formula · lowest of 6

FARMACY 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum

Shared formula DNA 3 of 12 original ingredients present
Aqua Ethoxydiglycol Ascorbic Acid Glycerin Propylene Glycol Laureth-23 Phenoxyethanol Tocopherol Triethanolamine Ferulic Acid Panthenol Sodium Hyaluronate

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
Only 3 of the original's 12 ingredients overlap — ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and glycerin. That is the floor of this list.
What differs
This is a different product wearing the same keywords: a waterless propanediol base, 10% L-ascorbic acid instead of 15%, no vitamin E at all, and alpha-arbutin doing brightening work the original never attempts. The low-pH water chemistry that defines C E Ferulic does not apply here.
Who it's for
Skip as a C E Ferulic dupe. It may be a fine waterless vitamin C serum on its own terms — but at $17.58 per active gram it is the most expensive per active here after the original, for the worst match.
Ships in
Packaging not verified No brand or retailer statement on the bottle — we won’t guess.
pH
pH not published L-ascorbic acid needs pH below 3.5 to absorb
Data source
From retailer listing Ingredients and percentages from the product's Ulta listing.

$52.00 for 30 mL → $17.58 per gram of active — 2.2× cheaper per active gram than the original's $37.91.

price on Amazon ($52.00) — not recommended as a dupe

05 / Methodology

How we verified this

Verified 2026-06-12

Every formula on this page was tokenized — split into its individual INCI ingredients — and matched against the EU CosIng ingredient database, so "Aqua," "Water," and "Eau" all resolve to the same ingredient.

The base-formula match score works like this: sharing a rare ingredient counts far more than sharing a common one. Almost every serum contains water and glycerin — that proves nothing. Almost nothing contains Ethoxydiglycol or Laureth-23, so when a candidate shares those with the original, it says something real about how the formula was built. (For the statisticians: it is an IDF-weighted Jaccard similarity over the normalized ingredient lists.)

Scores are computed, not opinions. The verdict tags are our editorial read of the actives, the scores, and the prices — and the methodology stays public so you can disagree with us precisely.

Where the ingredient lists come from

  1. Disclosed by brand

    Ingredient percentages published by the brand itself, on its own product page — the strongest provenance.

  2. From the printed label

    Ingredient list transcribed from photographs of the product label, then cross-checked across two independent ingredient databases.

  3. From retailer listing

    Ingredients and percentages taken from a retailer product listing. Feeds can lag a reformulation, and we flag that wherever it applies.

Sources for this report

  • Brand DTC product pages (live crawl 2026-06)
  • Trader Joe's label photograph (community-sourced, INCI verified)
  • Ulta.com product feed (crawled 2026-06)
  • Dermstore product page (Wayback-cached 2026-06)

06 / Questions

Frequently asked

Is there a dupe for SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic?
Yes. Two of the 6 candidates we measured disclose the identical actives trio (15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E, 0.5% ferulic acid): Trader Joe's Vitamin C Serum ($9.99, in-store only) and e.l.f.'s Bright Icon Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Serum ($17, drugstores and Amazon). Trader Joe's is the closest overall formula match we measured; e.l.f. is the easiest to actually buy.
Is the Trader Joe's vitamin C serum the same as CE Ferulic?
Not identical, but remarkably close: identical disclosed actives (15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E, 0.5% ferulic acid) and 8 of the original's 12 ingredients, including its rare solvent system. It differs in its emulsifier and adds sunflower seed oil — and our ingredient list is transcribed from label photos and cross-checked across two databases, which we state plainly.
How do I find the Trader Joe's vitamin C serum in stock?
It is sold in-store only — Trader Joe's has no online shop, restocks vary store to store, and this serum sells out. Ask a crew member to check the stockroom and when deliveries land; the r/traderjoes community regularly posts sightings. If you strike out, e.l.f.'s Bright Icon ($17) discloses the same 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E, 0.5% ferulic acid and is stocked nearly everywhere.
What is the best CE Ferulic dupe you can buy online?
For the original's exact disclosed trio: e.l.f. Bright Icon, $17 at drugstores and Amazon. For the strongest formula with a live listing: Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum ($27.95) — the highest base-formula match we measured online (46%), but at 20% L-ascorbic acid versus the original's 15%, it is the stronger, potentially more irritating choice.
Should I use 15% or 20% vitamin C?
Start at 15% — the original's concentration — unless you already know your skin tolerates strong vitamin C. 20% is more potent on paper and more likely to sting, flush, or irritate reactive or first-time skin. The 15% options on this page are Trader Joe's, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Geek & Gorgeous, and Maelove; Timeless is the 20% pick for experienced users.
How long does vitamin C serum last once opened?
Plan on roughly three months once opened. L-ascorbic acid oxidizes with light and air exposure — when a serum turns distinctly orange or brown, the vitamin C has degraded and it is time to replace it. Packaging slows the clock: the original ships in amber glass, and Geek & Gorgeous and Maelove use airless or opaque bottles. (SkinCeuticals states its formula is tested stable up to 6 months after opening.)
Why does pH matter for a vitamin C serum?
L-ascorbic acid only penetrates skin in its acidic form — the formula needs a pH below 3.5. We have not lab-tested pH, but where brands publish it we record it: Timeless states ~2.4, Geek & Gorgeous 3.0–3.4, and Maelove 3.1–3.4. SkinCeuticals does not publish a number for the original, and neither do Trader Joe's, e.l.f., or FARMACY.
What percentage of vitamin C is in CE Ferulic?
15% L-ascorbic acid — the pure, unconverted form of vitamin C — alongside 1% alpha tocopherol (vitamin E) and 0.5% ferulic acid, at the low pH (under 3.5) that L-ascorbic acid needs to penetrate skin.
Did the CE Ferulic patent expire?
Yes. Duke University's patent covered the specific stabilized combination — 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E, 0.5% ferulic acid — not the ingredients themselves. With the patent expired, brands can copy the combination openly, which is why disclosed-percentage clones now exist at $9.99.
Why is CE Ferulic so expensive?
You are paying for the formula that defined the category, prestige positioning, and stability testing — not rare raw materials. Per gram of disclosed active, the original costs $37.91, versus $2.09 for Trader Joe's and $3.48 for e.l.f. — the two clones that disclose the identical trio.