No antioxidant acid found in 1 of 17 vitamin C face serums tested, Hong Kong watchdog says

One of 17 vitamin C skincare products tested by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has been found not to contain the antioxidant ingredient at all, while most of the remaining samples have lower levels than claimed.

The Consumer Council also called on manufacturers on Tuesday to enhance their quality control and product labelling.

“Vitamin C is most commonly known for its antioxidant properties. Normal skin would contain a certain concentration of vitamin C to promote the production of collagen, hence many skincare products in recent years use vitamin C as a selling point,” it said.

“The test results did not find any vitamin C traces in one out of the 17 samples.”

The sample with no vitamin C was Vita C Ascorbic Acid Spot Correction and Firming Essence by South Korean cosmetic brand Missha, sold at HK$185 (US$24) for 30ml.

Missha has not yet responded to the council’s inquiry.