C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum — Reddit Reviews
by Sunday Riley
Updated October 3, 2026
15% THD vitamin C for brighter skin; HG status, pricey but elegant.
What the community says
A 15% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate serum that people use for morning brightness and smoothing dull tone. It layers cleanly and absorbs fast, but the citrus oils and linalool make reactive skin complain, and the price stings.
What this means for you
What people love
Watch out for
Product details
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Skin type data limited
Where to buy
What the science says
Hyperpigmentation
Some evidence
Vitamin C: 7 studies tested it on its own. See all 24 studies
What the studies found
- Most studies found vitamin C helped fade dark spots or patches
- In melasma studies, vitamin C on the skin often made patches look lighter over time
- Used with other treatments, vitamin C sometimes faded melasma more than the other treatment alone
- For sun spots, vitamin C showed some fading, but one study had mixed results
- It worked about as well as glycolic acid for fading melasma patches in one large review
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
Real Reddit threads — 14 mentions across 10 threads
Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum on Reddit, in one place — 10 threads from r/beauty, r/30PlusSkinCare and 2 more, summarized.
“that along with Sunday Riley CEO cream and sunscreen have helped my skin a lot.”
Positive
“Sunday Riley CEO cream”
Positive
“helped my skin a lot”
Positive
“Vitamin C Serum (I’ve been using C.E.O Sunday Riley)”
Cautionary
“CEO might be too intense for me”
Cautionary
“I can’t use the vitamin C first otherwise I get hives due to sensitivity”
Cautionary
“On days when I don’t have time for the Senté mask, I use Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C Serum before the azelaic acid serum.”
Positive
“I’ve also got some older hyperpigmentation I’m trying to lighten.”
Positive
“I just wanted to share my routine that has been working really well for me.”
Positive
“I like the texture of Sunday Riley and it feels less harsh than a serum.”
Positive
“It layers well over my hyaluronic acid serum and doesn’t smell like hot dogs.”
Positive
“I also feel like it absorbs well into my skin instead of sitting on top of it”
Positive
“Sunday Riley CEO vitamin C serum is excellent, HG status for me”
Positive
“more affordable than Skinceuticals”
Positive
“The packaging is also better, much less risk of oxidation”
Positive
“3. Sunday Riley 15% Vitamin C Serum”
Mentioned
“Skip the vit c and Azeliac acid in the morning if your face feels too dry.”
Mentioned
“You may just want to take a break from all your actives until your face feels better.”
Mentioned
