Home / Products / Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster bottle
Paula's Choice

C15 Super Booster

Vitamin C Serum 20 ml
8.9OUT OF 10
Great formula

Formula has a high safety profile. Suitable for most skin types.

19
Safe
2
Caution
0
Higher risk

Score breakdown

Safety10/10
Barrier support9/10
Acne-safe9.1/10
Active treatment3.4/10

Our verdict

The C15 Super Booster is textbook vitamin C formulation, and the ingredient list explains why it costs what it does. It uses 15% L-ascorbic acid — the pure, best-studied form, the one with actual evidence for brightening, collagen support and antioxidant protection — paired with vitamin E (tocopherol) and ferulic acid. That trio is not marketing: the combination is documented to stabilise ascorbic acid and increase its antioxidant potency well beyond vitamin C alone. Around it sit bisabolol and panthenol to soften the sting pure L-ascorbic acid can cause, plus hyaluronic acid for hydration. The honest caveats are inherent to L-ascorbic acid rather than to this product. It is inherently unstable: it oxidises with light, air and time, turning yellow then brown, and once darkened it has lost potency — the opaque bottle helps, but a fridge and a firm expiry habit help more. At 15% it can also tingle on sensitive skin. Use it in the morning under sunscreen, where its antioxidant protection actually earns its place. It is expensive for the volume, but it is one of the better-built vitamin C serums available.

At a glance

What it does
hydrationsoothingbarrier supportbrightening
Best for
sensitive skinacne-prone skindry and dehydrated skinmost skin types
Not enough for

Key ingredients

Ascorbic Acidbrightens and evens skin toneTocopherolprovides antioxidant protectionSodium Hyaluronateintensely hydratesHexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetatesupports skin firmness

Full ingredient list (22)

AquaAscorbic AcidButylene GlycolEthoxydiglycolGlycerinPPG-26-Buteth-26PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPentylene GlycolTocopherolSodium HyaluronateHexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine AcetateLecithinFerulic AcidPanthenolBisabololOryza Sativa Bran ExtractHordeum Vulgare ExtractPropyl GallateSodium GluconateSodium HydroxidePhenoxyethanolEthylhexylglycerin

Colour indicates our safety assessment for each ingredient — green is well-tolerated, amber warrants caution, red is higher-risk. Tap any ingredient to read its full profile.

Frequently asked

Why does vitamin C serum turn yellow or brown?
That is oxidation. L-ascorbic acid degrades on contact with light, air and heat, and the colour change signals lost potency. It is not dangerous, but an orange or brown serum is no longer doing much. Keep it sealed, away from light, ideally refrigerated, and replace it once it darkens.
Should I use vitamin C in the morning or at night?
Morning, under sunscreen. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant that helps neutralise free radicals from UV and pollution, so it is most useful during the day. It does not replace sunscreen — it complements it.
Is 15% L-ascorbic acid too strong for sensitive skin?
It can be. Pure L-ascorbic acid at 15% is potent and may tingle or sting on reactive skin, though bisabolol and panthenol here soften that. Sensitive skin may prefer a lower percentage or a gentler derivative like ascorbyl glucoside or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.
What is the score based on?
The score comes from the same Pure Moonlight ingredient analyzer used across the whole site. It weighs safety, barrier support, acne and comedogenic risk, and active-ingredient strength, so this product's score is directly comparable to any ingredient page here.

Want this analysis for your own products? Scan any label and get an instant formula score — free.

Analyze a product