Move over, Truth Serum!
The new Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum is OLEHENRIKSEN's most powerful vitamin C serum yet.
In many ways, though, it's more like a Truth Serum+ as it builds upon its bestselling predecessor in terms of both the formulation and product design (right down to the same citrus scent!).
Want to learn more about Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum? Let's get started. ⭐
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Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum
The new Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum is a more powerful version of the original Truth Serum.
Years ago, I splurged on the 3.4 oz version of Truth Serum (the largest size) but I wasn't all too impressed after using it for 4-6 months. At the time, I was looking for a solution to my uneven skin tone and acne scars, and unfortunately, Truth Serum was not it.
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So how does the new Banana Bright stack up against the original Truth Serum?
Let's take a quick look at the key differences & similarities:
- Key Ingredients: Banana Bright uses a 15% concentration of 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (3-O-C) which is a stable vitamin C derivative, while Truth Serum uses "True-C Complex", a blend of two vitamin C derivatives: Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Calcium Ascorbate. Although OLEHENRIKSEN does not disclose the vitamin C concentration used in Truth Serum, they tell us that Banana Bright "contains our highest concentration of vitamin C for daily use".
- Booster Ingredients: Banana Bright includes a 5% polyhydroxy acid called Gluconolactone (a gentler type of acid than AHAs like Glycolic Acid) and Banana Powder Inspired Pigments (which help conceal imperfections and uneven skin tone), whereas Truth Serum included boosters like Hydrolyzed Collagen and Green Tea Extract.
- Similar Ingredients: Both Banana Bright and Truth Serum include Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, Artificial Color, and Orange Extract (used to create the iconic "citrus" scent).
- Other Similarities: Both have long ingredient lists (39 in Truth Serum, 45 in Banana Bright!) and use the same type of packaging (a semi-opaque glass bottle with a plastic pump).
Overall, the Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum is a more powerful version of OG Truth Serum, with a higher concentration of Vitamin C and additional exfoliation benefits from Gluconolactone to brighten and correct uneven skin tone, while Banana Powder helps conceal existing imperfections.
In addition, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a derivative of L-Ascorbic Acid (it consists of an ethyl group attached at the 3rd carbon position) and like most vitamin C derivatives, offers increased stability (longer shelf life and oxidation resistance) but at the cost of decreased efficacy.
Notably, it has more difficulty penetrating your skin and must be first converted into L-ascorbic acid by your body before it can deliver any potential skin benefits (source: Stability, Transdermal Penetration, and Cutaneous Effects of Ascorbic Acid and Its Derivatives, 2012).
In terms of results, the community feedback so far has been generally positive:
- Many people mentioned that Banana Bright helped their skin look more radiant
- Some people said it had a good consistency and layered well under makeup
- Most people enjoyed the citrus scent (which, based on my experience with Truth Serum, is the sweet smell of peeled oranges).
Others, however, were more critical of the product's effectiveness, including its potential to cause adverse skin reactions (always do a patch test before applying it to your entire face). Moreover, it can be difficult to isolate which ingredient is causing it given the long ingredient list.
Finally, I noticed many reviews for Banana Bright were from those who received free samples from Influenster or OLEHENRIKSEN. While I don't hold anything against this type of marketing strategy, I do feel that it inflates the ratings because you're not going to be nearly as critical of a free product compared to one that you actually paid for.
My Verdict: The Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum is a more powerful version of the OG Truth Serum and helps correct uneven skin tone with 15% Vitamin C and 5% PHA while Banana Powder Pigments help conceal existing imperfections. OLEHENRIKSEN also offers a bundle kit on their home page.