Mario Badescu vs SkinMedica — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
TNS Advanced+ Serum
9/10 · SkinMedica
| Vitamin C Serum | TNS Advanced+ Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Mario Badescu | SkinMedica |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 8/10 | 9/10 ★ |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight serum | Thick peach-pink serum |
| Finish | Bright, smooth | Silky smoothing |
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| Verdict | Mario Badescu's vitamin C uses L-ascorbic acid (the gold standard) stabilised with ferulic acid — the same synergy that made SkinCeuticals' CE Ferulic legendary, at less than half the price. Hyaluronic acid and hydrolyzed collagen provide hydration and plumping. The NYC skincare institution that's been around since 1967 proves you don't need $166 to get an effective CE Ferulic combination. The formula will oxidise faster than stabilised derivatives — store it properly and use it within 3 months. | The US cosmetic-derm world's post-procedure gold standard. TNS — Tissue Nutrient Solution, a growth-factor complex derived from human fibroblast conditioned media — paired with signal peptides and barrier support. Clinical data on photoaging is published and serious. $295 is genuinely expensive, but the 4–6 week post-Fraxel case is exactly what this product was built for. |
