Obagi 'Professional-C Serum 20%'

Now, this is my first product from Obagi. They have been on my radar for a few months now, but because their prices are quite expensive, I have only just plucked up the courage to purchase one of their products.

To me, Obagi seem to be a brand that are quite focused on the science and chemistry behind skincare. I follow a blog ran by a dermatologist, and she has mentioned this serum (along with others - she always offers impartial advice regardless of brand) in a post about taking care of your skin against UV rays and it was something I just had to have.

The science behind this product is that the penetration of anti-oxidants (L-ascorbic acid) into the skin (which is apparently penetrates deeper than any other product they claim) provides "maximum daily antioxidant protection against free radicals, which cause premature signs of aging including fine lines and wrinkles."

This product is to be applied before any skincare or makeup in the morning. It is a serum designed to be used in the morning only, which means you would have to have to use another serum at bedtime specific to a night-time regime.

Even from the first application my skin felt brighter and more radiant. I could honestly see my skin felt better and looked better. In just three days my skin looked amazing and it really seemed to help with my acne, I only had one spot break out. The small red scars seemed to fade. I am not kidding you, it was so refreshing to see a product which actually made a difference. I know the results seem so far fetched in such a short amount of time, but I am telling you it's like magic in a bottle.

I didn't experience the tingling associated with using the product at all. I decided to go straight for the highest concentration (it also comes in 5%, 10% and 15%) because I wanted maximum results straight away. I would have thought I would have experienced some irritation or stinging or even slight redness, but no, absolutely nothing. I even use it around my eyes and have had no side-effects!

One con about this product is that it smells really weird. I have researched this and other people have also mentioned the smell, some like it and some hate it, so I know the product was not delivered to me out of date.
The smell reminds me of old mouldy oranges, you know, the smell you get when you have a tangerine in the bottom of your handbag for a week.
The smell isn't a deal-breaker for me because it works so damn well, but I know some people are really pedantic about the smell of the product they use so I'm just putting it out there!

The bottle comes in a little cardboard box. I think the design of it makes it look very medical, it looks like a box full of medication! But fancy packaging doesn't make a product fantastic, so it's not a deal breaker!
The bottle actually arrives with a screw top lid, and the dropper separately. I'm not sure what benefit this has, maybe it travels better?
One thing I don't like about the dropper, it doesn't hold the serum very well, so be careful! Occasionally my dresser surface has received more a vitamin C boost than me...

You only need about three/four drops of the product to cover the face, and cover it well. The serum does spread well over the skin, which is great considering it is so damn expensive you don't want to be using loads every time you apply it!
The bottle has lasted me ages, and one month in I have barely used any!
Now that brings me onto the worst part about this product - the price. I bought mine from Amazon so I paid £57 (I got free shipping) for the 30ml bottle, which was the cheapest price I saw online.
It is quite steep in price, but my mother has a handy old trick of making skincare . She says if it lasts me, say, 2 months/60 days, that is less than £1 per day. Which puts it into a little bit more perspective. Plus, look at looking after your skin as an investment.

You need to be careful with this product - don't expose it to light or warmth otherwise the vitamin C will destabilise, just like it does when you keep fruit in the light and warmth! And then that's your money wasted. I keep mine in the cardboard box it came in and store it in my bathroom since it's quite cool in there compared to my bedroom.

I will repurchase this product when I run out for definite. Yes, the price is steep, but it lasts ages and I really think it has made my skin so much better.