Frequently asked questions

Vitamin C is one of the most researched ingredients for a brighter, more even-looking skin tone. It's an antioxidant, it slows the enzyme that starts pigment production, and it supports collagen. Trends come and go; vitamin C has decades of evidence behind it, so it's at the heart of every Gleamin formula.

Read more in Vitamin C for dark spots: how it works and how to use it.

Pure vitamin C breaks down quickly in light, air and water, so we rely on stable forms and protective packaging. We mostly use stable forms that hold up in a formula and convert to vitamin C in the skin: sodium ascorbyl phosphate, 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. We add botanicals naturally rich in vitamin C, such as Kakadu plum and desert lime, and choose packaging that keeps light and air out.

Gleamin makes vitamin C skincare for face, body and intimate skin, and we've developed more than ten formulas since 2019. Here's the current range.

For your face: the Vitamin C Clay Mask, our best-selling 10-minute mask with Kakadu plum, desert lime and turmeric; the Superactive Serum, our 15% vitamin C serum with 4% niacinamide; the Clarifying Brightening Cleanser, a cream-to-foam vitamin C cleanser (coming soon); the Advanced Brightening Moisturizer, a lightweight vitamin C cream with ceramides; and the Supernutrient Oil, a nourishing face oil with 3% vitamin C.

For your body and intimate skin: the Illuminating Intimate Serum for the bikini line and inner thighs; the Advanced Brightening Body Cream, a nightly body cream; the Glow Body Bar, an exfoliating vitamin C and turmeric bar (coming soon); and the Vitamin C Bright Hand Cream, a non-greasy hand cream (coming soon).

Shop what's available now in our Amazon store.

No. Our products are for anyone with skin prone to dark spots or uneven tone, whatever your skin tone. We formulate with melanin-rich skin in mind because deeper skin is the most likely to be left with lasting marks after a breakout, a rash or irritation, so every formula is made to be gentle and steady rather than harsh.

That gentle approach suits lighter, olive and medium skin too. Start with one product at a time, patch test on your inner arm and wear sunscreen every morning.

Not sure where to start? See our products or read how vitamin C works on dark spots.

Our formulas are made to be gentle: we pair active ingredients with soothing, hydrating ones, and we use stable forms of vitamin C that don't need a stinging low pH.

Our Vitamin C Clay Mask, Superactive Serum, Advanced Brightening Moisturizer and Supernutrient Oil are dermatologist tested. In a repeat insult patch test on 52 adults, supervised by a consulting dermatologist (Princeton Consumer Research, 2023), no irritation or allergic reactions were observed.

Every skin is different, though. Patch test a new product on your inner arm for a few days, introduce one product at a time, and start the Superactive Serum every other night before building up.

Four Gleamin products are dermatologist tested. The Vitamin C Clay Mask, Superactive Serum, Advanced Brightening Moisturizer and Supernutrient Oil were each patch tested in repeat insult patch tests on 52 adults, run by Princeton Consumer Research in 2023 and supervised by a consulting dermatologist. No irritation or allergic reactions were observed.

Our face products (the Vitamin C Clay Mask, Superactive Serum, Advanced Brightening Moisturizer, Supernutrient Oil and Clarifying Brightening Cleanser) and the Illuminating Intimate Serum contain no added fragrance. Some body products, such as the Advanced Brightening Body Cream, the Glow Body Bar and the Vitamin C Bright Hand Cream, do contain fragrance. It is always listed in the ingredients on the label.

Yes. Gleamin products are cruelty-free.

Yes. Our products are gluten-free and sulfate-free.

Gleamin products are made in Canada and in Texas, United States. The vitamin C botanicals in our clay mask, Kakadu plum, desert lime and finger lime, come from Australia, where the mask was first made. Each product's country of origin is printed on its packaging.

The Illuminating Intimate Serum is made for the skin of the bikini line, inner thighs and underarms, which is thinner and more delicate than facial skin. It pairs niacinamide, alpha arbutin and vitamin C, three gentle ingredients that work on different steps of pigment production. It's for external use only.

Read Brightening your bikini line: what works (and what scars).

The Gleamin Vitamin C Clay Mask combines a vitamin C blend of Kakadu plum, desert lime and finger lime from Australia with turmeric root powder and extract, kaolin and Hydroclay to lift away oil and buildup, and aloe vera and glycerin to keep skin comfortable. It also contains kale extract, grape seed and safflower oils, and vitamin E. Iron oxides give it its warm color.

See the full ingredient list on the Vitamin C Clay Mask page or the Amazon listing, and read Inside Our Vitamin C Clay Mask.

The Gleamin Vitamin C Clay Mask is a 10-minute mask for skin prone to dark spots and uneven tone. Kaolin and Hydroclay absorb excess oil and lift away buildup, so right after rinsing, skin looks fresher, smoother and less shiny.

Its vitamin C comes from Kakadu plum, desert lime and finger lime, alongside turmeric, with aloe vera and glycerin to keep skin comfortable. Used 1 to 3 times a week with daily sunscreen, it helps skin look brighter and more even, so dark spots look less noticeable over 8 to 12 weeks. Results vary.

It's dermatologist tested and won two "Best Mask" awards in 2025. See Vitamin C Clay Mask results: what to expect week by week.

Yes. The Vitamin C Treatment Mask and the Vitamin C Clay Mask are the same Gleamin product: our 10-minute mask with Kakadu plum, desert lime, turmeric and clay. Some people also call it the Gleamin turmeric mask. You may see the older names in past posts, reviews and search results.

Today it's called the Vitamin C Clay Mask, and that's the name to search for in our Amazon store. Everything about it lives on the Vitamin C Clay Mask page.

Yes, the Vitamin C Clay Mask is dermatologist tested. The formula went through a repeat insult patch test (HRIPT) on 52 adults, run by Princeton Consumer Research from October to November 2023 and supervised by a consulting dermatologist. No irritation or allergic reactions were observed. The same testing covered the Superactive Serum, the Advanced Brightening Moisturizer and the Supernutrient Oil.

A patch test result doesn't mean no one will ever react, so if your skin is sensitive, try a little on your inner arm first.

The Vitamin C Clay Mask comes in two jar sizes: 2.5 fl oz (75 mL) and 5 fl oz (150 mL). The 2.5 oz jar gives about 20 full-face uses and the 5 oz jar about 40, so at twice a week they last roughly 10 and 20 weeks. Using it only on your T-zone or a few spots makes a jar go further.

Both sizes are the same formula, and you'll find them in our Amazon store.

Yes, the Vitamin C Clay Mask was upgraded in 2024. We added Hydroclay, which helps the mask spread more smoothly, dry with little to no flaking, feel more hydrating after rinsing and stay stable for longer. The jar also grew from 2.1 oz to 2.5 oz.

The heart of the formula didn't change: Kakadu plum and desert lime for vitamin C, turmeric, and a 10-minute wear time. If you loved the original, it should feel familiar, just smoother.

Gleam C is Gleamin's own vitamin C blend of Kakadu plum and desert lime, two Australian fruits naturally rich in vitamin C and antioxidant polyphenols. Instead of a single lab-made molecule, it gets its vitamin C from whole fruit extracts, so it brings along the fruits' other antioxidants too.

Gleam C is the vitamin C behind our Vitamin C Clay Mask. The blend still comes from Australia, where the mask was first made in 2019.

The Vitamin C Clay Mask is made not to leave skin tight or dry. Kaolin and Hydroclay lift away oil and buildup, while aloe vera, glycerin, saccharide isomerate and plant oils help skin feel hydrated when you rinse.

To keep it comfortable, leave it on for 10 minutes rather than until it cracks, rinse with warm water, and follow with serum and moisturizer. If your skin still feels tight, use it less often or only on oilier areas like the T-zone.

The Superactive Serum is Gleamin's most concentrated formula, with 15% vitamin C from two stable forms, 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbyl phosphate. It pairs them with 4% niacinamide, bakuchiol (a plant-based alternative to retinol), turmeric leaf extract and hyaluronic acid. It is fragrance-free, vegan and free of essential oils, and comes in a 1 fl oz (30 mL) opaque pump bottle.

The full ingredient list is on the Superactive Serum page and its Amazon listing.

Yes, the Superactive Serum was fully reformulated in 2024 and is a different product from the earlier Gleamin vitamin C serum. Vitamin C went up to 15%, niacinamide went from 1% to 4%, and bakuchiol was added.

The texture changed too. The old serum was water-like; the new one is a true serum that feels slightly dewy or tacky at first and settles as it absorbs. If you used the old version, expect a different feel, and start every other night for the first week or two.

Yes. Vitamin C Advanced Energy Cream is the earlier name of what is now the Advanced Brightening Moisturizer. It's a daily face cream with 3% vitamin C plus vitamin C-rich botanicals, including oil-soluble tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, plus three ceramides, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, turmeric and electrolytes (magnesium, manganese and zinc PCA).

It is fragrance-free and comes in a 1.7 fl oz (50 mL) jar. See the Advanced Brightening Moisturizer page.

The Supernutrient Oil is a rich, deeply hydrating face oil with 3% vitamin C in its oil-soluble form, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Cloudberry seed oil makes up about 42% of the formula, alongside jojoba, pumpkin seed and turmeric oils, squalene and vitamin E. It is fragrance-free, vegan and dermatologist tested (repeat insult patch test on 52 adults, 2023), in a 1 fl oz (30 mL) dropper bottle.

Read more on the Supernutrient Oil page.

The Clarifying Brightening Cleanser is Gleamin's cream-to-foam face wash, previously called the Vitamin C Active Cleanser. It combines three forms of vitamin C (3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid plus desert lime and lilly pilly extracts) with a blend of BHA, PHA and AHA exfoliating acids, papaya enzyme and turmeric.

It cleanses and gently exfoliates without leaving skin tight, so it's a good first step in a brightening routine, especially for oily and breakout-prone skin. See the Clarifying Brightening Cleanser page.

The Illuminating Intimate Serum is made for sensitive intimate skin. It is pH-balanced, and it pairs its brightening ingredients (4% niacinamide, alpha arbutin and vitamin C) with soothing allantoin, panthenol and centella asiatica.

Every skin is different, so patch test on your inner arm for 2 to 3 days first, use it on external skin only, and stop if it stings, itches or burns. If you have a rash, broken skin or a skin condition in the area, check with a doctor before using it. More on the Illuminating Intimate Serum page.

The Illuminating Intimate Serum contains 4% niacinamide, within the 2 to 5% range used in most research on uneven skin tone. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) reduces the transfer of pigment to surrounding skin cells and supports the skin barrier, which matters in areas that deal with friction and shaving.

In the serum it works alongside alpha arbutin and vitamin C, which act on earlier steps of pigment production, plus turmeric. See the Illuminating Intimate Serum page.

No. The Illuminating Intimate Serum isn't designed to change your natural skin color. It helps areas darkened by friction, shaving and irritation look more even with the skin around them, by gently slowing the extra pigment that irritation triggers. Your natural tone stays yours.

Results are gradual: give it 8 to 12 weeks of daily use, and expect them to vary from person to person. Cutting down friction and irritation helps it work.

The Superactive Serum, the Advanced Brightening Moisturizer and the Supernutrient Oil are vegan, as stated on their Amazon listings. All Gleamin products are cruelty-free, gluten-free and sulfate-free.

For any other product, check the ingredient list on its Amazon listing or product page, since listings are the most current source, or email support@gleamin.com and we'll confirm for you.