Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator for beauty smarts

Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator is an extremely concentrated oil-based serum containing the most stable form of Vitamin C and many powerful natural antioxidants. The combination of all the ingredients improves the appearance of the skin, protects the skin from the harmful effects of radicals, thus slowing down the process of photoageing, brightens hyperpigmentation and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and generally improves skin texture.

Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator is an extremely concentrated oil-based serum containing the most stable form of Vitamin C and many powerful natural antioxidants. The combination of all the ingredients improves the appearance of the skin, protects the skin from the harmful effects of radicals, thus slowing down the process of photoageing, brightens hyperpigmentation and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and generally improves skin texture.

A short recap on Vitamin C

Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin that is a major antioxidant in the aquatic environment of the cell. Unlike plants and some animals, humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C alone due to the absence of a particular enzyme. Even if high levels of Vitamin C are introduced into the body through oral supplements, only a small portion of vitamin C will be biologically active in the skin. Therefore, the amount of vitamin C in the skin needs to be taken care of with topically applied cosmetic products.

Vitamin C is available in many active forms. Of all the forms, L-ascorbic acid is the most biologically active and well researched. However, L-ascorbic acid is a hydrophilic and highly unstable molecule. Due to its hydrophilicity it penetrates the skin very poorly. It forms an acidic solution in water, which can be very irritating to the skin.

Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate – a very stable and effective form of Vitamin C

The Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator contains a special form of vitamin C called tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is a very stable derivative of vitamin C, which, unlike L-ascorbic acid, is soluble in oil. The solubility in the oil allows the compound to penetrate deeper into the skin. It has antioxidant properties and inhibits lipid peroxidation.

Is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate really effective in the Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator?

Producer studies have shown that this form of vitamin C, at a concentration of 0.1%, reduces melanin synthesis by 80% and increases collagen synthesis by 50% in vitro. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate at 10% concentration removes age spots at 16 weeks and in vivo improves acne skin status in 80% of patients. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate increases collagen synthesis by two-fold compared to ascorbic acid. At the same time, it also better inhibits enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases that break down collagen and hyaluronic acid.

These are the effects that this vitamin C derivative exerts at stated concentrations. In the Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator, however, the concentration of this derivative is as high as 20%.

A miracle blend of the most powerful antioxidants known

Although tetrahexyl decyl ascorbate is a very powerful antioxidant, other antioxidants are added to support its action. The formulation also includes:

  • Coenzyme Q10 – an enzyme antioxidant that supports the body’s internal defense system and protects mitochondria. It prevents lipid peroxidation and effectively protects against UVA-induced oxidative stress.
  • Alpha-lipoic acid – an effective reactive oxygen scavenger, reducing melanin production and preventing photo-oxidative damage.
  • Tocopherols and Tocotrienols (Vitamin E) – a radical scavenger in lipophilic parts of the cell, topically applied Vitamin E protects the skin from UV damage and the carcinogenic effect of UV radiation.
  • Pomegranate seed and fruit extracts – extracts are rich in vitamin C and polyphenols, which provide a powerful antioxidant effect.
  • Pomegranate Seed Extract – contains some flavonoids and anthocyanidins and has an antioxidant effect that is three times greater than the antioxidant activity of green tea extract; provides effective protection against free radicals.

 

The main active substance carrier is squalane

The main star of Add Actives Tetraforce Activator is the squalane. Why? It delivers all the excellent ingredients to your skin and, due to its lipophilic nature, allows them to penetrate to deeper layers of the skin. Squalane is a dense, oil-like fluid. It is a derivative of squalene, which is a natural component of human sebum. When we are born, there is about 12% squalene in our skin, which decreases with age, resulting in dry skin.

We use squalane instead of squalene because the latter is very unstable. Squalane is  similar in structure to long hydrocarbon chains that exhibit occlusal effect. It has excellent emollient properties, prevents transepidermal water loss or moisture loss and improves skin suppleness.

How Functional is the Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator?

The Add Actives serum comes in a black package that prevents light from accessing the serum itself, since light could cause the light sensitive compounds to decay. The serum is oil-based and orange in color.

It comes in two sizes, 30ml and 10ml, with a shelf life of about 6 months from opening. Although the packaging comes with a pump, which prevents the product from opening and supplying air, nevertheless antioxidants have a certain life span that must be adhered to. 30 ml serum is quite a big stock for 6 months, unless you are sharing and using it daily.

 

 

What is my experience with Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator and when do I use it?

At this point I must first emphasize that I am really proud that such great products come from our little Slovenia. And this serum overcomes all serums with Vitamin C. Products with similar ingredients, but not as concentrated and not in such proportions in America, reach 2 or even 3 times higher prices.

Tetraforce exceeded my expectations, both in effect and texture. It is an oily serum, which does not grease the skin and is absorbed practically like a cream. A few minutes after application, there is no oily feeling on the skin.

I mix one serum pump in the cream every morning and apply it on my face. There are several reasons I use serum in the morning. The first is that I’m already using a lot of products in the evening and I don’t want to over do my routine. At the same time, I must point out that Tetraforce is not acid compatible, but you can layer it over retinoids. The second reason is that the antioxidant serum supports the action of the sunscreen, further protecting the skin from radicals. Of course, you can also use it in the evening.

Since I have been using it regularly, I have noticed a more unified complexion, both in texture and complexion. I have quite a few freckles myself that have been in certain places since I can remember and have never tried to actually get rid of them. After using the Tetraforce serum, I noticed that the freckles were brighter.

The biggest victory of this serum, however, is that it also helps to fade post-inflammatory hyperpigmentations (these usually remain at the sites of acne and pimple healing). Whenever I had a pimple outbreak, I was left with a little sea of PIH that I couldn’t get rid of. When I had an acne outbreak about a month ago, of course, I was expecting post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, but this time I don’t have one!

Is Tetraforce really worth buying?

I would say yes. The price is salty, but the quality of the ingredients in this product is at the highest possible level, and at the same time, as I mentioned, serums with such ingredients are much more expensive in America. The ingredients are carefully selected and added in very high concentrations for maximum effect. Some of the ingredients are also organic. Especially for beginners, when using the Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator, I advise you to start by applying it every 2 to 3 days to get your skin accustomed to being a strong asset. You can then increase the number of days you use the serum.

This post was created because of my own satisfaction with the product, but the Add Actives C20 Tetraforce Activator was donated for testing purposes by Beautybottled.si, where you can also buy it.

Sources:

  • Lotion Crafter. Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate. https://lotioncrafter.com/products/tetrahexyldecyl-ascorbate
  • Pullar, J. M., Carr, A. C., & Vissers, M. (2017). The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients9(8), 866.
  • McDaniel, D. H., Waugh, J. M., Jiang, L. I., Stephens, T. J., Yaroshinsky, A., Mazur, C., Nelson, D. B. (2019). Evaluation of the Antioxidant Capacity and Protective Effects of a Comprehensive Topical Antioxidant Containing Water-soluble, Enzymatic, and Lipid-soluble Antioxidants. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology12(4), 46–53.
  • Lykkesfeldt, J., Michels, A. J., & Frei, B. (2014). Vitamin C. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)5(1), 16–18.
  • Al-Niaimi, F., & Chiang, N. (2017). Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology10(7), 14–17.
  • Lupo, M. P. (2001). Antioxidants and vitamins in cosmetics. Clinics in Dermatology, 19(4), 467–473.

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2 Comments

    • Thank you for your response! Since Tetraforce in not available, the closest comparable product is Malinca C15 Booster, which has a very similar formulation, but 5 % less of active vitamin C, but the results of users are very close. Also younger users of this serums report that they tolerate Malinca better, as it absorbed better and clogs less pores.

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