PRODUCT REVIEW
Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème
A pleasant vitamin C gel-crème with fragrance allergens in it, and no word on how much vitamin C you get.
Key facts
Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème at a glance.
Three vitamin C forms (concentrations undisclosed)
Key active
Gel-crème
Texture
Dullness; normal to combination skin
Best for
$46 for 1.7 oz
Approximate price
1.7 oz
Size
$46.00
Price
Moisturizer
Type
What is it?
Top things to know about Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème
- Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème is a light gel-cream in a 1.7 oz jar-style pot for $46, aimed at dullness. It is a moisturizer with vitamin C in it, not a vitamin C treatment, and the amount is not disclosed.
- The base is mostly glycerin and light emollients, so it adds water and disappears quickly. Three forms of vitamin C are on the list: 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid and THD ascorbate, both derivatives, and ascorbic acid, the pure form, near the bottom. It also contains fragrance plus citral, limonene, linalool and benzyl alcohol, four declared allergens.
A pleasant light moisturizer sold on vitamin C it will not quantify. Three forms sit on the list, none with a stated amount, in a pot that lets air at them every time you open it. It also carries four declared fragrance allergens. For brightening, use a vitamin C serum that prints its dose.
— Dr. Schwarz
Skin fit
Is it right for your skin?
Normal Skin
A light daily moisturizer for skin that does not need much. Mostly glycerin and light emollients, so it adds water without a heavy seal on top.
Oily Skin
Oily skin still loses water through the barrier. Oil and water are separate problems, and a gel-cream solves the water one without adding grease. It absorbs in seconds and leaves nothing under sunscreen.
Hyperpigmentation
Vitamin C slows tyrosinase, the enzyme that starts pigment cells making melanin, and all three forms here can reach it. What is missing is the number — no concentration is disclosed, and dose is the whole question. Treat it as a moisturizer that may help a little, not a pigment treatment.
Texture
What it feels like on skin.
Gel
It is a light, fresh gel-cream that spreads thin and absorbs in seconds. The texture is the best thing about it. It leaves no cushion and no shine, so it sits under sunscreen and makeup. The scent is citrus. If the gel has darkened toward yellow-orange, the pure vitamin C has oxidized — and a jar-style pot lets air in every time you open it.
Alternatives
If this isn’t the right product for you
Paula's Choice BOOST C15 Super Booster
15% L-ascorbic acid printed on the panel, with vitamin E and ferulic acid, fragrance-free, in opaque air-restricting packaging.
Vanicream Vitamin C Serum
A stated 5% THD ascorbate in an airless pump, with ceramides and no fragrance. Low-dose, but you know what you are getting.
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster
The brand's serum version, also pleasant, but its derivative doses are undisclosed too and it has declared fragrance allergens.
Ingredients · Interactive
What’s in it, and where each ingredient works.
Full ingredient list · 46 ingredients, in label order. Click one.
The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.
A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.
A light oil made from coconut oil and glycerin. It smooths and softens the surface.
A fatty alcohol that softens skin and thickens the product. Despite the name, it is not drying.
The preservative. It stops bacteria and mold from growing in the product.
A thickener that keeps the texture even.
Helps the preservative work and softens the feel of the product.
A form of hyaluronic acid. Its molecule is large, so it stays on the surface and holds water there.
Vitamin E, an antioxidant. Here it mainly keeps the oils in the product from going rancid.
How to use it
How to use it.
How to apply it
- How muchA pea-sized amount for the whole face. It spreads a long way.
What to pair it with
- Watch outClose the lid properly and keep the pot out of daylight. Pure vitamin C degrades in air and light, and you open this one with your fingers.
What to expect
- What to expectComfort and a soft finish straight away. Any brightening is slow and modest, and with no disclosed dose there is no predicting it. Sunscreen will do more for your tone.
Questions
Common questions.
Does Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème contain fragrance?
Yes — parfum plus citral, limonene, linalool and benzyl alcohol, four declared allergens.
How much vitamin C is in Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème?
Not disclosed, for any of the three forms.
How do I know if Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème has gone off?
If the gel darkens, the vitamin C has oxidized.
Is the texture of Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème good?
Yes. Light, fresh, absorbs in seconds.
Is Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème good for dull skin?
It helps with dullness and hydration, but the undisclosed dose limits expectations.
References
Sources.
- 1. Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5605218) — Confirms L-ascorbic acid is the most biologically active and best-studied form of vitamin C, that derivatives (e.g. magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl-6-palmitate) are more stable at neutral pH, and that a low pH (below 3.5) is needed for L-ascorbic acid stability and skin penetration. Link
- 2. Vitamin C in dermatology (https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5178.110593) — Supports the claim that L-ascorbic acid is the active form of vitamin C but is unstable and difficult to deliver, which is why stable derivatives with differing stabilities and delivery properties are used in formulations. Link
- 3. Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging (https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.21923) — Backs the claim that hyaluronic acid is the key molecule for skin moisture, with a unique capacity to retain water and hydrate the skin. Link
- 4. Mechanisms of Photoaging and Cutaneous Photocarcinogenesis, and Photoprotective Strategies with Phytochemicals (https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox4020248) — Supports the plausibility of green tea as a sensible antioxidant addition, documenting green tea polyphenols (catechins) as antioxidant, photoprotective phytochemicals for skin. Link