Tiam My Signature Red Vitamin C Serum: Review & Comparison

I adore the Tiam My Signature C Source Serum and what it does for my skin. It’s an absolute HG product for me. So when I saw that Tiam had released a second, different, RED version, I was hyped to try it. Tiam very kindly sent me a bottle (and, even more kindly, a second bottle after my first oxidized when I stupidly traveled with it in a hot suitcase) to try and compare to their original! So here are my thoughts after using the My Signature Red C Serum consistently for around 6 weeks.

Purpose & How to Use

According to Tiam, the product is said to: have an antioxidant effect, restore even skin tone, remove freckles and blemishes, enhance skin firmness, and reduce pimples and acne scars. Key ingredients include 20% Vitamin C for brightening, Vitamin B12 to reduce redness and irritation, Glutathione to nourish and help brighten, and Niacinamide for brightening. 

It seems that this serum is more geared towards those with acne-prone or troubled skin to help achieve blemish-free skin, whereas the Signature C Source is predominantly for a brightening effect. Another main difference between the Signature Red C Serum and the Signature C Source is oxidization time. The Signature C Source oxidizes rather quickly, within about 3 months. The Red C Serum is a much more stabilized form of Vitamin C, and takes longer to oxidize.

To use:

After cleansing (and toning), apply 2-3 drops and pat into skin. Allow to fully absorb. If you have sensitive skin you can mix it with toner. It is recommended to use sunscreen when using this product.

Some people definitely experience tingling/burning sensation with such high % Vitamin C. Now that my skin is used to this %, I don’t feel anything. I’ve been using the product directly after cleansing in the evenings, every evening. I then leave it for 15 minutes before continuing my skincare routine as normal. It says not to use AHA/BHA products with this, so I stick to using those in the morning, then my Vitamin C at night. This has worked very well for me but may be too much for some people. For a product like this it’s very subjective on use, and everyone has different methods! It’s best to start slowly and see what works for you.

Product Details & Ingredients

Full name: My Signature Red C Serum

Amount: 30ml

Ingredients (as written on the product box):

Water, Ascorbic Acid (20%), Alcohol, Niacinamide, Sodium Lactate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Glutathione, Cyanocobalamin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Panthenol, Zinc PCA, Panthenol, Lactobacillus/Scuttelaria Baicalensis Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan

The ingredients list looked fine to me! Lots of brightening extracts and soothing/moisturizing too. Here’s a Cosdna link in case you’re interested.

Packaging

The packaging is exactly the same as the Signature C Source. A sturdy, and fairly small, dark glass bottle to protect from oxidization. The dropper is great for getting the perfect amount onto skin.

Texture & Scent

I loved the citrus scent of the Signature C Source. Sadly, I absolutely cannot stand the scent of this one. It’s hugely, hugely affected my liking of the product. When you smell the bottle, there is a slight citrus/alcohol scent. However as soon as the product hits my skin, it smells almost metallic? And it won’t go away no matter how long I let it absorb. If I then layer skincare over the top the metallic scent overwhelms any scent of any other product and I strongly dislike it. I’m usually not too fussy on scent, but I’m really gutted about this. Just to be fair I asked my mum what she thought about the scent without telling her my thoughts. She had the exact same reaction and described the smell as the scent after you have coins in your hand. Really unfortunate!

The texture itself is very similar to the Signature C Source, aside from the red colour. It’s a thick, viscous gel serum that smoothes easily over skin, then turns sticky as you pat it in. The stickiness mostly goes away when you layer skincare over the top, again similarly to the Signature C Source. Because of the red colour, there is a slight pink tinge to skin after use, but that was no problem for me as I used it in the evenings.

After 8 weeks open this colour is tinged brown- not as red as it originally was. I believe this would still be okay to use for now, but when it turns deep brown I would stop using it.

Overall Performance

I believed this would perform well, and I was correct. As I don’t tend to have troubled skin, I can’t so much comment on that aspect but with before and after photos, I can most definitely see the brightening and skin-tone-evening results. I was really happy with this. The photos below were taken 4 weeks apart (before I started then after 4 weeks of daily use). They were taken in the same spot in my house at 9am each time, to try and give the most accurate comparison. 

I was really happy to see the fading of marks and pigmentation, and definitely impressed. The two Vitamin C serums I’ve tried from Tiam have shown more visible changes to my skin than almost any other products I’ve tried. 

Unfortunately the scent of the product meant that after the testing period, I have stopped using it, and instead will be repurchasing the Signature C Source. I was struggling to bring myself to use it because I felt like I either had to wash it off after use to get rid of the scent (annoying, and time consuming), or let it taint the rest of my routine. I feel like I had similar, if not better, brightening effects from the Signature C Source, and those are the results I’m looking for.

As I said at the beginning of this post, the Red serum is aimed at troubled skin, and so I’d be interested to hear from those who do have acne-prone skin and have used it. For me though, despite the great results, good packaging, and stable form of Vitamin C, the Signature C Source is the clear winner because I enjoy the experience as well as results. Clearly this is a SUPER personal issue I have, and I’ve seen fantastic reviews elsewhere so definitely don’t let my opinion put you off. Both of the products have given me great results, but my heart is very much with the original version!