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Last Updated on August 20, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

a dupe for Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum

Is InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum a dupe for Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum? Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum is my fave Vitamin C serum for acne-prone skin. Why? It has Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP), a Vitamin C derivative that tackles both wrinkles and acne. Or I did… until InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum started giving it a run for its money. Like Mad Hippie, it opted for SAP – but the price is even cheaper! Does that make InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum a dupe for Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum? And should you make the switch? Let’s find out:

What Do Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum And InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum Have In Common?

SODIUM ASCORBYL PHOSPHATE TO FIGHT WRINKLES

Did you know Vitamin C comes in many forms? L-Ascorbic Acid (LAA) is the pure form. Studies show it can:

The catch? There are a couple:

  • Irritation: LAA needs a low pH to work. Low pHs irritate sensitive skin, make it sting and turn it red.
  • Spoils quickly: LAA usually goes bad within 3 months! You know when this happens – the serum turns brown.

How can you get all the benefits of LAA sans the side effects? Enter Vitamin C derivatives, like Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (the form used in Mad Hippie and InstaNatural Vitamin C Serums). SAP converts to L-Ascorbic Acid in the skin. It’s still a little less effective than pure LAA, but way gentler and lasts for months. Phew!

If you have oily, acne-prone skin, you have another reason to switch to SAP: it helps treat acne. Studies show SAP reduces sebum oxidation (a main cause of acne and inflammation) by up to 40%! It’s also more effective than 5% benzoyl peroxide and 0.1% differin.

Related: Is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate The Best Vitamin C Derivative?

VITAMIN E + FERULIC ACID TO BOOST VITAMIN C AGAINST WRINKLES

I’m sure you’ve heard that Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid boost the effectiveness of Vitamin C. Good news: both Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum and InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum have their fair share of Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid. Together, Vitamins C + E + Ferulic acid make one other more effective and increase the sun protection your sunscreen gives you. That’s why I recommend you use your Vitamin C in the morning. P.S. Ferulic acid is an antioxidant on steroids. It fights THREE types of free radicals! (Most antioxidants only destroy one).

Related: Is Ferulic Acid The Most Powerful Antioxidant Of Them All?

What Else Is In Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum And InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum?

NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.

  • Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
  • Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
  • Red: What is this doing here?!

MAD HIPPIE VITAMIN C SERUM

  • Water Deionized: A solvent that dissolves other ingredients in the formula while hydrating skin. Deionized means the water went through a chemical filtration system to remove ion minerals (like calcium, iron, and copper) that would otherwise spoil the formula.
  • Alkyl Benzoate: A skin-softening emollient.
  • Vegetable Glycerin: A humectant that draws moisture from the air into your skin, making it softer and suppler. This particular type is derived from vegetable sources.
  • Water: Normal water. It still acts as a solvent but it retains its mineral ions.
  • Glycerin: The same humectant mentioned above. I imagine this type is derived from synthetic sources.
  • Sodium Levulinate: It helps make skin softer. It also has preservative properties that helps skincare products last longer.
  • Sodium Anisate: A preservative that inhibits the growth of mold and fungi in your skincare products.
  • Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea): It has antioxidant properties, but its fragrant components may irritate sensitive skin.
  • Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis): It makes the product smell like citrus (divine!), but it can irritate sensitive skin.
  • Hyaluronic acid: A humectant that attracts water from the air into your skin. It’s so effective, it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water! All that moisture makes skin very soft and supple.
  • Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder: It has hydrating properties for skin.
  • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf: It has powerful hydrating and soothing properties that can calm down sensitive skin.
  • Chamomile Flower Extract (Recutita Matricaria): Derived from chamomile, it has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that calm down redness and irritation. But if you’re allergic to chamomile or other plants in the daisy family, it can seriously irritate your skin.
  • Sodium Phytate: A chelating agents that neutralises the metal ions in the formula, so they don’t spoil it.
  • Xanthum Gum: It thickens the texture of skincare products.
  • Hydroxyethylcellulose: Derived from cellulose, a sugar found in the cell walls of plants. It helps to thicken the texture of skincare products.

INSTANATURAL VITAMIN C SERUM

  • Water (Aqua): The main solvent, it helps other ingredients dissolve as well.
  • Glycerin: A common humectant that attracts water from the air into your skin, increasing its moisture levels, so it stays softer and suppler for longer.
  • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer: A synthetic polymer that thickens skincare products, improves their texture, and prevents the formula from separating.
  • Fragrance: It makes the serum smell good, but can irritate sensitive skin.
  • Phenoxyethanol: A synthetic preservative that keeps the product safe from germs and bacteria that could spoil it.
  • Xanthan Gum: It thickens the texture of skincare products.
  • Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil: A non-fragrant plant oil that makes skin softer and smoother for longer.
  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil: A non-fragrant plant oil that strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and makes skin softer and smoother.
  • Caprylyl Glycol: A humectant that helps hydrate and soften skin while also boosting the effectiveness of preservatives.
  • Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract: It has astringent properties, but can dry out and irritate sensitive skin.
  • Citric Acid: An AHA that can exfoliate and brighten skin, but at low concentrations is often used mainly to adjust a product’s pH.
  • Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil: Extracted from the pulp of the sea buckthorn berry, it sinks quickly into the skin. It has powerful antioxidant properties that fight wrinkles.
  • Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil: A luxurious, rich oil with deeply moisturising properties. It strengths the skin’s protective barrier and makes skin softer and smoother.
  • Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil: An emollient oil with a long shelf-life, it deeply strengthens and moisturises skin.
  • Rosa Canina Fruitt Oil: Non-fragrant plant oil loaded with fatty acids to strengthen the skin’s natural protective barrier and deeply moisturise skin.
  • Ferulic Acid: A powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals and can improve the stability and effectiveness of vitamins C and E.
  • Ethylhexylglycerin: A preservative booster and skin-conditioning ingredient that helps keep the formula safe from microbial growth.
  • Tocopherol: Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect skin and the formula’s oils from oxidative damage.
  • Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate: A chelating agent that binds metal ions to improve the stability and effectiveness of the formula.
  • Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil: An emollient oil rich in fatty acids and vitamin E that moisturises, softens, and supports the skin barrier.
  • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract: A.k.a. green tea, a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals, reduces UV-induced inflammation, and enhances the effectiveness of your sunscreen.
  • Hesperidin: A citrus flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that helps protect skin from oxidative damage.
  • Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide: This extract has hydrating and antioxidant properties.
  • Equisetum Arvense Extract: A.k.a. horsetail extract, it’s said to have antioxidant properties. But there’s no proof it works when applied to skin yet.
  • Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract: Derived from licorice, it has soothing properties that reduce redness and irritation.
  • Punica Granatum Fruit Extract: A source of antioxidants, which fight the free radicals that cause premature wrinkles.
  • Saccharina Latissima Extract: A brown algae extract with antioxidant and soothing properties that can help hydrate and protect skin.
  • Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract: It has powerful antioxidant and soothing properties that slow down premature aging.
  • Fucus Vesiculosus Extract: An edible algae loaded with antioxidants that can prevent wrinkles and neutralises some of the damage pollution daily inflicts onto your skin.
  • Camellia Japonica Seed Extract: A plant extract rich in fatty acids and antioxidants that helps moisturise and soften skin.
  • Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract: Derived from dandelion, it’s said to have detoxifying properties. But skincare ingredients can’t detoxify skin. It gains a red rating, not because it’s dangerous, but because it’s useless.
  • Geranium Maculatum Extract: It has powerful antioxidant properties, but it can also irritate sensitive skin.
  • Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract: One of the most soothing ingredients available, it reduces redness and inflammation better than most other similar actives.
  • Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract: It has antioxidant properties, but its fragrant components may irritate sensitive skin.
  • Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract: A powerful source of antioxidants for your skin.
  • Aloe Barbadensis Extract: Aloe vera extract, a soothing and hydrating ingredient that helps calm irritated skin.
  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil: An emollient oil rich in linoleic acid that moisturises skin and helps support its protective barrier.
  • Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil: It has emollient properties that makes skin softer and smoother. But depending on how it’s made, it can retain fragrant components that sensitive and irritate skin.

WHICH FORMULA IS BETTER?

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum has fewer antioxidants. But it’s more hydrating and has fewer irritants. It’s my fave.

InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum has more antioxidants and soothing ingredients. That should make it my fave. But most of the goodies are listed after fragrance, which means they’re there only in trace amount. *sighs*

What’s The Texture Like?

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum has a lightweight to the point of runny texture that sinks in quickly and dries to a matte finish.

InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum has a slightly thicker texture than Mad Hippie, but it still sinks in pretty quickly.

What’s The Packaging Like?

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum comes in a UV-tinted bottle with a drop applicator for ease of use.

InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum comes in a UV-tinted bottle too, but it has a pump applicator.

How To Use Them

Vitamin C can boost the effectiveness of your sunscreen (and no, it doesn’t make your skin more prone to sun damage). For this reason, I recommend you use them in the morning, right after cleansing and before sunscreen.

Which Of The Two Should You Go For?

Go for Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum if:

  • You have oily and dehydrated skin that needs the extra moisture
  • You have sensitive skin (Mad Hippie has fewer ingredients, so fewer chances of irritations)

Go for InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum if:

  • You’re on a strict budget and you have resistant skin that can tolerate high concentrations of citrus oils.

Related: Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum Full Review

Availability

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum ($33.99): Available at iHerb, and Ulta

InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum ($26): Available at Amazon

Is InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum A Dupe For Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum?

MAD HIPPIE INSTANATURAL
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Vitamin E, and Ferulic Acid. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Vitamin E, and Ferulic Acid.
OTHER INGREDIENTS Hydrators (Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin). Natural oils and antioxidants.
TEXTURE Lightweight and fast absorbing. Slightly thicker, but still lightweight and fast-absorbing.
PACKAGING Dropper applicator. Pump applicator.
PERFORMANCE Fights wrinkles and brightens skin. Lightly hydrating. Fights wrinkles and brightens skin. Lightly hydrating.
IRRITATING POTENTIAL Low. High.

I wouldn’t say InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum is an exact dupe for Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum. But it’s a good alternative for acne-prone ladies (and gentlemen) on a budget.

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum Ingredients:

Water Deionized, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Alkyl Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea), Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis), Hyaluronic acid, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Vitamin E (Tocotrienol), Ferulic acid, Chamomile Flower Extract (Recutita Matricaria), Sodium Phytate, Xanthum Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose 

InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Ferulic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hesperidin, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Saccharina Latissima Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Root Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil