Ghost Democracy Vitamin C Reviews
2019 was a year of building foundations, especially when it came to my skin care routine. It's the year I got more serious about the products I was using, and become much more invested in creating a sustainable routine.
So when I'm reading The Hustle and they start raving about this new clean skincare line, I got excited. That's how I found Ghost Democracy.
I'm a skeptic when it comes to products that seem too good to be true. Clean skin care at an affordable price? Is this real life? That's why I decided to purchase the starter kit and see for myself. I used these products for 30-days straight, both morning and night, with little to no other products included.
Who is Ghost Democracy?
Ghost Democracy is a skincare brand that launched August 2019. They're a clean skincare brand that touts transparency, both in their ingredients and in their pricing. They sell direct-to-consumer through their website which cuts out the middle man and helps keeps the price point down.
Being clean means they don't formulate any of their products with sulfates, silicones, essential oils, and a whole lot more. The founder, Rex Chou, had worked in the industry for over 12 years, and felt there was a gap in quality, clean skincare with a focus on transparency. That's how Ghost Democracy was born. They put an emphasis on spending more on formulas, rather than marketing which helps keep their price points low for these types of products.
The name comes from Rex's mission to democratize skincare, and the cute little ghost helps represent transparency.
Packaging
The purchasing process is pretty easy and I got my order timely on a Monday night. It comes in a branded Ghost Democracy box. Inside, my products came wrapped with branded tissue paper. The packaging is A+ – it's consistent and thoughtful.
There's a little note inside from the company. Each product comes in their own paper packaging, with each box being recyclable. One thing I particularly like is that both the moisturizer and the Vitamin C serum come in glass bottles.
The Products
I bought the starter pack which consists of the cleanser, a serum of your choice, and moisturizer. The kit retails at $66, which actually gives you a discount instead of buying all three products separately.
Transparent Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser
The Transparent Gentle Exfoliating Daily Cleanser is a gel cleanser that's made for all skin types. You get 5oz of product for $24.
In their efforts to be transparent, Ghost Democracy prints the concentrations of select ingredients on the product packaging. For the cleanser, you have 4.1% Glycolic Acid, 1.8% Mandelic Acid, 1.6% Willow Bark Extract, and 1.3% Niacinamide.
Lightbulb Vitamin C Serum
For the serum, I chose the Lightbulb Vitamin C Serum. I've heard great things about Vitamin C and thought it would be the perfect time to try and incorporate it into my routine.
What's special about this serum is that it boasts an 18% concentration of Vitamin C (in the form of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, if you're into the specifics). Apparently, this is a lot. The ingredients printed on the bottle are 1.9% Vitamin E, and 0.5% Bakuchoil and Bisabolol. You get 1 fl oz of product for $34.
Clean Lightweight Daily Face Moisturizer
The Clean Lightweight Daily Face Moisturizer is free of fragrance and comes nicely packed in a glass jar. You get 1.7 oz of product for $28. Some of the ingredients in this product include 12% Probiotics, 1% Niacinamide, 1% Oat Seed Extract, and .5% of Panthenol.
For the samples, I picked the Boomerang Firming Eye Concentrate and the Floodgate Hyaluronic Acid Serum. I haven't touched these yet but I'm excited about testing out the other serum.
Full Ingredient List
I'm nowhere near a skincare expert, so when it comes to ingredients, I definitely have my fair share of struggling to understand exactly what some of them are.
But I came across Paula's Choice Ingredient Dictionary and OMG. It makes understanding those complex ingredients so much easier!
Below, I listed every single ingredient in each product, in order, and what I found from the dictionary.
All information is sourced from the PC Dictionary, unless otherwise stated.
Transparent Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser:
| Ingredient Name | Ingredient Category | Ingredient Quality |
| Water | Misc. | Good |
| Decyl Glucoside | Skin-Replenishing | Good |
| Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate | Cleansing Agents | Good |
| Glycolic Acid | Thickeners/Emulsifiers Emollients Skin-Replenishing | Best |
| Coco-Glucoside | Cleansing Agents | Good |
| Glyceryl Oleate | Thickeners/Emulsifiers Emollients Skin-Replenishing | Good |
| Glycerin | Skin-Replenishing Skin-Restoring | Best |
| Mandelic Acid | Exfoliant | Good |
| Xanthan Gum | Thickeners/Emulsifiers Texture Enhancer | Good |
| Salix Alba (White Willow) Bark Extract | Skin-Soothing Plant Extracts | Good |
| Sodium Hydroxide | Cleansing Agents Sensitising | Average |
| Schizophyllan** | Humectant | |
| Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) | Skin-Soothing Skin-Restoring Antioxidants Vitamins | Best |
| Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract | Plant Extracts Sensitizing Fragrance: Synthetic and Fragrant Plan Extracts | Poor |
| Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract* | ||
| Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract | Skin-Restoring Plant Extracts Texture Enhancer | Best |
| Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract | Plant Extracts Thickeners/Emulsifiers Cleansing Agents | Poor |
| Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts Fragrance: Synthetic and Fragrant Plant Extracts | Good |
| Cucumis Melo (Melon) Fruit Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract | Skin-Soothing Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Lauryl Glucoside | Cleansing Agent | Good |
| Citric Acid | Misc. | Good |
| Triethyl Citrate* | ||
| Ethylhexylglycerin | Misc. Preservatives | Good |
| Phenoxyethanol | Preservatives | Good |
**Not listed in Dictionary. Alternative sourced linked.
*Not listed in Dictionary.
Lightbulb Vitamin C Serum:
| Ingredient Name | Ingredient Category | Ingredient Quality |
| C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate | Texture Enhancer Emollients | Good |
| Isopropyl Palmitate | Texture Enhancer Emollients | Good |
| Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C) | Antioxidants Vitamins | Best |
| Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) | Antioxidants Vitamins | Best |
| Bisabolol | Skin-Soothing Plant Extracts | Best |
| Bakuchiol | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Ferulic Acid | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Tocopherol (Vitamin E) | Antioxidants Vitamins | Best |
Clean Lightweight Daily Face Moisturizer:
| Ingredient Name | Ingredient Category | Ingredient Quality |
| Water | Misc. | Good |
| Lactobacillus Ferment | Hydration | Best |
| Dicaprylyl Ether* | ||
| Glycerin | Skin-Replenishing Skin-Restoring | Best |
| C9-12 Alkane* | ||
| Lactococcus Ferment Lysate* | ||
| Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) | Skin-Soothing Skin-Restoring Antioxidants Vitamins | Best |
| Saccharide Isomerate | Emollients Skin-Replenishing | Good |
| Panthenol (Vitamin B5) | Vitamins | Best |
| Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) | Antioxidants Vitamins | Best |
| Avena Sativa (Oat) Seed Extract | Skin-Soothing Plant Extracts | Best |
| Ginkgo Biloba (Ginkgo) Leaf Extract | Skin-Soothing Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract | Plant Extracts Sensitizing Fragrance: Synthetic and Fragrant Plan Extracts | Poor |
| Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder | Plant Extracts | Good |
| Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract* | ||
| Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract | Skin-Restoring Plant Extracts Texture Enhancer | Best |
| Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract | Plant Extracts Thickeners/Emulsifiers Cleansing Agents | Poor |
| Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts Fragrance: Synthetic and Fragrant Plant Extracts | Good |
| Cucumis Melo (Melon) Fruit Extract | Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract | Skin-Soothing Antioxidants Plant Extracts | Best |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | Texture Enhancer Emollients | Good |
| Cetearyl Glucoside | Texture Enhancer | Good |
| Cetearyl Olivate | Slip Agents Emulsifiers Texture Enhancers | Good |
| Sorbitan Olivate | Cleansing Agents Emulsifiers | Good |
| Cocoglycerides | Texture Enhancer Emollients | Good |
| Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/ Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer | Thickeners/Emulsifiers Texture Enhancer | Good |
| Decyl Glucoside | Cleansing Agents | Good |
| Lauryl Glucoside | Cleansing Agents | Good |
| Triethyl Citrate* | ||
| Citric Acid | Misc. | Good |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | Misc. Preservatives | Good |
| Sodium Citrate | Antioxidants Preservatives | Good |
| Phenoxyethanol | Preservatives | Good |
| Xanthan Gum | Thickeners/Emulsifiers Texture Enhancer | Good |
*Not listed in Dictionary.
First Impressions
My skincare routine before using these products consisted of Larouche Posay's cleanser, Pixi Glow Tonic toner, and Olay moisturizer. I wasn't set on any holy grail products so I was ready with open arms to welcome new skin care products into my life.
My skin is oily and acne prone so I tend to look for cleansers that cater to my skin type. The cleanser from Ghost Democracy is formulated for all skin types. It creates a light foam when you use it, and thankfully it didn't irritate my skin. It's fragrance free but there is some sort of smell – it has that no smell-smell.
The serum was also something to get used to. If I used too many drops, it felt like it wouldn't absorb into my skin as well (truthfully I probably started off using 6-7 drops). You're also supposed to "pat, pat, pat" it into your skin per the directions but how do I pat, pat, pat?? I just rubbed it into my skin.
I've since gone back and started incorporating the Vitamin C serum in my morning skincare routine and it's made a great addition. Just make sure that when using it in the morning, you finish with a sunscreen of a minimum of SPF 30!
Skin Check-Ins
To keep track of how my skin fared over 30-days, I took a couple of pictures (note: continuity is not my strong suit). Here's my skin the night I started using the products:
And this was my skin a week later:
There's little to no difference between week one and week two, but I guess that's better than it getting worse.
I'll be honest, with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I wasn't consistent capturing my skin each week. But here's my skin a couple days after the 30-day mark:
It's important to remember that when starting any new skincare product, you need to use it consistently to see results, with most experts recommending at least three months.
30-Day Review
Here's how I'm feeling after 30-days:
Pros:
- The Vitamin C Serum and the Clean Lightweight Moisturizer are great products that made a difference in my skin after 30 days of use – the niacinamide in the moisturizer helped control excess oil production, and the serum brightened my skin overall
- Introducing the products didn't cause any excess breakouts or irritate my skin
- The products are good for people who want to target certain concerns in their skincare, and would like to add more clean products into the mix
Cons:
- The Transparent Exfoliating Cleanser is made for all skin types, which is good, but left my skin feeling too stripped and dry
- The product prices could be steep for those looking for budget-friendly or drugstore skincare
Final Thoughts
Overall, I'm happy with my experience with Ghost Democracy and I'm excited to try more products from this line! A brand that's clean and makes an effort to create products that are good for customers is a-ok in my book.
On August 5th, Ghost Democracy released their highly-anticipated SPF! The Invisible Lightweight Daily Face Sunscreen with SPF 33 is a mineral sunscreen formulated with 20% Zinc Oxide. Other standout ingredients include 4% niacinamide (my oily skin rejoices), 1.5% artichoke leaf extract, and 1.3% turmeric extract.
Unlike most mineral sunscreens, this one isn't supposed to leave a white cast, making it ideal for all skin tones and types. This sunscreen is also reef-safe, and isn't formulated with silicones or other harsh chemicals.
Where to Buy
You can shop all these products directly on the Ghost Democracy Website:
- The Starter Kit: $66 (save $20 when you buy the bundle)
- Transparent Gentle Exfoliating Daily Cleanser: $24
- Clean Lightweight Daily Face Moisturizer: $28
- Lightbulb Vitamin C Serum: $34
This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you decide to make a purchase. It's at no extra cost to you, and the commissions help keep this blog running. Thank you!
Would you try Ghost Democracy? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Ghost Democracy Vitamin C Reviews
Source: https://futureisblonde.com/beauty/ghost-democracy-30-day-review/
