SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Patent Expired, Dupes Might Not Come Proper Away

Does it sound loopy to spend $182 on a 30 mL bottle of face serum that famously smells like sizzling canine water?

Inform that to the diehard followers of SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic.

Regardless of its excessive worth level, the L’Oreal-owned model’s vitamin C serum has developed a cult following of devoted customers over the previous 20 years, thanks partially to a intently guarded, patent-protected formulation that the corporate says can defend pores and skin and enhance indicators of getting old.

Months forward of the patent’s expiration date in March, skincare addicts flooded Reddit with hopes of cheaper “dupes” — a comparable product at a extra reasonably priced worth level.

However the expiration date of that patent has come and gone, leaving many questioning: The place are the dupes?

Skincare business specialists who spoke to Enterprise Insider mentioned lookalike merchandise may very well be on the best way, however they do not anticipate the patent expiring to instantly lead to any main disruptions to the business, the vitamin C market, or the SkinCeuticals model itself.

A much bigger challenge, they are saying, is the impact of dupe tradition on skincare business innovation — the sort that led to the existence of C E Ferulic within the first place.

The patent issue

SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic is beloved by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and embraced by many skincare followers because the holy grail of vitamin C serums — generally slightly begrudgingly, as a result of excessive worth.

Niki DeMartinis, an ER physician who lives in New York, mentioned she has tried numerous vitamin C serums over time, however that she all the time comes again to C E Ferulic.

“I really feel like my pores and skin appears to be like and feels one of the best with it,” she instructed BI, including it makes her pores and skin look extra even and fewer boring. She mentioned it is the priciest skincare product she makes use of commonly, however she thinks it is price the fee.

C E Ferulic, which hit the market in 2005, is 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, or pure vitamin C, with vitamin E and ferulic acid. Dr. John Carroll Murray, a dermatologist at Duke College who authored a 2008 examine exhibiting the formulation supplied UV photoprotection for pores and skin, mentioned the rationale C E Ferulic was such a giant deal was the best way it was put collectively.

“It is easy to place vitamin C right into a product. It is fairly frequent, fairly low-cost, and fairly secure, nevertheless it needs to be correctly formulated so that it will be lively and efficient at eradicating reactive oxygen species,” he mentioned, referring to molecules that may harm pores and skin.

Lina Twaian, a skincare business knowledgeable and model guide, instructed BI that the flexibility to tout the patent has been a helpful advertising instrument for SkinCeuticals.

L’Oreal, the most important magnificence firm on this planet, clocked $47 billion in gross sales final 12 months, in response to its annual monetary report revealed in February. The report mentioned its dermatological magnificence division grew almost 10% in 2024 and that the SkinCeuticals model grew by double digits.

SkinCeuticals’ patent for C E Ferulic formally expired in March, the usual 20 years after it was issued. Since then, the corporate has eliminated a number of references to the patent from its product web page, in response to a evaluate of web archives. They’re now touting the beforehand “Patented Components with 15% Vitamin C” as a “Superior Components.”

When reached for touch upon the patent expiring, SkinCeuticals instructed BI the model is introducing a brand new, patent-pending “antioxidant safety and efficiency” formulation in 2026.

The model mentioned in an announcement that “SkinCeuticals stays the one model with unique experience within the exact formulation and manufacturing of C E Ferulic.”

Consultants are divided on whether or not extra dupes are on the best way

As dupe tradition exploded on social media over the previous 5 years, there’s been an excellent larger urge for food for cheaper options to C E Ferulic.

“It has been such a well-liked and efficacious product, it is fairly clear that manufacturers are going to attempt to duplicate that,” Kelly Dobos, a beauty chemist and professor on the College of Cincinnati, instructed BI of the patent’s expiration.

She and the opposite business specialists mentioned manufacturers have already launched their very own variations of vitamin C serums, together with some that seem much like SkinCeuticals’. That is as a result of even altering a product barely could make it secure from a possible patent infringement, in response to Larissa Jensen, a senior vp and international magnificence business advisor at Circana.

“In case you have one thing that is shut however not actual, it could possibly nonetheless be used available in the market, so I do not essentially know if the patent expiring goes to rapidly expose a floodgate of manufacturers with this formulation,” Jensen instructed BI.

Nonetheless, L’Oreal has fought to guard the formulation.

In 2018, L’Oreal sued Drunk Elephant, alleging the skincare model’s vitamin C serum had infringed on its patent. The case was settled out of court docket, and the phrases of the settlement weren’t made public.

Drunk Elephant, which is owned by the Japanese magnificence firm Shiseido, sells its C-Firma Recent Serum for $79, lower than half the worth of C E Ferulic. The product has 15% vitamin C, 1% vitamin E, and 0.5% ferulic — the identical portions promoted by SkinCeuticals. Nevertheless, not like C E Ferulic, the product is designed to be blended by the buyer earlier than use.

Shiseido instructed BI it doesn’t touch upon firm settlements or litigation as a matter of firm coverage.

Because the patent has expired, Dobos mentioned she expects manufacturers to attempt to replicate the formulation, now with out the chance of patent infringement. However she mentioned there is no assure that these firms will get it proper or that, even when they do, they will be capable to do it at a considerably lower cost level.

Not all dupes are created equal

Replicating C E Ferulic will not essentially be simple, Dobos mentioned. Partly, that is as a result of it is unlikely the patent instructed the complete story of how the serum is formulated and made.

There are additionally many different components that would affect the effectiveness of a product: the standard of components, the manufacturing course of, high quality management and assurance, and packaging, which must be suitable with and protecting of the formulation.

Producing efficient skincare can be very finicky, so each side issues, Dobos mentioned, including that with out medical trials on a particular product, it is unclear if it would have the identical impact as a product it seems much like.

Elf Cosmetics introduced a brand new vitamin C serum earlier this month that Dobos mentioned seemed to be positioned as a direct competitor to C E Ferulic, for 91% cheaper. The $16 Brilliant Icon Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Serum has an analogous trio of primary components, however at a fraction of the fee, and is being marketed as a substitute for “spendy serums.”

However Dobos mentioned it makes use of a unique model of vitamin C, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, which she mentioned was a “extra secure model, nevertheless it’s much less substantiated when it comes to effectiveness.” Different components that would affect the distinction in worth embrace the place it is made (Elf produces most of its merchandise in China), regulatory and labor prices, the price of components and packaging, and analysis and improvement, like medical research, Dobos mentioned.

Scientific research can be wanted on the Elf product to actually evaluate it to C E Ferulic, she mentioned.

Elf didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Taking the shine out of dupe tradition

A number of business specialists have mentioned that dupe tradition itself may really be hurting skincare innovation. Charlotte Palermino, the cofounder of Dieux Pores and skin, not too long ago wrote in a Substack publish that dupes have “diluted” the wonder business. She mentioned innovation is pricey to supply in addition to defend.

“However the tragedy of dupe tradition is not simply the heartbreak of ‘they copied my homework.’ It is the sluggish loss of life of innovation,” she wrote, including, “If you would like innovation, maybe take into account valuing it.”

Dobos mentioned dupe tradition incentivizes firms to concentrate on placing out merchandise which are according to the newest tendencies moderately than creating one thing really groundbreaking.

“I do assume the sort of dupe tradition that we’re in is hindering innovation in a manner as a result of it is taking time and assets away from it,” she mentioned. “True, disruptive innovation takes time.”