Why Bilberry Extract Is in Our Vitamin C Serum

Bilberry extract is in our Vitamin C Collagen Boosting Face Serum with Niacinamide, where it adds antioxidant support and helps give the serum its fresh, soft feel. Bilberry, a small wild relative of the blueberry, is one of the richest plant sources of anthocyanins, the deep purple pigments that act as antioxidants. In the serum it works beside ethyl ascorbic acid, a stable form of vitamin C, and niacinamide, so the whole formula helps skin look brighter, more even and refreshed.

What bilberry extract is

Bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, is a low wild shrub of northern Europe's forests and heaths. It is also called European blueberry or whortleberry. Its berries are dark all the way through, unlike a cultivated blueberry, and that color comes from anthocyanins, a family of plant pigments. The berries also contain other flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamin C, carotenoids and tocopherols. Bilberry has been part of European herbal tradition since at least the 1600s.

The extract in our serum is light and water-soluble. On the label it reads Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract.

What it adds to the serum

Antioxidant support

Through the day, sunlight and city air put oxidative stress on skin. Antioxidants help counter it, and bilberry's anthocyanins are among the best-studied plant antioxidants. One analysis of wild bilberry extract identified 88 separate plant compounds, and laboratory tests show strong free-radical scavenging. Most of that research has been done in the lab rather than on people, so we think of bilberry as a supporting ingredient rather than the lead. It is there to round out the formula, not to carry it.

A fresh, soft feel

In the serum, bilberry sits in a blend of fruit and plant extracts with sugar cane, maple, orange and lemon. Together they give the serum its fresh, soft feel. Sugar cane extract also draws in water, which helps skin feel smooth.

Why bilberry pairs with vitamin C and niacinamide

We built the serum around two ideas. Ethyl ascorbic acid, a stabilized vitamin C, helps skin look brighter and more even. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, helps tone look balanced and texture look refined. Bilberry adds a second, plant-based source of antioxidants beside the vitamin C. Its anthocyanins are a different kind of molecule from vitamin C, so the two complement each other rather than repeat each other.

Around those three we added aloe and cucumber for cool, light hydration, and sodium hyaluronate to help skin hold moisture. The finished serum looks like water and feels like a cool drink for your skin: light, quick to absorb and never sticky. It leaves the face looking fresh, smooth and lit from within.

How to use the serum

1. Start with clean skin. Wash and pat dry. If you use a toner, such as our Rose Petal Mist Face Toner, mist it on first.
2. Press in three or four drops. Press them into face and neck rather than rubbing.
3. Wait a moment, then moisturize. Follow with a moisturizer or a face oil, such as The Royal Kalahari Face Serum.
4. In the morning, finish with sunscreen. Antioxidants work alongside sunscreen, never in its place.

You can use the serum in the morning, when its antioxidant support is most useful, or in the evening. Keep it away from retinol and benzoyl peroxide in the same routine. If you use a retinol at night, the morning is the natural home for this serum.

Which skin the serum suits

The serum suits normal, combination and sensitive skin. It is a good fit if your skin looks dull or uneven, or if you want a light morning step that sits comfortably under sunscreen and makeup. If your skin runs dry, follow it with a face oil or a richer moisturizer so the light layer has something to hold it in.

If you would like to try it alongside our other serums, The Complete Face Serum Collection puts all four of our face serums together, with the vitamin C serum as the morning step.

What we do and do not say about bilberry

You will see bilberry sold as an ingredient that fades dark spots, builds collagen or protects skin from the sun. The research behind those lines is mostly on cells in a dish, and we do not make those claims for it. What we can say plainly is that bilberry brings antioxidant anthocyanins and a soft, fresh feel to a serum whose main work is done by vitamin C and niacinamide. It is listed, with every other ingredient we use, in our Ingredient Library.

Questions about bilberry in our vitamin C serum

Which Marianella product contains bilberry extract?

Our Vitamin C Collagen Boosting Face Serum with Niacinamide. It is also part of The Complete Face Serum Collection, which includes that serum.

Can I use the vitamin C serum with retinol?

Not in the same routine. Use the vitamin C serum in the morning and keep retinol and benzoyl peroxide for a different time of day.

Is the serum suitable for sensitive skin?

Yes. It is made for normal, combination and sensitive skin. As with any new product, try it on a small patch first.

What should I put on after the serum?

A moisturizer or a face oil, then sunscreen in the morning. Give the serum a moment to sink in before the next layer.