Senecio— 1 serum of your choice

Senecio Concentrated Serum — One of Three, 15 ml

Overview

Choose one 15 ml concentrate from three: vitamin C at 25%, ferulic acid, or niacinamide. They are not variations on the same idea — one is a strong antioxidant acid, one is a stabiliser best used alongside it, and one is the gentlest and best-evidenced of the group. Read the three descriptions below before deciding, and name your choice in the order comments. See also our Japanese serums.

Key Benefits

• ✓ Choice of three single-active concentrates: LA 25 (vitamin C 25%), FA (ferulic acid) or VB3 (niacinamide)
• ✓ 15 ml — the size a concentrated active is normally sold in, because two or three drops is a dose
• ✓ Vitamin C, ferulic acid and niacinamide are three of the better-documented cosmetic actives
• ✓ Fits into an existing routine between lotion and moisturiser
• ✓ Buying one lets you find out how your skin responds before committing to a pair
• ✓ Japanese product, shipped from Kobe with full tracking

Product Details

Brand	Senecio
Country of origin	Japan
Product type	Concentrated serum
Format	Liquid, dropper bottle
Volume / count	15 ml
Sales channel	Japanese drugstore line
Regulatory status	Cosmetic (not a quasi-drug)
JAN code	See package label

Who Is This For?

• Anyone adding their first active to a settled cleanser-and-moisturiser routine
• People who want to trial one ingredient properly rather than three at once
• Skin that tolerates acids well — for LA 25 specifically
• Reactive skin that should start with niacinamide rather than a 25% acid
• Not for use on inflamed, broken or sunburned skin — see Cautions

How to Use

1. Cleanse and let the skin dry completely — applying an acid serum to damp skin increases stinging
2. Put one drop on the fingertips for the first week; build to two or three
3. Spread over the face, avoiding the eye area and the corners of the nose
4. Wait a minute, then apply your usual moisturiser
5. Apply sunscreen in the morning, every day you use it

Frequency: Evening, starting every third day and building up

Full Ingredients

Senecio LA 25 — vitamin C at 25%

A high-concentration L-ascorbic acid serum. Vitamin C is one of the better-studied cosmetic antioxidants: it works against oxidative damage and, over months of consistent use, is associated with a more even-looking tone. Twenty-five per cent is at the strong end of what is formulated for home use, which is a reason to introduce it carefully rather than a reason to expect faster results.

Senecio FA — ferulic acid

Ferulic acid is a plant antioxidant whose best-documented cosmetic role is stabilising vitamin C and vitamin E in a formula, which is why the brand recommends using it alongside a vitamin C product. On its own it is an antioxidant step; its value here is largely as a partner to the LA 25.

Senecio VB3 — niacinamide

Niacinamide is the gentlest of the three and has the broadest evidence base of any of them for barrier support and for the look of redness, pores and uneven tone. If you are only trying one and your skin is easily upset, this is the sensible starting point.

How to choose: add a note in the order comments naming the serum or serums you want. If you order without a note we will write to you before dispatch rather than guess.

The manufacturer publishes each serum by its active — L-ascorbic acid at 25% in the LA 25, ferulic acid in the FA, niacinamide in the VB3 — in a base the brand calls PLT, a penetrating liquid carrier. A ranked INCI list is not released for the international market. Read the list printed on the bottle you receive; send us a photo and we will translate it for you.

Ingredient list as declared by the manufacturer. Formulations are occasionally revised, so always read the list printed on the package you receive.

Cautions

• Patch test on the inner forearm before first use, especially if your skin is reactive.
• Discontinue use and consult a doctor if redness, itching, swelling or persistent stinging occurs.
• Avoid contact with the eyes. If the product enters the eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water.
• Do not apply to broken, sunburned or actively inflamed skin.
• Keep out of reach of children. Store away from direct sunlight and high temperatures.
• Vitamin C is not sun protection. The previous description opened by saying this serum "protects skin from ultraviolet radiation" — it does not. Antioxidants reduce some of the free-radical damage that follows UV exposure, which is a real supporting benefit, but they neither block nor absorb ultraviolet light. Use a daily sunscreen, particularly while using a high-concentration acid serum.
• The source treated the stinging as expected and moved on. It is expected, and it is also the point at which most people go too fast. Start with one drop every third evening for a week, then every other evening, then daily if your skin stays comfortable. Stinging that lasts more than a couple of minutes, or any lasting redness, means step back rather than push through.
• Do not use a high-concentration vitamin C serum in the same evening as a retinoid or an exfoliating acid. Alternate evenings instead. Stacking strong actives is how most people end up with a damaged barrier and conclude that one of the products was faulty.
• Watch the colour. L-ascorbic acid oxidises with exposure to air and light: a serum that has gone yellow-brown has lost potency, and one that has gone dark orange should be replaced. Keep the bottle closed, away from light, and finish it within a few months of opening.
• Exfoliating acids can make skin more sensitive to sunlight — use a daily sunscreen while you are using this product.
• The brand describes its PLT base as letting the serum "act on the skin from within". Skincare acts on the outer layers of the skin; that is the whole regulatory definition of a cosmetic, and it is not a limitation worth disguising. What a well-made carrier genuinely does is spread an active evenly and keep it stable, which matters more than the metaphor.

Package Contents

One Senecio concentrated serum of your choice, 15 ml.

Shipping & Store Notes

• Ships directly from Japan
• Processing time: 2–6 business days
• Tracking number provided after dispatch
• Import duties and taxes may apply depending on destination country
• Opened cosmetics cannot be returned for hygiene and safety reasons

Authenticity Guarantee

Every product at Tsujimoto Market is sourced directly from Japan and verified for authenticity. We never sell fakes or grey-market goods. Each order is carefully packed in Kobe, Japan and dispatched with full tracking.

FAQ

Which of the three should I choose?

If your skin is easily irritated or you have never used an active before, VB3 (niacinamide). If you want the strongest antioxidant step and your skin tolerates acids, LA 25. FA (ferulic acid) makes most sense as a companion to LA 25 rather than on its own, which is also what the brand suggests. If you are ordering the two-serum set and are undecided, LA 25 plus VB3 covers the widest ground — use them at different times of day.

Is 25% vitamin C better than 10 or 15%?

Not automatically. Above roughly 20% the published work stops showing added benefit and irritation keeps climbing, so a higher number buys you a stronger sting more reliably than a better result. What matters far more is whether you use it consistently for months and whether the formula is still fresh. If your skin does not settle on the 25%, that is not a failure — it is the concentration being wrong for you.

Can I use the vitamin C and the niacinamide together?

Yes. The idea that they cancel each other out comes from an old study on raw ingredients at high heat, not on finished products at skin temperature. In practice they are used together all the time. If your skin is sensitive, use one in the morning and one at night so that any reaction is traceable.

Is this product halal or suitable for vegans?

The declared ingredient list is plant- and mineral-derived, with no animal ingredients, so it fits a vegan routine. It carries no halal certification, however — Japanese domestic cosmetics are rarely certified — so if certification itself matters to you, this product does not have it.

Will I pay customs duty or import VAT?

That depends on your country and on the declared value of the parcel, not on us. We ship from Japan with a correct customs declaration and full tracking; any duty or import VAT your country charges is collected by your local carrier or customs office on delivery. Check your national de-minimis threshold before ordering if you want to avoid a surprise.