Meet Secret Agent 6: A Smarter Vitamin C for Real Results

I know what it feels like to pile on makeup just to feel normal, to avoid mirrors, to cancel plans because your skin's acting up. But skincare isn't just about products and peels, it's about how you feel in your skin.

In today's episode, we're talking about the emotional weight of skin struggles, why so many of us hide behind foundation and filters, and what it really looks like to start healing from the inside out.

Because yes, peels help, regimens help, but the most significant transformation? That's when you finally feel confident being seen.

Alright, we have something new that we are prepared to launch here. So let's talk about our brand new Vitamin C product.

Yes! So we have a Secret Agent VI.

I love that.

We came out with this cute little name because, you know, she's a secret agent. She's protecting you, she's watching you wherever you go, making sure you're safe when you're out there in the elements.

That's right.

And she was named Secret Agent VI because we had 6 antioxidants in there, you know? Actually, there's more because after we named it, 2 more were added. But that's okay.

I still like Secret Agent VI better than Secret Agent 8 because that one, I don't know.

It didn't have a nice ring to it as much as…

You see, we've got 007. You know, we're just going to keep this at Secret Agent VI.

Well, that's true Platinum way anyway. We always try to have the most action-packed ingredients, so adding a little bit more is just typical.

Exactly. And now, you know, so what's an antioxidant, right? Now we've talked about antioxidants in the past, and to make it as easy as I can, let's just think of the fact that we have a cell. Let's make it so simple. And there are little pairs of electrons in here.

Okay.

And when the sun hits your skin or, you know, pollution, a whole bunch of different things, just being alive creates problems with our cells. But what happens is, let's say one of these electrons comes off and it's floating around, and now it's called a free radical.

Like it's a huge problem, it's going to damage another set of cells and make those uneven, and this one's uneven. And all these things start cascading, and you have like damaged cells that are replicating.

So that's how we end up with things like marks and bumps and skin cancer, all kinds of weird things, right? So the goal is to fix those before they get out of control. So, what an antioxidant does is that you apply it to your skin every day, preferably in the morning, because that's when you're going out and hitting all these elements, right?

So when you put that on your skin, it finds this free radical and donates a part of itself to calm it and restore balance. Now that the cell is normal and can keep replicating, we don't have any problems.

It's imperative that we have antioxidants, including vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C. There are tons of antioxidants. So what we did was we picked six, now eight great ones.

Let's talk a little bit. I'm just going to list them off here.

Let's talk about what makes this so great.

Yeah, because like we had an excellent vitamin C product before we had our High Octane C. And what was in there was three versions of vitamin C. So we had THDA, which is an oil-soluble version.

We had AAP, which is water-soluble, and then we had L-ascorbic, which is also water-soluble. And it's that L-ascorbic that always causes trouble.

So L-ascorbic is quick to turn. It's very stingy. It's like an acid form. So it can be really irritating for your skin.

So when we redid this, we got rid of the L-ascorbic. So this will no longer have any kind of stinging or anything like that.

So the irritation factor…

Is zero.

Oh, amazing.

Zero. So, that also saves us from worrying about, “Well, I can't put an acid on like after a chemical peel or something.”

Like this is gentle enough where, let's say, if you did a chemical peel and you wanted to apply it like that first, after you rinse your peel, it's like that magical time where you can put things on.

Yes, where your skin's nice.

You could put this on. This is not going to harm your skin. It's not going to feel irritated in any way. It offers excellent healing benefits for your skin.

So this no longer has any irritation. You could put this on anybody. It doesn't matter how sensitive their skin is. They're not going to run into issues.

So what is in here is predominantly the THDA.

Okay.

Let's see if I can pronounce it. Tetra-heckel-deckel-ascorbate-phosphate.

No, no, no. That's not it. Tetra. I want to say it. Tetra-hexyl-decyl-ascorbate. That's it. I always want to add in like a phosphate. Okay. So that's what it is. That's the oil-soluble. That's the bulk of this formulation.

So oil-soluble versions like penetrate your cells really, really well. Very easy. It's like such an excellent form. That's why we had it in our previous one, but that's going to make up the bulk of this one. And then of course, we have the AAP in here again.

And then we have added in a newer form, which is from Lucas Meyer, whom we use a lot of their actives, and it is called Superox-C. And what that is, is it comes from the Kakadu Plum, hope I'm not mispronouncing that. But that has been found to be one of the most potent forms of vitamin C out there. So there are different ways you can get vitamin C. That is like one of the most potent forms of that.

So that is in here, and I'm super excited about that one. So, you know, we just think of the plum and that's what it says, you know, right in the front. That's one of the main ingredients listed here.

And so this is going to have all three of those forms of vitamin C. And then of course there are more. So besides those, we have Ferulic Acid, which many people are very interested in.

Ferulic is also an antioxidant, but it has the benefit of making your vitamin C last longer. So you know, every active person can lose benefits over time, and vitamin C is one that loses it more quickly.

It has a quicker shelf life.

Yeah. So by adding Ferulic Acid to the vitamin C, I think it's doubling the timeframe that you can use this.

Now, this formula is good for at least two years. Like, there's no issue. And it's not just from the Ferulic Acid, it's just the stability of the ingredients themselves.

So this is good on your shelf for a minimum of two years.

Well, that's right there as one improvement.

Yeah.

Because you know…

The previous formulation was only suitable for one.

L-ascorbic acid is one year.

Yeah.

Yeah. And even that was long.

Yeah.

Because most versions of L-ascorbic that are water-based, I mean, you're looking at maybe six months, and then they start to turn. So what else do we have in here?

Green tea, of course. That's one of, always one of the best antioxidants. We have Resveratrol, which we also have in a couple of other products. It's in our Fade Bright. That is another antioxidant. Super good for your skin.

Does it have lightning properties?

Brightening. Yeah.

That means we have it in our Fade Bright.

Right.

Yeah. It's known to brighten and even the skin tone. And then the surprise ones that were snuck in at the end are Ubiquinone, which is similar to COQ10, which is another potent antioxidant. And then of course, vitamin E, which is just a natural antioxidant.

So those are all in there. So instead of just being vitamin C focused, now we've rounded this out. We have a whole plethora of antioxidants in there.

So this is going to work wonderful for your morning skincare needs. And I think absolutely anybody can use this. Doesn't matter your skin tone.

Good for all skin types? That was my next question.

Yeah. It doesn't matter if you are sensitive or have rosacea.

Oh.

Oh. That's going to be my next question.

That's the thing. For rosacea, vitamin C is very beneficial because it helps to calm the redness.

We've always talked about this, but yeah, so this would be even less irritating than the L-Ascorbic, of course. So calming, suitable for all skin types. Doesn't matter how sensitive you are.

Doesn't matter if you have acne or anything like that; it's suitable for everyone.

So, best to use this in your morning regimen for sure.

Yeah, generally. Some people will like to put it on at night, and that's okay because their big concern with this faction of thought is that, “Well, if I'm putting it on during the day, the sunlight's going to be like damaging it.”

Yeah, a little bit, but that's where your skin is being protected the most. So, you know, you put it on before you're headed outside. Now it's probably on your skin a half an hour or, hour. It's in there. It's deep. It's penetrating. It's working now.

So when you go outside and things start hitting your face and start trying to damage themselves, it's there and it's ready to work.

No, I don't have any problem with somebody putting this on at night if that's the way it has to work into your regimen for whatever reason. That's okay.

The one thing you would want to avoid using is copper peptides, correct?

Generally speaking, yeah. And that's just something that Dr. Pickart had always thought that something in them, and he never said which one kind of causes the problem. It's unclear whether vitamin C or copper is causing the problem, but it inactivated them slightly.

So he always suggested putting them on at least eight hours apart. So one in the morning, one at night. I find it's easiest to think of vitamin C, yellow, sunshine, and apply it during the day.

Copper is blue, nighttime. Put that on at nighttime. And I think that works best for most people.

Yeah. I wouldn't put them on together.

What if I get the question, can I use it morning and night?

I'll be honest. I love this product so much. I've done that many nights. I just love how it feels. It's so soft, moisturizing, and wonderful.

I'll put a squirt on at night, not every night, but every day, no matter what, I don't miss this stuff. But at night, I've put it on at night too. It's not going to harm anything.

So you say it feels nice and moisturizing on the skin. So if you have oily skin, would you still apply a moisturizer over top? Or could this potentially, for somebody with a combination of oily skin, substitute?

Well, that's me, right? That's me. That's my skin. I'm acne-prone and oily, so this is a creamy serum. It's not a cream. Cause you see, like it comes out, it's white, but that's cause it's an emulsion. It has to be that way.

But, really it's going to smooth on here, just like a serum. And it's just, you can feel the moisturizing properties in it.

I don't generally add any extra creams. That's my skin type. I think if you are really dry, of course, you know, if you're normal and you're using, let's say GABA or Derma Snap or something, then you would put that on for sure.

If you're going to put your serums on, let's just talk about the order of operation here. You always want to put your serums first.

Now, this is technically a serum, even though it looks white. It's a creamy serum, and it liquefies like instantly. So the only thing that you would put on prior to that, maybe like a clear serum, like an acid base or an alcohol serum, maybe like serum 15, serum 30, that will go on first, right?

Got it.

Then the next option is Fade Bright, which also contains some acids. It also has a little bit of alcohol, so we like to put that one on first. After that, then any other serums can go on, whether they're clear or creamy, it doesn't matter. Put those all on.

And then if you're someone who has drier skin, of course, put your moisturizer on. If you are really dry, obviously oils would go next. And then your SPF.

And I do want to stress, like, there's no need to wait in between these layers, right? You know, apply, apply, apply, apply, apply, apply. Everything goes on beautifully that way.

I feel like if you wait too long, that's when people have problems by the time they get to their SPF, and they've weighed in, they're like, “It doesn't go on nice.”

I'm like, “Oh gosh, mine always goes on wonderful.” But I put it on while my skin is still. I can still feel the creamy layer before it, and then I put it on. Everything just blends and goes really far, and it looks great. This is so moisturizing.

If a customer wanted to mix, say, their potions with that, like Dr. Platinum potions, Regenerate.

Mix it into this bottle?

You know, like how we always do a little…

Mix them in your hand.

Yeah, mix them in your hand, like if you do a pump of Regenerate, a pump of Secret Agent, a pump of your Dr. Platinum potions. So there are no contraindications to doing that.

So basically, it's a universal product that should be in everyone's regimen.

It should be in everyone's regimen. There are a couple of key things that you need, and I know we talk about that all the time.

You need exfoliation, right? So you need to use something like an acid cleanser every single day. You need an antioxidant. You also need, which we'll have very soon, a DNA repair enzyme. That'll be next.

I can't wait for that one.

That'll be next. I apply that every day with this one. Then, of course, a moisturizer if your skin is drier, and you need SPF.

And at night, you need a retinoid. If you're using all these, your skin will be beautiful and healthy, and you'll prevent damage.

This is about prevention. Antioxidants are for prevention. DNA repair enzymes are prevention.

Now, yes, these can also help other things, though. I do want to mention, like, vitamin C is well-known and well-studied for stimulating collagen in the skin. So, yeah, this is super anti-aging while it's preventing damage.

What about acne-prone skin?

It's fine. It's fine. Nothing that we make is comedogenic. That doesn't mean that somebody can't have a problem with a specific ingredient.

Anybody can have a problem with a specific ingredient, but nothing we make is particularly high in the comedogenicity rating. Or sometimes, maybe there is one ingredient in there, but it's in, like, a very low percentage.

It's there for a particular reason. It might make two or three ingredients meld together. It has to be there. That doesn't mean it's going to cause acne.

It's just you wouldn't want a product that had several of those things in there. Generally speaking, you know, if you need to control your acne, this is a perfect part of that regimen.

Okay, good.

But, you know, just make sure that you're using the products geared for your skin type, like the AB Cleanser. I would put vitamin B on with that. That's me, right?

I'm acne-prone. So, I do, I wash my face. I usually do my Regenerate, and I do a pump of this, and I do a pump of the DNA, and a little bit of vitamin B, and I mix that, and I put that on my face.

And then I grab my SPF, and I put that on, because I really don't. I have oily skin, so I don't need more than that.

But yeah, that's perfect. It does. I've had no issues with my acne. And I've been using this for months now.

That's amazing.

Gosh, it's so moisturizing.

Good for all skin types.

Still. Everyone.

Good for everyone, pretty much. When should you start using an antioxidant, age-wise?

Same with anything. If you're old enough to even think about it, maybe I should be taking care of my skin, so go ahead and start using it.

I would say usually somewhere in your teenage years. Other than that, I think sunblock is the thing that your parents should be putting on your skin if you're playing outside all day, things like that.

When you get older, you might start getting pimples. Puberty's starting, and that's when you have to start looking at skin care.

And what we're saying is, this is protecting you and fixing the damages that are occurring every single day. Those damages are happening whether you're fixing them or not.

So you might as well start with a good regimen, as much as you can keep your teen using, that's where it comes into play. You have to use what you can get them to put on their skin.

Exactly. Let's talk about a few differences between our previous product, High Octane Vitamin C, which was a 2-ounce product, and this one is now a 1-ounce product. And it's still in an airless bottle, so that's great.

That's good for protecting it, so no air gets in here. And people kind of panic sometimes. I'm going to open this for a sec. If I can, my hands are all extremely moisturized, but this opens up, and then you have your product in here.

This is an airless container; there is no dip straw in here. This works by pushing. There's a base in here, and it pushes the product all the way up to the top. When it gets every last drop out, if you were to take this off, there would be nothing left.

So that's a great way to protect your product, because no air ever reaches it, and to use every last drop, like these bottles are exceptional.

If you're using like pumps, sometimes it's hard, especially with a cream, to get it out of there. You're like, you know, get it, oh, you know, oh my God, I opened it. You have to do all, you know, hitting it, and smacking it around, to do all that kind of stuff.

Yeah, vitamin C has come a long way. I remember back in the day, many formulations had to be refrigerated. We actually had one.

Our first one did.

Yeah, it had to be refrigerated, and now the next one was a waterless formula, but this is really universal.

And then this was created to obviously fix A, the stinging of the first one, and B, because one of those ingredients ended up being difficult for me to obtain, I was actually going to have two antioxidants.

I was going to keep the High Octane Vitamin C for those who really loved it. Then, I planned to make a secondary version. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the main ingredient for the High Octane, so that one had to go away.

So now we have just one superior version, and I am thrilled to show you that she's going to take care of you.

She is going to protect your skin and your cells. She's going to correct anything, look out for anything that's potentially going to go wrong or astray, and fix that for you.

And you don't even know it. You're just going about your everyday.

No, it feels good. It feels like, you know, there's no stinging, like, you know, beauty doesn't have to be painful.

This is a much superior formula to everything you're saying. No irritation factor, no need to mix it with another product. You can apply it with acids. I mean, I think it's a win-win.

And it's still just as concentrated. It's still the same percentage as our previous one was. It's over 20%, which is a lot.

And that is the maximum amount your skin can absorb anyway, correct?

Yeah.

Close to it, is it, like, 20-something?

No, I think it's, like, 10 or something.

Okay.

But, you know, just sometimes, you just can't trust those 100%. You know, you don't know. Everybody's skin is different. We don't know exactly what the maximum absorption of vitamin C is in you.

And maybe it's different for the different types of vitamin C. This one might absorb a certain percentage. This one absorbs a certain percentage. You know.

So, we've got you covered, no matter what. No matter what. It's going to penetrate your skin very well and do its job.

How exciting. Good, good, good. I know everybody is anxiously awaiting. I'm so happy that we're able to launch this great product.

Me too.

And I'm absolutely loving the name. The whole…

We had fun coming up with that name.

Oh, gosh.

This took a couple of days.

And it's so, she's so cute on top of the…

I think it's Darling in little footprints because she's, like, walking around following you…

Yes.

In your cells. And I love her little bow tie. It's just the cutest. Her little fedora.

Perfect.

I love it.

Well, we have a fancy little secret agent protecting us.

Yes.

I can't wait to share it with everybody.

I can't either.

They're going to love it.

Enjoy.

Enjoy it.