TAKAMI Just Rebuilt Its Bestselling Vitamin C Serum. Here's What Changed

Some skincare renewals are little more than a packaging update.

TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium is not one of them.

The Japanese skincare brand is replacing its long-running TAKAMI Essence 5C+E with an extensively reformulated vitamin C serum launching nationwide in Japan on September 2, 2026.

That's significant because the previous serum wasn't a product TAKAMI needed to rescue.

Including previous renewals, the line has already sold more than 600,000 bottles in Japan since 2013.

Instead of making the formula simply “stronger,” TAKAMI has reconsidered how vitamin C is selected, stabilised, delivered and released across the skin.

The result is TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium, a new functional serum built around five forms of vitamin C alongside glutathione, niacinamide and a new ingredient targeting one of the less familiar causes TAKAMI associates with adult-looking pores and dullness: carbonylation.

And behind the attention-grabbing claim of “1.5 quadrillion particles in one drop,” there's actually a more interesting formulation story.

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First: This Isn't a Sixth Vitamin C Serum

The name can make the change slightly confusing.

The existing product is:

TAKAMI Essence 5C+E

The new product is:

TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium

But Premium isn't simply an additional luxury version sitting above the existing serum.

TAKAMI has confirmed that the existing Essence 5C+E is being discontinued as customers transition to the new formula.

In other words, this is effectively the next generation of TAKAMI's vitamin C serum.

And the reformulation changes much more than the name.

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TAKAMI 5C+E vs 5CE Premium: What Actually Changed?

The easiest way to understand the renewal is to look at the formulation strategy rather than individual marketing claims.

The real upgrade therefore isn't simply “more vitamin C.”

TAKAMI has changed how different forms of vitamin C work together.

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Why Five Types of Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is unusually complicated as a cosmetic ingredient.

Pure ascorbic acid is well known, but formulators also use numerous vitamin C derivatives because they differ in characteristics such as stability, solubility and how they behave inside a cosmetic formula.

TAKAMI's new “Golden Vitamin Formula” combines pure vitamin C with four derivatives:

Ascorbic Acid
Pure vitamin C.

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Ascorbyl Glucoside

The formulation then combines these with gold, glutathione and niacinamide, alongside other supporting ingredients.

The idea isn't that five automatically means better than one.

TAKAMI says it deliberately selected vitamin C ingredients with different properties and blended them in what it describes as its own “golden ratio.”

That distinction matters because the brand says it deliberately avoided pursuing the highest possible concentration of one ingredient.

Instead, TAKAMI's development philosophy focused on formula balance: how efficiently useful ingredients can be delivered while keeping the serum comfortable enough for everyday use.

That's a more interesting formulation philosophy than simply competing over vitamin C percentages.

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What Is the “Golden Vitamin” in TAKAMI 5CE Premium?

This is where the gold-coloured visual identity of the new serum comes from.

TAKAMI combines pure vitamin C with gold, alongside glutathione and four vitamin C derivatives in the overall Golden Vitamin Formula.

The “gold” language is therefore not merely a reference to the bottle design.

Actual gold appears in the ingredient list.

The complete formula also includes familiar skincare ingredients such as niacinamide, glutathione, sodium hyaluronate and vitamin E-related ingredients, alongside the five vitamin C forms.

But the formulation becomes more unusual when we get to delivery.

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About That “1.5 Quadrillion in One Drop” Claim

This is easily the headline most people will remember.

TAKAMI says:

one drop contains approximately 1.5 quadrillion vitamin-C-containing nano particles.

That number needs context.

It does not mean one drop contains 1.5 quadrillion individual vitamin C molecules.

The company's footnote specifies that the number refers to nano particles containing tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, one of the vitamin C derivatives used in the formula.

The more useful fact is their size.

According to TAKAMI, the particles have been reduced to approximately:

1/15,000 the size of a pore.

The brand calls this its Ultra-Nano Particle Delivery System, designed to disperse the vitamin-C-containing particles extremely finely and deliver them efficiently across the target area.

So don't get too distracted by the enormous number.

From a formulation perspective, particle size and delivery design are the more meaningful part of the story.

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The Five Vitamin Cs Aren't Supposed to Arrive at the Same Time

There's another change that's arguably more interesting than the particle count.

TAKAMI has designed the five vitamin C ingredients around a five-stage time-release approach.

According to the brand, the different forms have different characteristics, allowing some to begin working within the skincare system earlier while others remain available over a longer period.

Think of the formulation less like:

Vitamin C × 5 = more vitamin C

and more like:

five different vitamin C formats assigned different roles within one serum.

That helps explain why TAKAMI is putting so much emphasis on formulation balance rather than simply advertising a single concentration percentage.

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Then There's Glutathione

The presence of glutathione makes the reformulation particularly timely.

Glutathione has become one of the most visible ingredients in Japanese skincare over the past few years, especially in formulas positioned around brightness and clear-looking skin.

In Essence 5CE Premium, however, it isn't presented as a standalone hero ingredient.

TAKAMI incorporates glutathione directly into its broader Golden Vitamin Formula alongside pure vitamin C, gold, the four vitamin C derivatives and niacinamide.

That's important because this isn't really a:

“Vitamin C + Glutathione serum.”

It's a multi-component formulation in which the ingredients are designed to support a broader strategy around pores, dull-looking skin and radiance.

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The Most Interesting New Target May Be Something You've Never Heard Of: Carbonylation

Most pore serums talk about:

sebum,

clogging,

dead skin,

or loss of firmness.

TAKAMI is adding another word to the conversation:

carbonylation.

The brand describes carbonylation as a process in which oxidised sebum interacts with proteins around the pore area.

TAKAMI is particularly interested in this phenomenon as one factor associated with the appearance of adult pores and yellow-toned dullness.

To address that aspect of the formula, 5CE Premium introduces an ingredient TAKAMI calls:

Endophethol.

The ingredient is dandelion rhizome/root extract (Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract), used as a skin-conditioning ingredient.

This gives the new serum a slightly different angle from the usual vitamin C narrative.

TAKAMI isn't treating every visible pore as the same problem.

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“Adult Pores” Are the Real Target

The Japanese phrase TAKAMI repeatedly uses for the launch is:

大人毛穴 — otona keana, or “adult pores.”

This isn't a medical category.

It's a useful cosmetic distinction.

Teenage and young-adult pore concerns are often discussed primarily in relation to excess sebum and congestion.

As skin changes with age, visible pores can become intertwined with other concerns:

dryness, uneven texture, reduced firmness, dullness and uneven light reflection.

That explains why 5CE Premium isn't simply positioned as an oil-control or pore-clearing serum.

TAKAMI wants the same formula to address the overall impression of:

pores + dullness + firmness + glow.

That makes the new serum considerably more relevant to adult skin than a conventional “pore serum” label might suggest.

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This Also Explains Why TAKAMI Skin Peel Matters

There's a useful connection here with TAKAMI's most famous product.

TAKAMI Skin Peel and TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium don't perform the same job.

And they aren't substitutes.

TAKAMI Skin Peel is built around the brand's approach to stratum-corneum care, while 5CE Premium introduces targeted vitamin care afterwards.

TAKAMI itself recommends using the two together and frames the pairing as:

角質ケア × ビタミンケア

or:

stratum corneum care × vitamin care.

That distinction is useful if you're unfamiliar with the brand.

TAKAMI Skin Peel

Think:

prepare and condition the skin's stratum corneum.

TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium

Think:

follow with targeted care for the appearance of pores, dullness and radiance.

It's a sequence rather than an either/or choice.

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The New Serum Is More “TAKAMI” Than the Ingredient List Suggests

At first glance, 5CE Premium looks like TAKAMI following several current skincare trends.

Vitamin C.

Glutathione.

Niacinamide.

Nano delivery.

But look more closely and the development philosophy is actually quite consistent with the brand.

TAKAMI originated from a cosmetic dermatology background and has long emphasised daily skin condition rather than aggressive, occasional intervention.

The @cosme feature on the launch makes an important point: TAKAMI says it didn't simply try to maximise the concentration of one active ingredient. Instead, it prioritised the balance of the complete formulation and everyday usability.

That explains several decisions at once:

five forms instead of one,

time-release instead of one delivery profile,

nano dispersion,

and multiple supporting skincare ingredients rather than a single hero active.

The formula is complicated.

The intended routine isn't.

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What Japanese Beauty Editors Are Noticing

The Japanese launch campaign has already begun ahead of the September nationwide release.

In a TAKAMI feature connected with MAQUIA, beauty journalist Mayumi Kurata describes the formula as something that challenges familiar assumptions about vitamin C serums—particularly the idea that they must feel sticky or require prolonged use before users appreciate them. She highlights the combination with TAKAMI Skin Peel for those concerned about pores and skin tone.

Meanwhile, @cosme has focused heavily on the formulation strategy: the five-vitamin-C blend, ultra-nano delivery system and the brand's decision to pursue balance rather than simply higher concentration.

There is also already considerable pre-launch interest on @cosme. Its shopping listing shows more than 200 early reviews/ratings for the new serum before general sales begin on September 2.

It's still too early, however, to treat those first reactions as a settled long-term consumer consensus.

The more meaningful test will come after the nationwide launch.

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TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium at a Glance

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium?

TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium is TAKAMI's newly reformulated vitamin C serum launching nationwide in Japan on September 2, 2026. It replaces the previous TAKAMI Essence 5C+E and combines pure vitamin C, four vitamin C derivatives, glutathione, niacinamide, gold and additional skin-conditioning ingredients.

Is TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium replacing 5C+E?

Yes. TAKAMI has confirmed that the existing Essence 5C+E will be discontinued as the new 5CE Premium replaces it.

How many types of vitamin C are in TAKAMI 5CE Premium?

Five: ascorbic acid plus four derivatives—3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl glucoside.

Does TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium contain glutathione?

Yes. Glutathione is included alongside vitamin C, gold and niacinamide as part of the serum's broader formulation.

What does “1.5 quadrillion vitamin C particles” mean?

TAKAMI's figure refers specifically to the estimated number of nano particles containing tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate in one drop. It does not mean 1.5 quadrillion vitamin C molecules.

Is TAKAMI 5CE Premium for pores?

The serum is specifically positioned around the appearance of adult pores and dullness associated with dryness and disturbed skin texture. TAKAMI also focuses on carbonylation as one factor associated with these visible concerns.

Can I use TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium with TAKAMI Skin Peel?

Yes. TAKAMI actively recommends the pairing, positioning Skin Peel as stratum-corneum care followed by the targeted vitamin care of Essence 5CE Premium.

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The Biggest Upgrade Isn't “More Vitamin C”

There's an obvious way to market TAKAMI Essence 5CE Premium:

1.5 quadrillion particles in one drop.

It's a spectacular number.

But it's probably not the most useful way to understand the new serum.

TAKAMI has taken a product line that has already sold more than 600,000 bottles and rebuilt it around a more sophisticated question:

How should vitamin C be delivered rather than simply how much vitamin C can be added?

Its answer is five forms of vitamin C with different characteristics, a five-stage approach, ultra-fine delivery, and a supporting formula containing glutathione, niacinamide and gold.

Then it broadens the target beyond generic “brightening” by looking at the combination of pores, dryness, uneven texture, dullness and loss of radiance that TAKAMI groups under the idea of adult pores.

That's why 5CE Premium feels less like a stronger version of 5C+E and more like TAKAMI redefining what its vitamin C serum is supposed to do.

For existing 5C+E users, the September launch therefore isn't simply another TAKAMI serum to consider.

It's the next generation of the one they already know.