Recommended Vitamin C Serum Pairings
As a versatile ingredient, vitamin C pairs nicely with most skincare actives. For instance, if you want a solid antioxidant defense, pair vitamin C with vitamin E and ferulic acid. It’s been proven that these two vitamins stimulate each other’s antioxidant power, and ferulic acid is an antioxidant booster that doubles the ability to fight free radicals of vitamins C and E. This triple threat will help you keep premature aging signs at bay.
Other winning duos? Keep scrolling:
How To Store Vitamin C
Vitamin C products are typically sold in dark and opaque bottles or containers that you can close pretty tightly because itâs sensitive to light and air.
When exposed, it oxidizes, changes colour from colourless to yellow or light brown, and becomes less effective.
So make sure to store your vitamin C products properly. I keep my vitamin C serums in the deepest recesses of my drawer and I make sure to close the bottle tightly after every use.
Is Vitamin C Serum Good For Acne
Yes, it is. Vitamin C serum can help speed up the healing process of acne and reduce the visibility of acne scars.
To use it, wash your face with a gentle cleanser, then follow up with a toner to balance your skins pH levels. Rub a few drops of the serum into your skin, then follow up with a moisturizer and a broad-spectrum sunscreen .
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Should You Use Vitamin C Serum In The Morning
Use your vitamin C serum in the morning as this is when you stand to gain the most benefit from using it. Use your vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine before heading out into the suns ultraviolet radiation.
The serum will work with your sunscreen to help protect your skin from sunburn and other environmental damage. Vitamin C is known to be the best antioxidant to exist in the skincare world.
Using the liquid formula on your skin will protect it from harmful environmental elements like sun, pollution, dust, and so on. Those are factors that can make the skin look dull and dry.
After applying your vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine, be sure to follow up with sunscreen to ensure maximum protection against the suns UV rays.
Another reason to use vitamin C serum in the morning is the glow it gives your skin when applied. Would you rather get your glow on at the night rather than morning? I bet not.
Note: Vitamin C is sensitive to sunlight and may get oxidized when exposed. Therefore, ensure that your skin has absorbed the product completely before going out.
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Our Best Overall Pick Is Drunk Elephant C
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When it comes to over-the-counter topicals, theres often a limit to just how much of a difference you can see from products without a prescription. Serums containing vitamin C are the exception, according to board-certified dermatologist, Diane Madfes, MD. They work to stimulate collagen, lighten dark spots, and protect against sun damage, Madfes tells Byrdie. Theyre also great for fine lines, melasma, and rosacea. Vitamin C in serum form is so effective because it attacks free radicals that can damage skin DNA.
Our best overall pick is Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Vitamin C Day Serum, which contains ferulic acid and vitamin E to boost vitamin Cs efficacy and stability, and glides on without a sticky finish. For a more affordable pick, consider CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum, a drugstore favorite that contains l-ascorbic acid, the purest form of vitamin C, plus ceramides and hyaluronic acid to create a silky skin-feel.
Ahead, find the best vitamin C serums to brighten your complexion.
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When Is The Best Time To Take Vitamins
The best time to take many vitamins and minerals may be in the morning, with a meal. However, there are a few supplements that may help you sleep better when taken shortly before bedtime.
Therefore, the best time for you to take your vitamins will depend on exactly which vitamins you’re taking, and on the health effects you hope to gain from taking them.
Reduces The Risk Of Cardiovascular Illness
Vitamin C is known for preventing or treating colds, boosting your immune system, supporting eye health, building stronger cranial bones in children and more.
But you may be surprised to learn that new research has also revealed links between Vitamin C intake and heart disease risk.
A study in the United States revealed that those who consumed at least 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily had an additional 6% lower risk of cardiovascular diseases including heart attack, stroke or death from them when compared with people consuming less than 250 milligrams daily.
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What Percentage Vitamin C Serum Should I Use
If you want to find an effective vitamin C serum, you’d better look for a product that has a concentration between 8 and 20 percent. The higher the concentration, the more potency has, and for serums with concentration below 8 percent are known to be less effective.
If you have dry, sensitive, and easily irritated skin, you may find that higher concentrations can be irritating, so we recommend starting with a low concentration of 8-10 percent and increasing to 15 percent depending on tolerance.
On the other hand, if you have oily and normal skin types, you may be able to do without a higher concentration of L-ascorbic acid, which is considered to be the most effective vitamin C for skin.
Vitamin C Is More Than Just An Essential Part Of Your Daily Multivitamin
When used at the right time, vitamin C can also be a powerful multitasker for your skin, tackling many of the most common complaints dark spots, premature signs of aging and uneven, dull skin tone. Knowing when to use Vitamin C serum is vital to allowing the ingredient to be most effective, resulting in significant, noticeable changes to your skins appearance.
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How Long Does It Take To See Results From Using Vitamin C
4-6 weeks. It can take up to six weeks of regular use before you start to see any results from using vitamin C on your skin.
The time it takes will also depend on the concentration of vitamin C in your product, and how often you apply it. If your vitamin C product is poorly formulated, you might not see any benefits.
What Does A Vitamin C Serum Do For Your Face
Vitamin C can improve your skins overall condition, helping with anti-ageing, brightening, plumping and pigmentation. During the course of a day, skin is exposed to a number of pollutants smoke, UV radiation, general radiation and blue light. These exposures generate free radicals which are unpaired electrons that wreak havoc on cells, they cause cellular damage and give rise to premature ageing, pigmentation and poor skin health. Vitamin C, an antioxidant, mops up these free radicals, limiting their ability to damage the cells.
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How To Use Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C can react when paired with certain ingredients, and some forms of the antioxidant can be unstable. To get the most out of your vitamin C serum, heres how to use it the right way.
Top Vitamin C Products
Quality products do come with a price, but the benefits are priceless. Medical grade products provide prestigious quality where the effectiveness speaks for itself. Although Target and Walmart may be budget-friendly, it might not have the most active form of vitamin C. Drug store serums lack the biochemical ability to get past the epidermis, and unfortunately only coat the dead skin cells. Medical grade skin care products are able to penetrate the deepest layers of the skin, the epidermis and dermis, and provide the proper ingredients for improvement. Dr. Snodgrass attests to three products that are the holy grail of medical grade serums.
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Can Vitamin C And Niacinamide Be Used Together
The short answer is yes, when used correctly. Niacinamide is one of two main forms of vitamin B3 , an essential nutrient that reduces dullness and helps skin make more collagenworks well for all skin types and ages.
As you probably noticed above, both ingredients actually carries similar benefits. This winning combination of niacinamide and vitamin C is your secret weapon for numerous benefits, from treating blemish-prone and scar-prone skin to reducing visible dark spots on the skin.
In addition, they recharge and revamp together to promote a firmer and radiant complexion, even out skin tone, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Please note that the absorbed acid must be in a formula with a low pH to be most effective. On the other hand, niacinamide would naturally raise the pH to around 4.5-5, so it is better to be extra careful with products formulated with these two together.
Is It Safe To Use Vitamin C With Retinol
In the past, it was thought that you should avoid using vitamin C products with retinoidsvitamin A derivatives that encourage skin cell turnoverat all costs. And thats still sort of true. While theyre both powerful, science-backed skin-care ingredients, they work best in different skin environments, so using them at the same time may make both less effective. And because they both promote cell turnover, experts do still advise against using these two ingredients together, Dr. Hogan says.
But its generally okay to use them on the same day at different times. Experts typically recommend using vitamin C products in the morning and retinoids at night. This route often ends up working out best since retinol products can increase the skins sensitivity to UV rays, which is why its better to save them for p.m. use.
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Is Vitamin C Serum Good For Skin
According to the study in Nutrients, vitamin C can help protect the skin from many problems, including sunburn, photoaging, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, sagging, dryness, and an uneven skin tone. Anyone dealing with these skin issues may want to consider adding a vitamin C serum to their skincare regimen.
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/8the Best Time Of The Day To Have Vitamin C
Even though scoring all vitamins and minerals is essential for healthy living, not all of them are synthesized by our body in the same way. Hence, one must pay attention on how you have them.
While Vitamin C is a largely helpful nutrient, it is a water-soluble nutrient, which is best absorbed when you take them empty stomach. An ideal way would be to take your supplement first thing in the morning, 30-45 minutes before your meal. If you plan to take your Vitamin C later in the day, make sure there is a good gap after your meals so that it gets absorbed well.
Another way to match up on your requirement is to have a Vitamin -C rich diet, which you can have through the day.
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Can I Use Vitamin C And Hyaluronic Acid Together
Combining the two makes for a great all-in-one skin care step. Hyaluronic acid and vitamin C are commonly used together because they complement each other to hydrate, protect, and repair aging skin, says Zeichner. Hyaluronic acid is a great addition to vitamin C because it does not overwork the skin.
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How To Determine The Right Vitamin C Serum Concentration For Your Skin Type
Knowing the right vitamin C concentration for your skin type is essential to maximizing effectiveness. In the skincare aisle, youll find vitamin C in up to 20% concentrations.
If your skin is sensitive or dry, you should use a low concentrated product somewhere between 5 to 10% will do. You can gradually work up the concentration to 15% and keep note of how your skin responds. Normal, combination, and oily skin types can usually handle concentrations of 20%, but use progressively to help skin build tolerance.
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Who Can Use Vitamin C
Everyone can benefit from vitamin C, whatever your skin type.
In general, however, people with sensitive skin should be careful when adding any kind of ingredient to their skincare routine.
Not sure if your skin can tolerate vitamin C?
Skin patch testing is a good way to see if your skin would react negatively to certain products. Check out my post on how to introduce new skincare products to your skincare routine for more information.
If all goes well, itâs also better to start with lower concentrations of vitamin C, use it once week and go from there, giving your skin time to build a tolerance for it.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Vitamin C Serum In The Morning
- Prevent wrinkles: Since Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it can help reduce oxidative stress on your skin that results in collagen loss and fine lines and wrinkles.
- Even skin tone: Vitamin C evens out blotchy or uneven skin tone, which is great if you have mild scarring from acne or even sun damage from too much exposure.
- Keep skin firm: Vitamin C works as a natural collagen booster to keep your skin firm, smooth, and hydrated. Collagen keeps your skin looking youthful while preventing wrinkles and fine lines from forming.
- Treat acne: Instead of drying out your skin, vitamin C serum prevents breakouts by keeping your skin hydrated while killing bacteria.
- Heal wounds: Vitamin C also helps to heal wounds quickly by keeping scar tissue soft so that it can stretch easily when your body moves.
- Reduce sun damage: Vitamin C serum provides a powerful antioxidant effect on the skin. This helps to protect it from sun damage and repair damaged cells.
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How Do You Keep Vitamin C Skin
To prevent oxidation, vitamin C products should be stored in opaque containers that are ideally either air-restrictive or air-tight, Dr. Hogan says, like an airless pump rather than a tub or dropper bottle that requires being opened all the way. Luckily, many vitamin C products already come in opaque containers for this exact reason, Dr. Lamb says. But if you have a fave vitamin C that doesnt come in one of those air-tight containers, it doesnt mean you have to toss it. Simply close it extra tight and store it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Follow these steps and youll hopefully get the vitamin C seal of approval in the form of glowy, even skin.
What Serum Is Best For Face
- Best Overall: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum.
- Best Budget: The Inkey List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum.
- Best for Wrinkles: OleHenriksen Truth Serum.
- Best for Dry Skin: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Liquid Gel Cloud Serum.
- Best Anti-Aging: Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment.
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How Do You Use Vitamin C Serum In The Morning
Start by using your favorite cleanser to remove dirt from the surface of your skin. Rinse the cleanser off and apply a toner that works for your skin type. This will help to open up your pores and remove all remaining dirt from your skin.
After toning your skin, you can apply a hyaluronic acid serum to your skin to prevent harsh reactions or irritation from happening. Do this if you have sensitive skin or if you are using a high concentration of vitamin C serum.
Apply a vitamin C serum concentration that works well for your skin type to glow up and protect your skin throughout the day.
Allow your skin to absorb the serum, then apply a moisturizer that contains sunscreen of SPF 30. This will help to moisturize and protect your skin from the sun.
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Early Bird Or Night Owl
In most routines, order matters. You would not condition your hair before shampooing, or pour milk before cereal , and vitamin C serums are just like that. Board-Certified Dermatologist, Dr. Snodgrass, says, For best results, vitamin C serum should be applied after cleansing and toning and before moisturizing and sunscreen. This allows the product to work into your routine and provide the maximum benefits. Whether you apply the vitamin C serum morning or night does not have a significant difference. Most people like to apply vitamin C serums in the morning to protect the skin barrier against environment stressors like UVs and free radicals. Others like to use this antioxidant as a night cap to fight off the damage that was done from the day.
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