Vitamin C Serum At Night Or Morning

How To Use Vitamin C Serum And Resveratrol

Vitamin C and resveratrol work synergistically to create healthier-looking skin and a strong antioxidant defense, and their power should be celebrated by teaming them up. If you apply a vitamin C serum and a resveratrol-infused moisturizer, the serum should be layered first. If both are in serums, you should layer vitamin C first, then follow with the resveratrol serum as what’s fat-soluble goes after water-soluble molecules. Vitamin C serum and resveratrol can be used in the morning as both are boosting each other antioxidant power so that you stay defended against free radicals throughout the day.

Properly Storing Your Vitamin C Serum

When storing, avoid exposing the product to light and air. Vitamin C in a liquid or serum form is known to be an unstable ingredient. This means it can be prone to going bad if not stored properly.

Keep it in your medicine cabinet, makeup bag, or makeup drawer. Make sure its in an air-tight container. Avoid leaving it out on a sunny bathroom counter, unless its in light-safe packaging.

When Will You See The Results Of Vitamin C Serum

With Vitamin C, results are cumulative and take several months to become visibly apparent. Long-term diligent use of vitamin C serum is a must, especially if you’re aiming to brighten stubborn dark spots or reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s been shown that daily use of topical vitamin C for at least three months improved the look of wrinkles as well as skin texture and overall appearance.

Also Check: Is Nature Made Vitamins Made In The Usa

Vitamin C And Retinol

Many skin care fans love vitamin C and retinol, but not together.

Apart, theyre known to be effective in delivering skin benefits. However, your skin might get irritated if you use them together.

Using them separately is the proper way to incorporate both vitamin C and retinol into your skincare routine.

If you have sensitive skin, you can do this by applying one at a different time of day than the other. Use your vitamin C serum for your morning routine, then use your retinol for your nighttime routine.

However, if youre one of the lucky ones with less sensitive, more resilient skin, you can use one in conjunction with the other.

Nevertheless, dont immediately layer them on top of each other. Use your vitamin c serum first and wait at least 30 minutes before applying retinol.

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.

Read Also: Best Vitamins For Mouth Ulcers

Our Best Overall Pick Is Drunk Elephant C

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the bestproducts. Healthcare professionals review articles for medical accuracy. Learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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. “They’re 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.

How Often Should You Be Using Vitamin C Serum

To avail yourself of maximum benefits and see changes on your face, you should use Vitamin C serum every night as your skincare routine. And it is recommended to use 2-4 drops of serum a day.

It is because you also intake Vitamin C through a diet that has positive effects on the skin. That is why few drops of vitamin C serum are more than enough for your skin.

Don’t Miss: How Do We Get Vitamin D From The Sun

Different Forms Of Vitamin C In Skincare

Its helpful to note that not all forms of vitamin C are created equally. As weve learned already, the pure form of vitamin C is called L-ascorbic acid, or ascorbic acid. You can find many safe, quality skincare products that contain the ideal amount of vitamin C in this form.

But other formulations contain vitamin C that can still be just as effective, even if the ingredients dont contain vitamin Cs purest form. Other forms of vitamin C that show up in skincare ingredients lists include:

• Sodium ascorbyl phosphate
• Retinyl ascorbate

Can You Use Vitamin C Serum In The Morning And Retinol At Night

Yes, you can. Taken together, these two ingredients can help brighten skin, reduce hyperpigmentation, help protect against free radicals, and stimulate collagen production.

Vitamin C serum can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so ensure to wear sunscreen in the morning before heading out. Youll get the most benefits from both products if you follow this simple tip.

Don’t Miss: Is Vitamin C Water Soluable

Best For Uneven Skin Tone: Maelove The Glow Maker

• Ferulic acid and vitamin E boost vitamin Cs efficacy and stability

• Hyaluronic acid plumps and hydrates

• Non-sticky formula

This Maelove serum includes a powerful blend of antioxidants and ferulic acid to even out skin tone and boost radiance. The ingredients and results of this serum are comparable to those of the Drunk Elephant and SkinCeuticals vitamin C serums, but at a fraction of the price.

Benefits: Hydrating, radiance-boosting, tone-evening, calming | Skin Type: All | Dosage: A few drops once or twice daily | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes | No

Price at time of publish: $30

How To Use Vitamin C At Night Time And Its Benefits

While youre sleeping, your skin undergoes its natural repair process. During sleep, your skins blood flow increases, and it rebuilds collagen and repairs damage like fine lines, wrinkles and age spots that have been caused by UV exposure. So using vitamin C serum during the night means that it’s likely to have the most effective impact when it comes to repairing your skin.

If your chosen serum is quite potent, like the Medik8 Super C30 Intense, you also reduce the risk of photosensitivity occurring if you use it during the nighttime.

Its worth adding that if you do choose to use vitamin C at night, you should always still ensure youre using SPF the following day, to ensure maximum efficacy.

Also Check: High Dose Iv Vitamin C Side Effects

Is Vitamin C Serum Better Than Hyaluronic Acid

The main difference between Vitamin C Serum and Hyaluronic Acid Serum is the basic functionality of the compounds. Vitamin C shall protect you from skin damage, while Hyaluronic Acid Serum helps your skin retain moisture. For effective results, these both are combined to give desired results for your skin.

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.

SEE: What Does Vitamin C Serum Do? Amazing Benefits You Need to Know About

You May Like: How To Use Powder Vitamin C

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, you’ll 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.

Considerations By Skin Type

safe to use for most skin types, but its still a good idea to do a patch test before applying serum all over your face.

To do this, apply a small amount of product on the inside of your wrist. Wait 24 hours for any signs of irritation before using broadly.

Sensitive skin

If you have sensitive skin or a skin condition, like rosacea, you might want to stick to serums with lower concentrations of vitamin C. Thats because concentrations higher than may cause irritation.

Oily skin

For oily or acne-prone skin, look for serums labeled noncomedogenic so they wont clog your pores.

Dry skin

If your skin tends to be on the dryer side, look for serums with hydrating ingredients, like hyaluronic acid.

You May Like: Is Vitamin C Good For Colds

How To Choose A Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is surprisingly complicated to formulate in a way that guarantees its effectiveness. The active ingredients needed to make a potent serum are extremely sensitive to oxidation and light exposure, so the packaging of these products is just as important as the formula itself.

A few of the most popular forms of vitamin C in skincare are ascorbic ccid , magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate. If you are looking at the ingredients list of a supposed vitamin C product and none of the aforementioned are listed in the first couple ingredients, the product is not potent enough to show results.

L-ascorbic acid is the most commonly used vitamin C derivative used in skincare, but with a pH of 3.5, it is also the most acidic varietal. Most skin types can tolerate L-ascorbic acid, but if you are particularly sensitive, then consider formulas with any of the other commonly used derivativesjust know it will take longer to see the desired results.

Ideally, your vitamin C serum will be packaged in an air-tight container with a pump that is either an opaque or amber-hued bottle to avoid oxidation and light exposure. A lot of vitamin C serums come with pipet applicators, which unfortunately allow for daily air exposure. While this is not ideal, it does not necessarily mean that it will be a bad product.

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.

Don’t Miss: What Is Vitamin Zinc Good For

Store In A Cool Dry Space

The chemistry of Vitamin C is similar to the reality show that Denise Richards had a while back: Its Complicated. And like more than a few of us, vitamin C is unstable.

In this case it means that vitamin C can interact with other oxidizing agents and break down, potentially rendering it useless, or worse, damaging to the skin. Similar to how a nail rusts in damp air, vitamin C also changes its chemistry and degrades in the face of certain elements.

Its important to first find a quality product formulated by experts, and then its up to you to minimize exposure to excessive heat, light, or oxygen.

Since Vitamin C can begin to denature at temperatures even as low as 86° farenheit, keeping it cool is mission critical. One way to do this is to store it in your refrigerator. That checks the box for being a cool place, and since that little light goes off as you close the door, its dark as well.

However, if thats not an option because you have roommates who like to share, or because it might be confused with that gourmet truffle oil and end up on someones plate, then be sure to keep it in a room that has a stable, cool temperature.

Unfortunately, bathrooms are really not the best since some of us like steamy showers or hot baths, which will cause the overall temperature to fluctuate. If you can, keep your Vitamin C serum in a different room, and just bring it into the bathroom for your application.

What Goes First: Vitamin C Or Hyaluronic Acid

Short answer? Apply your vitamin C first, then pat on your HA. Vitamin C is notoriously unstableit loses potency when it’s exposed to air, light, and waterwhich is why you want to apply it on clean, dry skin right after washing. You’ll also want to let it dry completely, as piling on products right after could potentially deactivate the vitamin C.

You don’t need to be as precious with hyaluronic acid. Yes, applying on damp skin will make it easier for the humectant to pull in water, but it can also draw in that moisture from the surrounding environment, too. Let’s not forget: Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, and you don’t necessarily have to provide that water yourself. “That way, you don’t need to worry that HA needs to go directly onto damp skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Rodney, M.D., FAAD, founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics.

So you can apply your vitamin C first, let it dry completely, then apply your hyaluronic acid. Just remember to top everything off with a moisturizeryou still want to seal in the HA to lock in the hydration.

You May Like: What Does Vitamin C Serum Do For Your Skin

Best Dry Skin: Ursa Major Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum

Ulta

• Rosehip oil and aloe tamp inflammation

• Lightweight, fast-acting formula

Ursa Majors blend of vitamin C, rosehip oil, aloe, and edelweiss-derived antioxidants create a featherweight formula for instant hydration. Reviewers note relief from inflammation, and a more radiant complexion within a couple of days.

Benefits: Hydrating, radiance-boosting, soothing | Skin Type: All | Dosage: 1 pump daily | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Yes

Price at time of publish: $56

Who Should Use A Vitamin C Serum On Their Skin

Saedi recommends vitamin C serums for people of all ages because virtually everyone is at risk of sun damage, and with vitamin C serums we are minimizing the amount of sun damage that our skins getting from sunlight, she says. She says it does double duty, both protecting the skin and helping problem areas recover. Its preventive in that its protecting you from sun damage and signs of aging like wrinkles, Saedi says. It also helps promote collagen and boost your natural collagen formation.

You May Like: Does The Sun Provide Vitamin D

Best For Mature Skin: Truskin Naturals Vitamin C Serum

• Hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil deliver intense moisture and hydrate mature skin

• High concentration of vitamin C

• Some reviewers note a light tightening feeling after application

This best-selling serum from TruSkin is formulated specifically for mature complexions, with a high concentration of active ingredients. It blends vitamins C and E with hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil to combat dullness, address discoloration, and restore firmness. The product is frequently discounted, making it Amazons best-selling face serum.

Benefits: Hydrating, firming, plumping, smoothing | Skin Type: All | Dosage: A few drops daily | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Yes

Price at time of publish: $20

The Benefits Of Vitamin C

It Has Anti-Aging Properties

As an antioxidant, Vitamin C helps slow down skin aging. It blocks what causes our collagen to break down quickly, preventing wrinkles and skin sagging from occurring.

It Boosts Collagen Production

In tandem with its anti-aging properties, vit-c also boosts collagen production in your skin. While our skin continually produces collagen throughout our lives, this process slows down as we age.

Vitamin C helps boost this production as we grow older, so we can maintain strong, elastic, and young-looking skin.

It Helps Protect Skin from Sun Damage

Its also been proven that vitamin C is effective in helping minimize UV damage. On top of that, it also helps soothe skin irritation that we may get from sunburns.

Given this, Vitamin C works well with sunscreen as it amplifies the latters positive effects.

It Evens Out Skin Tone and Prevents Hyperpigmentation

In the skincare world, Vitamin C is well-known for brightening the skin. It works well in preventing hyperpigmentation and improving skin tone as it blocks the overproduction of melanin.

It Provides Relief From Acne

Besides being an antioxidant, vit-c also has anti-inflammatory properties, which could help minimize redness and irritation caused by acne.

Don’t Miss: Does Vitamin C Build Up Your Immune System

Which Vitamin C Serums To Buy Dermatologists Name Their Clients Favorites

SkinBetter Science Alto Defense Serum stars vitamins C and E, along with 17 antioxidants to guard against a range of free radicals and reduce redness.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum contains 15 percent L-ascorbic acid, plus ferulic acid for a powerful yet lightweight day serum.

Paulas Choice C15 Super Booster is another high-potency pick with 15 percent vitamin C, along with E and ferulic acid, plus hyaluronic acid to attract moisture for supple skin.

Vichy Vitamin C Serum Brightening Skin Corrector boasts minimal ingredients to keep things simple. With ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid, this serum may boost skin smoothness and radiance.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% offers a budget-friendly way to try a vitamin C serum, and also contains alpha-arbutin, another ingredient thats touted for its skin-brightening abilities.

Additional reporting by Jessica Migala.