These Vitamin C Serums Can Brighten Skin Reduce Wrinkles And More
If you asked a dermatologist for a list of the best ingredients for skin, vitamin C might be at the top.
Few ingredients are better for brightening skin, protecting it against aggressors, and addressing signs of aging. Another part of its appeal? Its great for all skin types and ages, says New York dermatologist Dr. Anne Chapas.
Heres everything you need to know about the benefits of vitamin C for skin, including how to choose the best formula, when to apply it, and exactly what this all-star vitamin can do for your skin. Get ready to glow.
Use The Vitamin C + Ferulic Serum
Using the dropper, apply 4-5 drops of serum to face neck and chest, and gently rub in.
Softwareâs Vitamin C + Ferulic Serum is one of the most potent Vitamin C serums on the market, made with a powerful combination of antioxidants and highly specialised actives designed to brighten skin and fight atmospheric ageing.
Yes! The Vitamin C + Ferulic Serum can be introduced into your routine once your skin has adjusted to Softwareâs personalised prescription-strength formulas. We recommend waiting between 6-8 weeks before introducing it gradually.
How it fits into your routine
Hyaluronic Acid: For deep skin hydrationRosemary Leaf Extract: An anti-inflammatory to keep skin balanced
Best For Hyperpigmentation: Cerave Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
When it comes to drugstore skincare brands, CeraVe is the go-to for many dermatologists. Their vitamin C Serum is an effective yet affordable option for hyperpigmentation. It is formulated with 10% l-ascorbic acid, the purest form of vitamin C, to help provide antioxidant protection and three essential ceramides , moisturizing hyaluronic acid, and soothing vitamin B5.
If you have sensitive skin, finding the right serums can involve a lot of trial and error, which is frustrating to say the least. Dr. Saedi suggests avoiding more potentially irritating vitamin C serums, and starting with Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C, a budget-friendly, award-winning serum that is less likely to stir up a reaction than most other effective products.
While it boasts 15% pure vitamin C, it offers a more hydrating form with less percentage of ascorbic acid, she explains. It also includes hyaluronic acid, which is hydrating. The quick absorbing serum is also paraben, fragrance, and oil-free, and is made with 11 clean ingredients.
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Best For Dull Skin: Tatcha Violet C Brightening Serum
If you suffer from dull or tired-looking skin, consider this vitamin C serum from Tatcha. It is specially formulated with 20 percent vitamin C and 10 percent AHA serum that work together to soften and smooth skin, leaving you with a glowing complexion. The beloved serum has more than 60,000 likes and a 4.4-star rating at Sephora. What’s more? 88 percent of customers said they love it so much, they’d recommend it to others.
To buy: $88
Best Budget: Truskin Naturals Vitamin C Serum
TruSkin Vitamin C Serum is plant-based and is a fraction of the price of most vitamin C serums, yet users maintain it is just as effective as even the most expensive options. In addition to vitamin C, it includes botanical hyaluronic acid and vitamin E and is designed to target skin aging issues, such as brightness, firmness, fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and sun spots.
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Best Affordable Option: Instanatural Vitamin C Serum
This nutrient-packed serum by InstaNatural is a best seller on Amazon thanks to the 2,700 five-star reviews customers have given it. Customers raved that the serum not only helped reduce the appearance of old acne scars but it also helped clear up current breakouts and blackheads. One happy reviewer called it, “the nectar of the gods for your skin.”
To buy: $18
Roc Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Vitamin C Serum
RoC may be known for its quality OTC retinol, but its vitamin C serum lives up to the hype, too. The 10% vitamin C blend firms, brightens, and evens out the skin with little to no irritation. Reviewers swear they can see the difference in skin luminosity for a fraction of the price of its high-end competitors.
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Loreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Concentrate
RAVE REVIEWS
This 10% vitamin C concentrate sinks deeply into skin to reduce wrinkles and boost overall radiance, making it a great base underneath makeup. Free of fragrances, parabens, dyes, and mineral oil, the sensitive skin-friendly formula will only cost you about $30. The air-tight tube also helps preserve the product.
Ingredients Used In Our Whiteglow Vitamin
- The 24k Gold leaves bring the much-needed radiance and brighten the skin, imparting a gold-like glow.
- Kakadu Plum is also an excellent source of vitamin c that reduces the appearance of blemishes, hyperpigmentation, and acne spots. It controls the production of melanin and sebum, making it a perfect choice for vit c serum for oily skin.
- Yuzu Lemon rejuvenates the skin, works wonders on dull and damaged skin, and improves skin elasticity. It reduces fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots under the eyes with regular use.
- Overall, the whitening vitamin c serum is intensely hydrating and nourishing, making the skin flawless and radiant.
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Best Vitamin C Serums In Canada
Its hard to overstate just how amazing vitamin C serums can be for the skin. Youre probably already familiar with how important this vitamin is for the immune system, but it also has remarkable beautifying effects when applied topically.
Its especially well regarded as a solution to hyperpigmentation, so if you have sun spots, dark post-acne marks, or even diffused patches of darkness caused by pregnancy , then it needs to be on your radar.
Beyond this targeted effect, it has other skin benefits: it is actively anti-ageing, helping to firm the skin by promoting collagen synthesis and its preventative, acting as an antioxidant to protect the skin from the ageing effects of the sun.
It also comes with some complications. In its most effective form as ascorbic acid, it is notoriously unstable and hard to formulate. Many of the serums out on the market dont use it effectively so they are either very weak or they lose their effectiveness very quickly.
Thats why we give the lowdown on exactly which vitamin C skincare products work, and what makes each one of them unique.
For background information, see our comparison table and buying advice.
How Organic Product Producers Go The Extra Mile
Manufacturing organic skincare products is no walk in the park. Due to how costly and difficult producing organic skincare products can be, suppliers that go the extra mile to do so show an enormous amount of dedication to their craft.
The investment a supplier is willing to put into their products says something about how well the products themselves work, too. When it comes to vitamin C serum, few companies actually recognize the importance of going totally organic with their ingredients, and even less are willing to commit to producing serums and creams of high quality.
And, there is no greater let down than investing in a skincare product with rave reviews and seeing no beneficial effects for yourself. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that it is important to purchase a skin care serum that you are confident will be good for your skin, the environment, and an overall worthwhile investment!
Thats why, after doing extensive research and testing multiple different suppliers of vitamin C serum products, we are sharing our preference and advice for an organic skincare supplier that does not disappoint in the slightest.
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Are All Vitamin C Serums Created Equal
No, not all vitamin C serums are on the same level of efficacy. This is because vitamin C is labeled as an unstable ingredient, with serums containing L-ascorbic acid being the most active form of the vitamin.
L ascorbic acid is the water-soluble form , Dr. Patel explains. Its most easily absorbed by the skin, unstable in sunlight and air and is tricky in formulation this results in the different qualities of vitamin C serums.
Dr. Patel adds that esterified vitamin C is much more stable in air and sunlight and not as irritating, but not as strong as L ascorbic acid. That said, the difference in serum qualities depends on concentration, formulation and packaging, according to Dr. Patel.
What To Look For In A Vitamin C Serum
Ingredients: The most important ingredient in a vitamin C serum is the vitamin C, but other ingredients incorporated in the product can further boost the benefits. Vitamin C works best when combined with vitamin E and ferulic acid, which together improve the antioxidant effects and stability of this ingredient, Dr. Alam says.
Additionally, pay attention to the order of the ingredients on the product. The order indicates how prevalent that ingredient is in the serum. So you want the vitamin C, which most commonly comes in the form of L-ascorbic acid, within the top five ingredients on the label.
Type and Concentration of Vitamin C: Vitamin C comes in many forms, but the most common is L-ascorbic acid. If this is the active ingredient, the serum should contain 10 to 20 percent L-ascorbic acid and have an acidic pH of 2 to 2.5 for optimal absorption and results, Dr. Alam says.If you have more sensitive skin and tend to react to skincare products, then it might be best to pick up a serum with a lower concentration of L-ascorbic acid, about 10 percent, or a product that contains a derivative of vitamin C that is gentler than L-ascorbic acid, such as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate or ascorbyl-6-palmitate, which have a neutral pH of 7, Dr. Alam says.
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Who Should Use A Vitamin C Serum On Their 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. But its a good idea to get started even if these issues havent crept up yet. While its often presented as an anti-aging ingredient, the best time to prevent aging is before it occurs, Schlessinger says.
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 of both protecting the skin and helping problem areas recover. Its preventative 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.
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Cerave Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
BEST VALUE
If your skin is prone to irritation, look no further than this nourishing 10% vitamin C serum, which features essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5 to hydrate and soothe the skin. Its also noncomedogenic and fragrance-free for a simple formula that effectively boosts radiance.
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Loral 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum
LOréal claims this vitamin C serum can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin appearance overall.
Formulated without fragrance, mineral oil, or water, the face serum is sold in an air-tight tube to protect and maximize the effectiveness of the vitamin C content, which has a potency of 10%.
This serum is suitable for all skin types.
At the time of publishing, this sells on the manufacturers website for $29.99.
Best Option With Ferulic Acid: Timeless Skincare 20% C + E + Ferulic Acid Serum
This potent serum is so popular it earned itself an Amazon’s Choice recommendation. You can use the powerful product on its own or add two or three drops to your daily moisturizer if your skin needs the extra hydration. One glowing review said, “This is a wonderful serum. It dramatically refined my skin’s texture and brightened my complexion. It absorbs quickly, and the smell dissipates once it dries.”
To buy: $25
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Roc Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Daily
RoC claims this product can improve skin tone, texture, elasticity, and brightness while reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Active ingredients include a 10% concentration of vitamin C, plus peptides, antioxidants, and hydrators. This serum is free from parabens.
People can use this serum daily, in the morning or evening.
At the time of publishing, this sells on the manufacturers website for $32.99.
Made by The Ordinary, this face serum claims to improve skin tone, boost collagen production, and protect the skin from further damage.
It has a vitamin C concentration of 30% and also contains selenium and zinc.
This product is free from alcohol, oil, water, and silicone. It is also vegan and cruelty-free. The packaging is recyclable.
The manufacturer recommends evening application and doing a patch test before use.
At the time of publishing, this sells on the manufacturers website for $42.
What Is Vitamin C
Vitamin C, which also goes by ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic acid, is a vitamin that isnt actually produced by the body. Instead, the only way to get it is through supplements or your diet citrus fruits like oranges are famously rich in vitamin C. And it has vital functions throughout the body. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in tissue repair and the enzymatic production of various transmitters, says Dr. Patricia Wexler, a dermatologist in New York City.
While you can certainly eat your way to a healthy vitamin C intake, your skin in particular reaps the biggest benefits when its applied topically versus ingested via an oral supplement or your diet, no many how much grapefruit you eat. Topically, its 20 times more potent than the oral intake, says Wexler.
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Best Vitamin C Serums
Best Overall: Carrot & Stick The Defense Serum, $60Why settle for just one type of vitamin C? The best vitamin C serum is this potent formula from Carrot & Stick. Its packed with three vitamin C derivatives which work together to promote collagen and visibly brighten the skin. The daily dose of vitamin C also helps fight free radical damage and enhance cellular longevity. Apply in the morning and evening to clean skin.
Best Multi-C:Formulyst Active Serum Vitamin B, C, E, Ferulic + Niacinamide, $60This effective vitamin C serum from Formulyst contains the highest concentration of pure vitamins C , B, and E, ferulic acid , and niacinamide one of two primary forms of vitamin B3 that helps manage acne, rosacea, and pigmentation issues while softening wrinkles. With that said, this is a vitamin C serum almost everyone can benefit from.
Best Dermatologist Pick:SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, $166The best vitamin C serum recommended by a dermatologist has won copious awards, features patented ingredients and continues to be a consumer favorite all over the world. Developed by SkinCeuticals, this product is the brands best-seller.
While the medicinal smell puts some off, it dissipates almost instantaneously. The scent is telling you that youre applying pure vitamin C , vitamin E , and ferulic acid This trio works hard to neutralize free radicals in just 4-5 drops each morning.
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Best For Sensitive Skin: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Serum
This powerful antioxidant serum by SkinCeuticals has a perfect five-star rating at Dermstore with over 2,600 reviews. It’s the most expensive serum on the list, but most customers said it was well worth the price. The best part? The product is effective for a minimum of 72 hours, so it will still help your skin even if you don’t apply it daily.
To buy: $166 dermstore.com
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How To Choose The Best Vitamin C Serum For You
Whats the best way to apply my vitamin C serum?
Apply the serum to your face and neck after cleansing, but before moisturising, to allow the product to penetrate the skin. As vitamin C contains a mild acid, you might experience a tingling or mild stinging sensation when applying your serum.
The discomfort should be mild and temporary to avoid more painful stinging, apply a thin layer every other day at first until your skin becomes used to the product. Go especially easy on sensitive skin. Its wise to start with a lower concentration at first and avoid applying vitamin C on broken skin.
Vitamin C can feel a little gritty or sticky on the skin at first, but this stickiness should disappear once the product is absorbed. If your skincare regime also includes retinol, its best to not use these at the same time as they can each cause mild irritation apply your vitamin C in the morning and your retinol at night.
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What are the benefits of vitamin C and what do the different concentrations do?
Vitamin C at any concentration will help to freshen up, plump and repair skin. Higher concentrations of vitamin C boost the products brightening and pigment-reducing effects so if you especially want to target dark spots and discolouration, youll want to work up to a stronger serum containing a higher percentage of the active ingredient. Always note our advice above about skin sensitivity when using higher concentrations of vitamin C, though.
