Should this super-potent ingredient be part of your skincare routine? Most definitely.
Vitamin C does more than help you fight off colds by giving your immune system a boost: Its powerful antioxidants can make it a superhero ingredient for skin. This vital ingredient helps block the negative effects of the sun’s rays, including hyperpigmentation. It can also soften rough textured spots and small scars, giving your skin a brighter, smoother appearance. In short, it’s a simple way to fight the effects of aging on your skin and repair damaged cells. That means vitamin C is an absolute winner in your beauty arsenal.
We asked skincare expert Marcia Kilgore — founder of Bliss Spas and Beauty Pie — to tell us what to look for in a vitamin C product, how to apply it, and how it can transform your skin.
Why is it important to use a vitamin C product? And how and when should we apply it?
Dermatologists and skincare scientists all say the same thing: Anti-aging and good skin health is about incorporating the ABCs: A being retinols, B being niacinamide, and C being vitamin C. (And of course, we can’t forget about S, P, F!)
Because vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, research shows that it can shield your skin from the visible impact of environmental stressors by neutralizing free radical damage. Plus, it’s a well-known “raw ingredient” in the collagen production food chain and helps brighten and lighten pigmentation, whether hormonal, scar, or sun damage generated. It can also diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. So it’s a preventative and a reparative that should be in everyone’s routine.
When it comes to packaging and texture, what should we look for in a vitamin C product?
Vitamin C is a “super” active ingredient, but also extremely sensitive to air and light, so will break down over time and with increased episodes of exposure. To get the best possible effect from a vitamin C serum or cream, open one bottle, and use it regularly (AM and PM) until it’s gone. (This is not an ingredient where you want to have five different product options that you’re rotating between, because every time you open one up, it will lose a little bit of “oomph.”)
High strengths of vitamin C (10 percent and higher) are particularly effective at overall brightening of a dull or uneven complexion. Liquids are great for layering (boosters, drops, serums), whereas cream or capsule formulas (and especially combined with regular use of retinol) are sometimes better for treating stubborn dark spots or scars.
And don’t forget about your body. That sun damage that happens to all of us in the summer? It can be mitigated by daily use of a great vitamin C body lotion, followed by sunscreen, and retinol in the evening.
What are your favorite vitamin C products?
Because vitamin C is so popular, Beauty Pie makes four amazing products containing it: The first was a Superactive Pure 10% Vitamin C & Vitamin E Capsule, suitable for all skin types, fully biodegradable, easy for travel, to be used as a serum under moisturizer.
SUPERDOSE C-Suite Rapid Action Power Brightener (from the best skincare lab in Switzerland) has 15 percent vitamin C, and the results are incredible for brightening stubborn pigmentation. I also love our SUPERDOSE C Vitamin C & Oxygen Boosting Moisturizer, which has an oxygen-booster for exhausted skin; wrinkle-fighting Ridculisse-C to make skin feel more elastic and firm; and Brightenyl to help prevent hyperpigmentation, calm skin, and brighten.
And for the body? SUPERDOSE Vitamin C Bio-Vitamin Brightening Body Lotion.
Are there products we need to use in conjunction with vitamin C?
All kinds of vitamin C are even more beneficial when used regularly alongside other powerful skincare ingredients. Remember the A, B, C and SPFs (above)? Skin also benefits from regular use of AHAs and BHAs, and peptides. But that’s for another article!
You can apply vitamin C daily, both morning and night, or once a day if you’ve just got lots of other layers. After you cleanse and tone (and possibly exfoliate), you want to put your products on in order from the thinnest to the thickest textured, for optimal absorption. SPF 30+ goes on last, every single morning, please!
When is it time to toss out a vitamin C product?
A fully potent vitamin C serum should be clear. If it’s turning brown or orange, it has used up most of its antioxidant capability, and it’s time to toss it out. The shade change signals that the ascorbic acid has oxidized and no longer has the same antioxidant power. Remember: To keep your vitamin C in top form, keep caps tightly closed, and shield any translucent bottles from sunlight. Creams and lotions should be packaged in opaque or shaded tinted glass.
The Best Vitamin C Skincare Products
Best for Mature Skin: OLEHENRIKSEN
Best for Oily Skin: Sunday Riley
Best for Sensitive Skin: La Roche-Posay
Best Mid-Priced: Drunk Elephant
Best Overall Vitamin C
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum
Dermstore
We admit, the price tag on this bottle of serum is shocking, but your jaw will drop at how quickly your skin changes after using it. With a vitamin C concentration of 15 percent, this formula is definitely more potent than others on the market, hence the higher cost. In addition to vitamin C, the serum also contains vitamin E (to help replenish skin lipids and plump up your skin) and ferulic acid, which actually enhances the effects of vitamins C and E, further helping brighten and even your skin tone.
Best Vitamin C for Mature Skin
OLEHENRIKSEN Truth Serum Hydrating Vitamin C Serum
Sephora
If you have mature skin, vitamin C can feel a little drying. Thankfully, OLEHENRIKSEN’s hydrating formula includes hyaluronic acid and 5 percent PHA to help moisturize your skin while at the same time, working skin-deep to help reduce the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles. This brightening serum also has a light-reflecting finish, so it looks great whether you’re wearing makeup or not.
Best for Oily Skin
Sunday Riley CEO Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream
QVC
If you tend to feel like thick creams make your skin feel more greasy than moisturized, this gel-cream hybrid is for you. Along with vitamin C, this formula contains a blend of sodium hylaronate to help moisturize, and ergothioneine to aid in stabilizing the vitamin C and reduce signs of aging.
Best Vitamin C for Sensitive Skin
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum
La Roche-Posay
If you have mature, sensitive skin, this one’s for you: Along with vitamin C, this formula contains neurosensine, a synthetic ingredient that helps soothe cranky skin, and thermal spring water, which has tons of good-for-the-skin minerals and antioxidants like selenium and magnesium, both of which can help settle irritated skin.
Best Budget Vitamin C
CeraVe Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid
Walmart
Instead of a dropper bottle, this serum comes in an easy-to-squeeze tube that’s amazing for those who frequently travel (no glass bottle = fewer leaks in your bag). This CeraVe formulation still boasts a 10 percent concentration of vitamin C like higher-end serums, but it comes with a smaller price tag. Reviewers say that this packaging also has a longer shelf life than bottles since no light can penetrate the aluminum tube, which is a huge bonus for those looking to make the most of every last drop.
Best Viral Vitamin C
Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum
Timeless
While Skinceuticals is the holy grail skincare product for many, some find it a little too pricey. Timeless’ formula has gone viral on TikTok for its similar formula and performance, but it costs a fraction of the price. It is also packaged in a pump bottle instead, meaning the formula won’t oxidize and lose potency, which may happen with dropper bottles.
Best Mid-Priced Vitamin C
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Vitamin-C Day Serum
Sephora
Having fresh vitamin C is key to ensuring it will actually work on your skin, which is why Drunk Elephant created this serum that you mix yourself before your first use, rather than buying it pre-made. It may sound difficult, but we promise it’s not: Simply pour the bottle of serum into the pump bottle that contains powdered vitamin C, replace the lid, and shake. After that, you’ll have fresh serum that is full of vitamin C and other skin-loving ingredients like pomegranate extract and pumpkin ferment, which help dissolve dead skin cells.
Best Vitamin C Capsule
Beauty Pie Superactive Capsules
Beauty Pie
These tiny capsules deliver a perfect dose of vitamin C every time, guaranteed. Inside, a powerful concentration of vitamin C will work to even your skin tone and reduce the appearance of sun damage, while the vitamin E will help moisturize and firm skin from within.
Best Vitamin C for Eyes
Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Eye Cream
Paula’s Choice
The skin around your eyes is delicate, so using vitamin C has the potential to cause irritation. Play it safe with a formula specifically made for that area, like this affordable cream. It’ll melt into and deeply hydrate your skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines.
Best Vitamin C Lotion
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
Ulta
If you prefer a lotion texture over a serum, this is the one for you. Unlike a runny liquid, this suspension has a gel-like texture that leaves a powdery finish instead of a wet one. It also is water-free, so you get an ultra-concentrated dose of vitamin C in this formula. (It’s also only $8.)
Best Vitamin C Body Wash
Naturium The Brightener Vitamin C Brightening Body Wash
Target
The rest of your body deserves some love, too! This foamy body wash will help even out your skin tone all over, like on your shoulders and back, where you probably have some dark spots or uneven tone from repeated sun exposure.
