The Best Vitamin C Serums
Vitamin C isn't just a nutritious part of a healthy breakfast anymore. These days, the vitamin is taking the skincare world by citrus-y storm. With its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties, vitamin C is dermatologically proven to brighten and tighten up your skin. By neutralizing free-radicals (which cause cellular damage) and inhibiting melanin production, this superhero ingredient helps to remove aging spots and can even improve acne scars. While we could go on and on about the wonderful properties of this nutriment, we'd rather you see the effects yourself with any one of our favorite vitamin C serums below.
TruSkin Vitamin C Serum
Free the Natural You
Though we (hopefully) get wiser and more experienced as time goes on, the aging process is not so kind to our skin. As we expose our faces to the sun’s rays and gradually lose collagen atop that, we slowly witness the emergence of dry, wrinkled skin. And while we can prevent further damage by using sunscreen and moisturizing, going back to the fresh-faced-glory of our youth seems an impossible task. Here’s where the magic of vitamin C comes in, particularly in combination with other nutrients to bring out its free-radical fighting properties.
With an all-plant based, natural blend of antioxidants (vitamin A, E, and C) to restore skin elasticity and radiate complexion, this serum also has hyaluronic acid to moisturize and smooth your skin, serving you the perfect solution against aged dullness. And on top of all that, you can’t beat TruSkin’s customer service. They’ll help you find the right serum for you if this one doesn’t meet your expectations.
Pros:
- Contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and aloe vera
- Vegan, paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalates-free, PEGS-free
- 90-day money-back refund
- Excellent customer service
Cons:
- Doesn’t do much for brightening dark spots
Eva Naturals Vitamin C Serum
Supercharge Your Skin
There’s a reason they’re called skincare routines. The name implies a series of steps we need to take to ensure that our faces look as beautiful as we want them to. But though we can never cut the routine down to just one act, we can find serums that tackle several steps in one go. If efficiency is what you’re after, then look no further than this serum by Eva Naturals.
In addition to the protective qualities of vitamin C, this solution also contains retinol to increase collagen production (reducing fine lines in the process), niacinamide to minimize pores, and salicylic acid to help with breakouts and to balance excess oils. And if that’s not enough, the serum blends a whole heap of plant-based essences, including dandelion, lavender, and tea tree oil into the mix to restore your natural beauty.
Pros:
- Contains retinol, niacinamide, and salicylic acid
- Blend of natural essences
- Cruelty-free
- Made in the USA
- Comes with a money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Salicylic acid can sting and dry out the skin slightly
- Has a potent smell
Tree of Life Beauty Anti Aging Serum 3-Pack
Affordable All-Day Care
Anyone who’s spent any amount of time in Sephora or Lush knows that beauty isn’t cheap. And it’s precisely because makeup costs so much that more and more people are focusing on skincare rejuvenation. The better you look without anything, the less you have to spend on products to cover up your natural complexion.
Unfortunately, skincare products demand their fair share of your finances, too. That’s why we’re so excited about this combo set by Tree of Life that features the anti-aging trifecta – vitamin C, retinol, and hyaluronic acid. Use a bit of vitamin C in the mornings to protect your skin from daily sun exposure, retinol before bed to engage long-term tightening and smoothness, and hyaluronic acid anytime you want a bit more moisture and softness in your cheeks. That’s dawn-’til-dusk care all for the price of one serum.
Pros:
- Other ingredients include vitamin E, jojoba oil, and witch hazel
- Paraben-free, cruelty-free
- Great customer service
Cons:
- Initial breakouts can happen with the retinol serum
SeoulCeuticals Day Glow Serum
C Spots Gone
We probably don’t have to tell you that in South Korea, looks are everything. From 18 step skincare routines to the ease and popularity of cosmetic surgery, beauty standards are higher than anywhere else in the world, not only for aesthetic demands, but for ingredients as well. And the West has definitely started to notice, enabling products like this Day Glow Serum by SeoulCeuticals to be readily available in the US marketplace. Though you don’t have to wait for international shipping for this particular serum, you’ll still get all the benefits of advanced Korean skin technology. The particular blend of vitamin C, ferulic acid, and hyaluronic acid is specifically designed to reduce the appearance of dark spots and dullness, leaving your skin glowing and ready for the day.
Pros:
- 98% organic
- Good smell
- Formula absorbs quickly into skin
- Contains ferulic acid & hyaluronic acid
Cons:
- May take a long time to see changes
Kleem Organics Vitamin C Serum
Cleanse Away Guilt
These days, it seems like the moment a new nutrient is found to be good for the skin, a plethora of seemingly identical products emerge all promising the same thing. And while we all obviously want the serum that does the most good for us, we also want to ensure that that same serum does the least bad elsewhere.
In the world of skincare, the bad we’re referring to has to do with how they test the creams and serums to ensure that consumers don’t get a bad reaction. While publicly denounced now, animal testing was prevalent and widespread not so many years ago. For this reason, we prefer cruelty-free products like this Vitamin C Serum by Kleem Organics, a company that explicitly states that their products don’t harm animals. Pump a bit of radiance and smoothness into your palm every morning from the airless, double-sized bottle to ensure your skin and conscience feel their best.
Pros:
- Not tested on animals
- Paraben-free, organic ingredients
- Fast-absorbing, lightweight
Cons:
- Higher cost
- May dry out certain types of skin
Frequently Asked Questions
My vitamin C serum looks like it’s turning darker yellow or brown. Does this mean I shouldn’t use it anymore?
If you notice a color change – usually clear to yellow or yellow to brown – in your face serum, this means that the vitamin C inside it has oxidized from being exposed to too much light, heat, or air. An oxidized serum is less potent because it contains less L-ascorbic acid, i.e. the form of vitamin C that gives your skin all the lovely benefits we’ve listed above. While this tends to naturally occur about 3 months after you first open the bottle, you can keep oxidization at bay by storing your serum in a cool, dark place (we keep ours in the fridge) and making sure you seal it tightly every time after use.
When should I apply vitamin C serum in my skincare routine?
While everyone has their own tried-and-true routine, the general rule is cleanse-treat-moisturize. Vitamin C falls into that second category, so we tend to wash our face, put a toner on, apply our fav C serum, and then layer with moisturizer and sunscreen as needed. Generally, vitamin C is best applied in the mornings for daytime use since the nutrient works as a sun-damage protectant. Just make sure you let it absorb into your skin for a bit of time before actually going outside, as the light will make the vitamin less potent.
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