If you are looking out for the best vitamin c serums to buy to help with brightening and making your skin glowy then you are in the right place.
Because I will be sharing all the information you need to know about vitamin c and vitamin c serums, in addition, I will be recommending some products you can try.
From my recommendation, you will see the vitamin c serums that best fit your skin and its needs.
WHAT IS VITAMIN C
Vitamin C in its pure form is known as ascorbic or L-ascorbic acid.
It is a naturally occurring nutrient in our bodies and we need it to help repair and restore our body tissues.
It also helps our body produce protein and it is recommended to fight colds.
Most of the time when we think of vitamin c, what comes to our minds are citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, pineapples, brussels sprouts, or even grapefruits.
You may say you eat all these vitamin c packed fruits and veggies and there will be no need for using vitamin c serums.
Unfortunately, simply eating more oranges and pineapples isn’t going to give you what you want.
Because the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, doesn’t have blood vessels to send nutrients to the skin cells.
So we have to help it by applying vitamin c directly to our skin.
BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C
- Vitamin c is an antioxidant that helps to fight free radicals that damage your skin. Because our environment is polluted we stand the risk of these free radicals affecting us. They’re linked to multiple illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
- Vitamin c has skin brightening benefits and this one I can testify to because since I started using a vitamin c serum and sunscreen I have noticed a big change in my skin. My skin looks brighter and it is glowing.
- Studies have also shown that vitamin c can also help to boost collagen production. You produce less collagen from age 25 and that can make you start looking older.
WHAT IS VITAMIN C SERUMS
Vitamin C serums are skincare products that have vitamin C as one of the active ingredients. It can come in the consistency of a liquid or gel, and it is applied to the skin.
Vitamin c serums are one of the essential steps for my skincare routine. You can get vitamin c in different products like your cleansers or moisturizer.
But I prefer using the serum to get all the full benefits.
One of the reasons you should use it as a stand-alone product is that vitamin c is concentrated in the serums and absorbs quickly in the serum.
Vitamin c is best used in your morning skincare routine. When you layer vitamin c with your sunscreen, you protect your skin evermore.
Vitamin c will help boost the effects of your sunscreen.
how to use vitamin c serums
If you are a newbie to using vitamin c serums you have to start with a low concentration of ascorbic acid and work your way up to avoid irritation.
When you see how it works, you can go up in concentration. This serum is used before your moisturizer, sunscreen, or even your makeup.
Types of Vitamin c Serums
There are two types of vitamin c active and inactive present in vitamin c serums.
Active vitamin c is the L-ascorbic acid while inactive vitamin c is the vitamin c derivative.
Active Vitamin C
The active vitamin c is L-ascorbic acid works almost immediately when it is applied.
There are lots of vitamin c serums in the market but most research that you will get results from L-ascorbic acid.
It is the most effective between 8-20%, it is not ideal for acne-prone skin.
For sensitive skin, it is recommended that the active vitamin c in the serum is less than 10%.
However, this form of vitamin c( L-ascorbic acid) has some issues.
- Unstable: This type of vitamin c is very stable, when exposed to oxygen or sunlight it can oxidize and go bad. Once it turns dark orange it becomes ineffective, when using a vitamin c serum in its pure form always keep in mind the Period After Opening(PAO).
- Acidic pH: This vitamin c is most effective at a formulation with low pH usually around 2.6-3.2 and that is acidic and it may be irritating to some skin types.
Inactive Vitamin C
These are called vitamin c derivatives, there are different forms of it.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD): This is the gold standard form of vitamin c, it is stable and also has all the benefits of L-ascorbic acid.
It has fatty acid components that make its oil double and it can penetrate deeper into the skin. Has an optimal pH for all skin including sensitive skin
THD has an increased shelf life and prolonged effectiveness thereby making it expensive to get.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate: This is a form of vitamin c that has proven to be beneficial as L-ascorbic acid.
It has antioxidant properties, collagen bursting, and even out your pigmented skin. It is a good choice for acne-prone skin with a pH of 6.0.
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate: This is the most stable form of vitamin c and it is less irritating to the skin with a pH of 6-7.
It helps to brighten your skin and 60% is converted to L-ascorbic acid which helps in collagen production.
Ascorbyl Glucoside: This is another vitamin c derivative with a pH of 5-8. It is water-soluble and a very stable form of vitamin c. You can pair it with niacinamide( vitamin B3) for best results.
3-0 Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: This form of vitamin c has good whitening effects and boosts collagen production. It is also a stable vitamin c and it has a pH of 5-6.5.
Antioxidants That work with vitamin c
Some antioxidants work much better in combination with vitamin c. This is because they help stabilize each other so here are other ingredients you will want in your vitamin c serum.
- Green tea extract
- Vitamin E
- Ferulic acid
- Vitamin A
- Resveratrol
So now we have given you all the necessary information you need to know about vitamin c and vitamin c serums.
Let me show you some vitamin c serums I recommend to start your skincare journey.
15 Best Vitamin C Serums For A Glowing Skin
1. Mad Hippie Vitamin c serum
This serum contains one of the most stabilized forms of vitamin c. It contains 10% sodium ascorbyl phosphate and will be less irritating to your skin which makes it a good choice for sensitive skin.
It has a smooth texture, it is slightly tacky and it dries down matte.
Other ingredients:
- Vitamin E
- Ferulic Acid
- Hyaluronic Acid and other antioxidants
SHOP NOW: AMAZON
2. Melano cc age spot beauty essence
This is a Japanese skincare brand, unlike the mad hippie, this gives you the vitamin c direct in the form of ascorbic acid.
It also comes with Vitamin E, which works well with vitamin c. They are both antioxidants and both increase each other’s effectiveness.
The essence is clear but has an oily texture, however it absorbs very well to the skin and you can layer this product easily with other products.
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3. Kora organics noni bright vitamin c serum
This vitamin c serum has a little vitamin c of 12%, and it is a vitamin c derivative called Ascorbyl Glucoside.
The vitamin c derivative will make this serum gentle on the skin, it is hydrating.
This serum has superfruit extracts; Kakadu Plum, Acerola Cherry, Orange & Lemon Peel, and Noni Extract.
It also contains Sodium Hyaluronate which is a powerful humectant, Olive Leaf Extract, and Red Pepper.
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4. Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum
This serum has vitamin c as L-ascorbic acid and it is 20% in concentration.
It helps to brighten your skin, builds collagen, and evens out your skin tone.
It comes in an airtight pump which is great because it will help reduce oxidation.
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5. SKINCEUTICALS C E Ferulic vitamin c serum
This is pricey vitamin c serum but it has all the good things you will want in a vitamin c serum. Which is to brighten your skin and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
It contains L-ascorbic acid as the main ingredient and it comes in a concentration of 15%. It is recommended for people with dry skin.
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6. geek & gorgeous 101 c-glow
This brand is from a Hungarian lady Judit Racz a beauty blogger. This serum contains 15% L-ascorbic acid with Vitamin E and Ferulic acid.
It absorbs fast into the skin and has a weightless liquid-like texture.
SHOP NOW: G&G
7. La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C serum
If you don’t want to spend so much on the SkinCeuticals vitamin c serum then you should get this one.
It has 10% L-ascorbic acid, salicylic acid, and glycerin for hydrating your skin.
This serum will boost your skin’s radiance while reducing the look of wrinkles & refining skin texture. It has a bit of fragrance to it.
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8. Naturium Vitamin C Complex Face Serum
This is a hydrating serum with stabilized l-ascorbic acid encapsulation and sodium ascorbyl phosphate.
It also contains a bioactive fruit blend which brightens your overall skin complexion and boosts collagen production.
It has a skin-friendly pH of 5.5-6.5, and this vitamin c serum is best for women of color.
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9. Vichy LiftActiv Peptide-C Ampoule Serum
This is a very interesting vitamin c serum because I feel a lot of thought was put into the packaging. It comes in glass ampoules filled with vitamin c.
Like I said early that L-ascorbic acid starts oxidizing once it is opened, so with these ampoules you don’t have to worry about that.
Once you open it it will last for about 24-36 hours, so you can get 3 to 4 uses out of each ampoule.
This serum is hydrating and has a 10% concentration of pure vitamin c, it is also a liquidy serum.
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10. Skin & Lab Vitamin C Brightening Serum
This serum has a stable form of vitamin c (3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid). It is packed with other good ingredients like niacinamide for fading hyperpigmentation of your skin.
Tumeric extract helps with brightening your skin. In general, this serum will help brighten and even your skin tone, also it will help boost your skin into healthy, youthful skin.
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11. Paula’s Choice BOOST C15 Super Booster
This is a great vitamin c serum to use if you are already into the vitamin c serum game, that is if you are using other forms of vitamin c serum and you want to move to L-ascorbic acid.
It has a great mix of antioxidants and has 15% L-ascorbic acid, vitamin e, and ferulic acid, it has a pH of 3.0.
It also has peptide which helps fight the signs of aging. Feels lightweight and it is super runny and absorbs well into the skin.
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12. Versed Stroke of Brilliance Brightening Serum
This serum is great for sensitive skin and it helps to correct uneven skin tone, just like the mad hippie vitamin c serum it has the same form of vitamin c (sodium ascorbyl phosphate).
So it is gentle on the skin, it has a long shelf life and it is great at killing the bacteria associated with acne.
It does not have essential oil in it and that is why is great for sensitive skin.
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13. Youth To The People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum
This is a vitamin c derivative serum with a 15% concentration of these three powerful sources of vitamin C; Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD Ascorbate), and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate this is for maximum efficacy and stability.
It has a liquid consistency and is hydrating. The Yerba Mate + Guayusa in the serum is high in caffeine and it helps to reduce morning puffiness.
It also contains passion fruit which is high in antioxidants and helps scavenge for free radicals. Dragon fruit helps to promote skin health and replenishes essential moisture.
Then squalane is an emollient that provides weightless hydration, locking in moisture.
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14. Beauty Pie superactive vitamin c capsules
Honestly, I find the packaging of this serum interesting, it is easy to travel with easy to apply to the skin all you do is pinch out the tip.
It applies to skin dry, so keep in mind you will be needing a moisturizer.
Each capsule will give you the right amount you need to apply to your face and neck.
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15. dear, klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
This vitamin c serum is good for sensitive and combination skin, it is also good for people that want to add vitamin c serum to their skincare routine.
This is because it contains only 5% of ascorbic acid, it also has Centella Asiatica extract which helps with soothing your skin.
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Conclusion
There you have it lovelies all the information you need to know about vitamin c, its derivatives, uses, and products.
Do not forget your skin stands to gain a lot by adding vitamin c to your skincare routine so make sure you add it.
I am sure from this 15 best vitamin c serums list you have found the one you will want to try or you are even using.
Let me know in the comment section which one you are using currently and which you wish to try.
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