Vitamin C has been searched for on the internet more times than any other skincare ingredient this year, so it’s not surprising that sales of vitamin C beauty products are soaring, and the range available is increasing at an exponential rate.
Whilst this is excellent news for your skin, your brain can be left feeling more than a little addled when faced with the task of choosing vitamin C skincare. Fear not; we’re here to help.
If you don’t know why everyone is going crazy for vitamin C, the short answer is that it genuinely is a hero ingredient. It boosts collagen, evens skin tone, reduces fine lines, fades hyperpigmentation, hydrates the skin, and brightens the complexion. Whilst it can be found in a variety of skincare products, the biggest benefits of vitamin C come when it is in serums, as they most directly deliver the star ingredient to the skin.
To get the best results, select a vitamin C serum that contains 100% L-ascorbic acid, the purest form of vitamin C. Check out the concentration of the vitamin C in the serum, as this can range from as little as 1%, right up to 20%. Professionals recommend a pure vitamin C concentration of 10%-20% but stick to the lower end of the scale if you have sensitive skin.
Recommended vitamin C serums
Beauty Pie Superdose C-Suite Power Brightener – £80 (30ml)
The clue is in the name here. Beauty Pie’s Superdose C-Suite Power Brightener is a new addition to their fabulous vitamin C range, and it’s exactly what you need if you’re after that elusive glow.
4.5.6 Skin Sevenly Delight – £65 (30ml)
It’s no exaggeration to say that 4.5.6 Skin is a game-changing brand; all of their products are designed for melanin-rich skin. The Sevenly Delight serum comes in a range of colours and can be customised to treat your specific skin concerns.
Tropic Glow Berry Brightening Serum – £42 (30ml)
Tropic pairs 10% of advanced encapsulated vitamin C with 1% of tranexamic acid in its Glow Berry Brightening Serum. The result? Reduced dark spots, improved skin tone, and a radiant complexion.
Korres Spotless Serum – £55 (30ml)
As well as 15% Super vitamin C and 10% Wild Rose Oil, the formulation of Korres Spotless Serum includes a 5% Dark Spot Correction Complex to tackle hyperpigmentation.
BeautyBio The Daily Serum – £85 (30ml)
BeautyBio’s antioxidant-rich The Daily Serum is an intensive vitamin cocktail, and a great product to use first thing in the morning, to prepare and protect your skin for the day ahead.
PCA Skin C&E Advanced Serum – £105 (28g)
Combining 20% pure vitamin C concentration with hexylresorcinol and silymarin, PCA Skin’s C&E Advanced Serum is a potent product that has powerful skin brightening and evening properties.
Skin Generics Vitamin C Serum – £25.95 (30ml)
With a formulation that includes 2% pure vitamin C and 8% hyaluronic acid, Skin Generics Vitamin C Serum provides ‘20% brightening properties’ at a really great price.
Natura Bissé C+C Vitamin Complex Serum – £170 (30ml)
Yes, Natura Bissé’s C+C Vitamin Complex Serum is pricey, but it gets results. The formula contains pure Vitamin C and Vita C Asimil and is bursting with antioxidants and amino acids.
Oio Lab The Future Is Bright – £62 (30ml)
New to the market this year, Oio Lab has created a bit of a stir with its combination of botanical ingredients and advanced science. The Future Is Bright contains 15% stable vitamin C, formulated with milk thistle, borage, cranberry and wild rose seed oils. It’s particularly good at sorting out uneven skin tone.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost Instant Smoother – £17 (30ml)
The Body Shop’s Vitamin C Skin Boost Instant Smoother contains Amazonian Camu Camu berries, which are packed full of vitamin C. Great for all complexions, and especially good for dull skin.
REN Clean Skincare Radiance Perfection Serum – £39
REN have included hyaluronic acid, alongside vitamin C, in their Clean Skincare Radiance Perfection Serum, making it a fab resurfacing AHA concentrate that also brightens the skin. Not for those with sensitive skin though, it might irritate.
mesoestetic AOX Ferulic Serum – £120 (30ml)
mesoestetic’s AOX Ferulic combines 15% pure vitamin C with 1.5% protech-cell complex in a formulation that offers fantastic protection against sunlight, radiation, and blue light.
Dr Dennis Gross C+ Collagen – £79 (30ml)
Serving to instantly brighter and firm the skin, Dr Dennis Gross’s C+Collagen is a weightless gel-serum that really will help you get your glow back.
AlumierMD EverActive C&E™ + Peptide – £149 (45ml)
You’ll need to have a consultation with a licenced AlumierMD professional before you can buy their products, but the results of EverActive C&E™ + Peptide are worth it. The vitamin C crystals come separated from the serum, which ensures that the 15% vitamin C complex is always optimally active.
Ecooking Vitamin C Serum – £42 (20ml)
A potent mix of vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, actibiome, and sodium PCA, Ecooking’s Vitamin C Serum is brilliant at fighting blemishes and brightening the skin. It can feel a bit prickly at first, so avoid if you have sensitive skin.
Skin Proud Bright Boost – £12.99 (25ml)
Ideal for those with very sensitive skin, Skin Proud’s Bright Boost is a gentle, lightweight serum that offers incredible value for money.
Dr David Jack Good Morning! – £89 (30ml)
With its patented ‘One Pump Principle’, Dr David Jack pioneers the way when it comes to simple but effective skincare. And it’s Good Morning! Vitamin C serum, which contains stabilised 10% ascorbic acid, is no exception. It’s quick and easy to use. And it works.
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic – £140 (30ml)
Skincare professionals won’t stop raving about Skinceuticals’s CE Ferulic, and there’s good reason. With a higher pH level than other serums, and a patented formula of 15% L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid, it really does pack a punch.
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum – £85
Biolumin-C Serum, from cult Californian brand Dermalogica, is a high-performance product that really is brilliant at tightening, brightening, and providing protection to the skin.
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