A few great Vitamin C serums

If you’re new(ish) to skincare, then you have probably seen countless different serums on the market, and thought, do I really need all of these? There are so many serums on the market, and it can be hard to decipher what’s used for what, when to use them, and whether these products are actually going to make a difference in your skincare routine. If you’re just starting out with a skincare routine (you can check out my post for beginners), then Vitamin C is a great first step into the serum world.

Just like many skincare products, there are hundreds of different vitamin C products on the market now. It is definitely a trendy ingredient for skincare creators to include in their product lines, and there is a good reason for that. Vitamin C is a brightening agent that also works to change hyperpigmentation and the texture of your skin. It’s an antioxidant, and the easiest way to understand what that is for your skincare (I mean, does anyone really understand what it does in our food?) is to know that is works as a preventative but also a regenerative. In skincare simple speak, it helps keep your skin healthy, and also works to repair any damage that might have been caused by the sun or scarring. So it’s going to do a lot of good!

Vitamin C is also acidic, just like citrus (which has a lot of Vitamin C) is – that’s a helpful way to remember. And if you skipped my post on acids (do not sleep on these), acids are excellent skincare ingredients because they are able to penetrate the various layers of skin, and really help to target the issues of discoloration and texture in your skin. Vitamin C, as an acid, is going to help trigger your skin to begin to heal itself, hence the regenerative element of these types of serums in your routine. We want our skin to have great cell production/turnover, because this keeps our skin hydrated and healthy, and prevents the things that damage our skin (by keeping the barrier healthy) and also repairs (by healing any damage from elements like the sun).

So, all that to say, if you are worried about discoloration (essentially, spotting of the skin), hyperpigmentation (patches of darker color that results from acne scarring or sun damage), or working to prevent signs of aging on your skin, then you should include a vitamin C product into your skincare routine. If you’re starting a skincare routine, this is a great, easy serum to add to your routine. Now, let’s talk which ones, and when/how to use them.

A couple of things to note when you’re looking for a vitamin C product. Ideally, vitamin C should be sold in a glass bottle that has a darker color, as vitamin C will break down when exposed to the elements (you will notice the product actually changes color and gets darker when it’s on its way out). You also want to consider what other elements it is combined with. Some of the most common and beneficial combinations are licorice root, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, or ferulic acid (notoriously smells like hot dog water – yeah, it’s gross, but effective). But products that doesn’t include those aren’t bad products- it’s just a matter of what you want and need.

For me, the biggest benefit of a vitamin C is less about targeting fine lines, and more about brightening, so I look for that as the primary purpose of any Vitamin C serum. When you’re incorporating serums into your routine, you want to use them before you moisturize, and after you have toned and put on your eye cream or any retinol-based products. So you want to look for a product that is advertised to be used as a serum versus a moisturizer, as that is what is going to actually penetrate in to the skin.

A last note, vitamin C products can be used morning or night- there’s some slight debate over this, but I have two separate vitamin C products- I prefer more of an oil-based serum at night and a liquidy/watery serum in the daytime, as it’s just lighter under makeup.

So let’s jump in to a few of my favorite vitamin C serums on the market and a bit about why I love each of them, and how/when I use each of them.

Let’s start with serums. If you’re at all familiar with Vitamin C products, then you have probably heard of the type of the line product from Skinceuticals, their vitamin C serum combined with vitamin E and ferulic acid (the hot dog water I mentioned). This serum has a steep price tag over $150, which is a lot of money for one step of your skincare. I have heard great reviews, but I am just not willing to spend that on one serum that I will be using up quickly.

A smaller, Korean-born beauty brand, Maelove, created a product called, The Glowmaker, that has almost identical ingredients, and has built a cult-following for its price tag at only a fraction of the cost of the more expensive option. Now, I cannot compare the two (one of my trusted skincare sources does compare them here), but I can speak to how much I love this serum from Maelove, which also includes a punch of vitamins c, e, hyaluronic acid and ferulic acid, with that same hot dog water smell (I think that’s how you know it’s good). Since trying this over a year ago, I have repurchased this four or five times, and have used it in my daily routine each morning for a long time. It leaves you with hydrated and firm skin that offers a gorgeous base of glow before you put on your makeup, and at only $28, it’s very much worth its cost. For that reason, this is the top of my list, and a great option for starting out.

Last week, I shared some photos of a recent serum that I was incredibly surprised by – a brightening serum from growing drugstore beauty brand, Versed (there’s actually an amazing episode of Breaking Beauty podcast interviewing their founder who has had a fascinating career path). I have to tell you, I didn’t even know what I was buying when I bought this. But I have been using it daily for a few weeks now, and I have to say, I am in love. Now, it’s too soon for me to speak to the long-term, regenerative effects of this serum, but with it’s powerful combination of vitamin c and licorice root (a natural brightening agent), it gives the most healthy and hydrated glow. I use it in the morning, before I put on my moisturizer. No smell, no sticky texture, just a great product. If budget and clean beauty are your priorities, this serum is it, and it’s available at everyone’s favorite- Target.

The next two serums are more oil-based, making their point of application a bit different than my first two serums. Anything that is oil-based is going to be something that I end my nighttime skincare routine with, and based on the user directions on both of these products, that’s they way they are intended, to aid in brightening, but also to help lock in hydration.

My first foray into vitamin C was actually with this facial oil from Beautycounter. Now, they have since come out with a serum, pre-moisturizer type of vitamin C product, but I have not yet tried this (this holiday set is intriguing if you want to try both). I can only speak to their No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil, which, simply put, is delightful. The scent alone makes it worth its weight in gold, but I use this in my nighttime routine on top of my moisturizer. It’s a great option if you want to try to guasha, but it’s also just so luxurious and incredibly hydrating and brightening. While this may not have a lot of positive results for dealing with hyperpigmentation (because it’s not an acid-based serum), this is great for clean beauty lovers looking for something that lasts a bit longer and packs a hydrating punch.

This next one is currently in my skincare routine, and I bought it during some recent Sephora promotion to try a new vitamin C. I had heard such amazing things about Biossance, and we were heading into dry season, so I thought an oil-based product might be the way to go. This facial oil has both vitamin C and a rose oil, which has more of a hydrating and brightening combination effect. To me, this feels very much like a hybrid product- it’s consistency is something between a serum and an oil. It’s not a heavy duty facial oil, so you could wear this under makeup if you wanted to (it would be a great option for mixing a drop into your foundation), but I like to use this at night, after my retinol and my eye cream. This gives me an extra boost of hydration overnight, so I wake up with hydrated, brighter skin.

Up next is one of my favorite product sets of all time – the Ole Henriksen vitamin C line of “Brightening Essentials.” While you might not think you need all three products (and I’ll be honest, you don’t, but it’s a great deal), I think all 3 of the products in this set are worthy. The serum and gel-based moisturizer are light-weight and hydrating, and they also smell amazing with a super citrus-y smell. But the start of this show is the Banana Bright eye cream, which is one of my holy grail products. I love this daytime eye cream for brightening dark circles and hydrating my under eyes. All 3 items pack a punch of vitamin C, and this is a great set to try if you’re just starting a skincare routine. Use all three in the morning after you cleanse, and you are set up to brighten up your skin (and maybe even your day).

If you’re intrigued by vitamin C, but aren’t sure whether you’re ready to incorporate a serum into the mix, or break the bank on a product you’re not sure you will love, I think the Vitamin C tonic from Pixi is a great way to get a healthy glow in the toning step of your routine when your skin is fresh. Given that it’s a toner, it’s like to seep into the skin before you put on any other product; however, it’s not super securely stored, so you may see a change in pigmentation (and quality) quicker than other products. At only $18, this toner is one of my morning skincare routine favorites, and just leaves you with hydrated and radiant skin, ready for whatever else you want to put on.

Continuing with another great eye cream option, one of my favorite ways to incorporate vitamin C into my routine is with an eye cream. This Cherry Bright eye cream from Farmacy is my other favorite day-time eye cream. It’s hydrating and has a gorgeous consistency that just works perfectly under makeup. If you like a lot of concealer under you eyes, or you have sensitive skin that tends to break out or show signs of irritation around your eyes, this eye cream is a great option for light-weight wear that also has all of the benefits of a vitamin C product.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention two great options for vitamin C masks, a great weekly treatment to brighten up dull complexion and add some glow back. There are two options that I like – the first is my hands-down most used mask from Summer Fridays, the Jet Lag mask. I didn’t even know this had vitamin C in it, but it’s not surprising that I found it in the ingredient list as it really brings such a boost to dry, dull skin whenever you use it. I love it as a mask, or as an added layer of moisture at night. If you’re looking for something less hydrating and more brightening and color-correcting, then this mask from Tatcha is an excellent option for a vitamin C treatment that leaves you radiant. Anything from Tatcha is just great, and this mask is not exception.

At the end of the day, there are so many options, find what works best for your needs and your skincare routine. Keep in mind that a serum will be your most effective, but vitamin C ingredients will never hurt. Other favorites? Let me know in the comments below!

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