Searching for the best vitamin C face serum? Look no further. The skincare benefits of vitamin C have been widely extolled: this powerhouse antioxidant has the ability to brighten skin, neutralise free radicals, and fade acne scars and hyperpigmentation. It also helps to boost the efficacy of your SPF, as it provides added protection against environmental and sun damage.
Here, we reveal everything you need to know about harnessing its potent potential in full, as well as the best vitamin C skincare for the job.
Meet the expertsWhat is vitamin C and how does it work?
Vitamin C is the primary antioxidant in human skin, and is an essential nutrient for good health, explains Dr. Amiee Vyas. “It is required for many bodily functions including the production of collagen – a vital component in many of our tissues, from skin to ligaments and tendons, cartilage and bone, and even the corneas in our eyes.” As vitamin C is water soluble and not stored in the body, we need to obtain it from external sources: through food and topical application.
What are the benefits of vitamin C serums?
Whether you’re looking for a straightforward formula or one laced with extra actives, there is a vitamin C out there for you. Dr Vyas explains the benefits of incorporating a vitamin C serum in your routine.
It delivers a photoprotective, antioxidative, anti-pigmentary and overall anti-ageing effect.
It can promote collagen and elastin production, as well as reduce collagen damage in the skin’s dermis. This results in firmer, smoother and more resilient skin.
It’s an anti-pollution powerhouse. As a potent antioxidant, it can neutralise free radicals from pollution, UV radiation and blue light, plus other aspects of our daily lives.
It can help fade and prevent dark spots, or hyperpigmentation. Vitamin C reduces melanin production through its action as a tyrosinase inhibitor, brightening skin and preventing oxidation of existing pigmentation so it doesn’t become darker.
When should you use a vitamin C serum?
A vitamin C serum should be used daily, and optimally as part of your a.m. skincare routine, says Dr. Ashwin Soni. “It should be applied after cleansing and prior to your day cream and SPF.”
Often, “some new generation vitamin C serums are formulated with other antioxidants, such as niacinamide, for enhanced protection against free radical damage from external stressors such as UV and pollution,” Dr. Soni notes – “therefore you really want to use it in the mornings”.
Ideally, it should be used consistently, Dr. Soni continues. “As vitamin C is used to protect against accelerated ageing, we want to use it daily.”
How we test
Any product that comes Bazaar-recommended will have been thoroughly put through its paces: that means ingredients lists are scrutinised, promises are unpacked, and formulas are diligently slathered on. The vitamin C serums we’re spotlighting here come expert recommended – some are even formulated by our go-to skin experts themselves – and approved of by the beauty team, too.
The best vitamin C serums to try nowSarah Chapman C1 Vitamin C Power 1 Serum
A firm favourite within the Bazaar beauty team, this lightweight serum by Sarah Chapman brightens using a combination of oil and water soluble forms of vitamin C for better skin penetration.
Niacinamide helps to rebalance excess oil while tranexamic acid keeps pigmentation spots at bay. The brand’s new TTS3 technology features an encapsulated delivery system that ensures optimum ingredient absorption. One Bazaar beauty editor noticed significant results on her acne scars after using one bottle.
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Matter Of Fact Brightening and Firming Serum
Backed by the incubators who brought us trailblazing beauty brands such as K18 and Olaplex, Matter of Fact is created by cosmetic formulator Paul Baek. Clinical trials, innovative formulas and patent-pending actives are at the heart of this high performance skincare. This waterless, rich serum delivers vitamin C through its patent-pending Actisolv technology which promises to maximise its brightening benefits. Expect a straightforward ingredients list with no fillers or added fragrance or colorants.
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Clinique Moisture Surge™ Active Glow Serum
This gentle serum is formulated especially for sensitive and delicate complexions, without sacrificing on efficacy. It uses a trio of glow-giving ingredients: hyaluronic acid to plump up thirsty skin, vitamin C to take care of uneven skin tone and mild alpha-hydroxy acids to slough away dullness for an overall healthier, happier skin.
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Pers Protect Vitamin C 10%
Co-founder Dr Antoni Calmon is the known for his elegant, minimalist approach to injectables and cosmetic procedures – it’s why French women and royals alike flock to his clinic. The tightly edited Pers skincare range aims to maintain healthy skin through a simple yet highly effective approach. This silky serum is sensorially-pleasant to wear under moisturiser and make-up, doesn’t aggravate oily or sensitive skin types and delays the formation of new dark spots or fine lines. If you’re looking for a vitamin C that delivers results without any unnecessary bells and whistles, this is it.
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Revision Skincare C+ Correcting Complex 30%™
Aside from tackling pigmentation with its patent-pending complex and protecting skin from the elements, this hydrating serum also contains prebiotics to help minimise any redness. If your skin tolerates vitamin C but is prone to inflammation, this could be the product for you; it works wonders on any signs of flushing. The texture is slightly heavier than a watery serum, so those with combination-to-dry skin will benefit best.
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£206.00 at revisionskincare.co.uk
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum
La Roche-Posay is always a good place to start when you’re incorporating a new active into your regime. With a lightweight texture, this gentle serum combines hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid and vitamin C to clear congestion and keep the skin barrier hydrated.
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Medik8 C-Tetra® Eye
As vitamin C serums can be strong, it’s worth investing in a targeted formula for use around your eyes. If you’re prone to milia, it’s also a good idea to choose something light and serum-like in texture. Medik8’s brightening essence ticks all the boxes: it’s gentle, absorbs instantly, and layers well beneath make-up.
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SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Antioxidant Vitamin C Serum
This cult classic has been praised by beauty editors for years, and clinical research really solidifies its effectivity when it comes to protecting the skin. A 2023 study has shown C E Ferulic to neutralise 48 per cent of free radicals that reach the skin before they have a chance to induce inflammatory damage.
The water-light formula contains 15 per cent pure l-ascorbic acid alongside calming vitamin E and ferulic acid, which helps to stabilise the vitamin C, ensuring optimum potency. It’s praised in particular for its ability to brighten pigmentation in darker skin tones.
If you’re looking for something to treat oily and acne-prone skin, the brand’s Silymarin CF serum is equally brilliant. It brightens just as well as the original, but is blended with milk thistle to regulate oil production.
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CeraVe Skin Renewing 10 Pure Vitamin C Serum
The cult of Cerave is (rightfully) strong, and the dermatologist-loved brand is building its fanbase further with a line of active treatment serums. The latest is a simple yet highly effective vitamin C serum, bolstered by hyaluronic acid for hydration and the brand’s signature ceramides to keep the skin barrier fortified.
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Dr Sam’s Flawless Vitamin C NAD+ Serum
This addition to Dr Sam Bunting’s excellent skincare repertoire is much more than a vitamin C serum (although with a 15 per cent vitamin C complex, it promises all the benefits outlined above). In it, you’ll also find 5 per cent SSE (a.k.a. breakthrough ingredient sunflower shoot extract – which boosts NAD+ levels in the skin, triggering DNA repair) and 2 per cent ectoin, the environmental shield everyone’s seeking for its ability to protect and repair your skin. Consider it vibrancy in a bottle.
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Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum
Another beauty editor favourite, Allies of Skin creates precise products designed to bring about targeted skin changes. This vitamin C serum contains 20 per cent l-ascorbic acid – so may need building up to – but makes light work of fading hyperpigmentation and brightening uneven skin texture.
The milky gel texture is dense and thick at first pump, but spreads easily on damp face and absorbs to leave skin feeling silky and hydrated. If you’re not especially sensitive, and looking for a potent product to deliver quick results, this may be the one.
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Skin Design London C-Glow Peel
Leading facialist Fatma Shaheen treats some of the most photographed faces in the business, and she’s introduced three clinic-strength peels into her own at-home product line, Skin Design London.
A must-try for anyone with sun spots and even melasma, the C-Glow Peel combines stable vitamin C with phloretin and an innovative active called Radianskin, which inhibits melanin production to prevent future pigmentation from coming to the surface.
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Dr. Dennis Gross 15% Vitamin C Firm & Bright Serum
A brilliant hyperpigmentation serum, Dr. Dennis Gross’ offering contains a high dose of ascorbic acid alongside lactic acid, which exfoliates the skin surface, and liquorice, which bolsters the brightening powers. While we wouldn’t recommend this one for the extremely sensitive, it garners rave reviews for the way it speedily rejuvenates dull, uneven skin.
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Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum
This excellent value vitamin C serum contains some stellar supporting ingredients frequently found in the most premium formulas. Alongside the L-ascorbic acid sits brightening peptide glutathione and a cocktail of resurfacing fruit enzymes, all of which work together to brighten dull skin swiftly.
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Nécessaire The Body Vitamin C
As consumers demand active products that work on the skin beyond the neck, plenty of innovative new formulas are landing on the shelves, from retinol body lotions for intense rejuvenation to brightening powerhouses, such as Nécessaire’s.
Vitamin C is one of several actives in this lightweight serum: along with tranexamic acid, enzymes and niacinamide, it’ll work to brighten pigmentation and fade surface marks in a matter of weeks.
Is vitamin C a stable active?
Vitamin C is notoriously unstable as an ingredient, meaning heat, light and air can easily degrade its efficacy. For this reason, it pays to delve a little deeper into formulations and packaging, to ensure you’re getting a potent concoction with longevity. Vitamin C isn’t the easiest ingredient for the skin to absorb either. “Being water-soluble it’s repelled by our waterproof skin barrier. It is only absorbed by the skin when the pH level of the formula is below four,” explains Dr. Vyas.
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Which skin types should try vitamin C?
“Non-sensitive skin types with a strong skin barrier can benefit best from vitamin C skincare,” says Dr. Vyas. In fact, most of us looking to brighten skin, prevent wrinkles or fade pigmentation should be on board with this brilliant ingredient. “However, be careful with sensitive skin and fragile skin barriers,” she cautions, highlighting dry skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and rosacea as potentially problematic. “I always recommend a patch test if you have any of these. It’s better to strengthen your skin barrier using other ingredients first. This is because most topical treatments have a pH of around two (very acidic), which can cause flare-ups of conditions like eczema, and even acne.”
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How to choose the right vitamin C serum
Look for products in airtight, opaque packaging to keep the formula fresh. L-ascorbic acid is the most commonly used form of stable vitamin C. Other stable vitamin Cs worth looking out for are tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, 3-O ethyl ascorbic acid, and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate. Consider your skin type. Oily and combination complexions should look to lightweight gel or water textures while those with dry skin will want a more hydrating formula. Look at the formula as a whole; ingredients such as vitamin E, ferulic acid, peptides and niacinamide will help improve the efficacy of your product.
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