Vitamin C by day, retinol by night: if you like your skincare routine swift and simple, that’s the trick. But as widely lauded as this antioxidant may be in the beauty world, good vitamin C serums – as in, use-to-the-last-drop ones – are hard to find.
While almost every skincare brand offers a vitamin C face serum, the best ones are a rare breed. As an ingredient, vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) is tricky to formulate with: it’s not just a case of sticking a dose in the bottle and calling it a day. The main challenge is stability: vitamin C is degraded by sunlight, heat and air, meaning your formula must be stabilised in order to keep its antioxidant power alive. Then, there’s the sensoriality: ascorbic acid doesn’t rank high in the pampering stakes, and products often come with an unpleasant smell or stickiness.
So, where can the best vitamin C serums be found? We know the answers, but first: the experts unpack exactly how to reap the benefits of this feted antioxidant in your skincare.
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?
The skincare benefits of vitamin C have been widely extolled: this powerhouse antioxidant has the ability to brighten skin, neutralise free radicals, and even fade acne scars and hyperpigmentation. Below, Dr Vyas explains the benefits of incorporating a vitamin C serum in your routine.
It delivers an antioxidant, anti-pigmentary and overall anti-ageing effect.
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 (that’s your phone screen).
It can help fade and prevent dark spots, known as 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 morning skincare routine, says Dr. Ashwin Soni. “It should be applied after cleansing and prior to your day cream and SPF.”
“Many new-generation vitamin C serums are boosted 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 morning”.
And furthermore, your serum should be used consistently. “As vitamin C is used to protect against accelerated ageing, we want to use it daily,” adds Dr. Soni.
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 in 2026SkinCeuticals SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic 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 found 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.
SkinCeuticals SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum
lookfantastic.com
£169.00
Sarah Chapman Sarah 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.
Sarah Chapman Sarah Chapman C1 Vitamin C Power 1 Serum
spacenk.com.uk
£90.00
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.
Matter Of Fact Brightening and Firming Serum
matteroffact.com
£85.00
Hearst OwnedClinique 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.
Clinique Clinique Moisture Surge™ Active Glow Serum
sephora.co.uk
£66.00
La Roche-Posay 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.
La Roche-Posay La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum
Boots
£30.99
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.
Medik8 C-Tetra® Eye
medik8.com
£24.00
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.
CeraVe Skin Renewing 10 Pure Vitamin C Serum
boots.com
£20.30
Hearst OwnedSkin Rocks The Antioxidant
Created by original skinfluencer Caroline Hirons, you know this super-serum is going to deliver in the efficacy stakes. It features a combination of stable vitamin C and acetyl zingerone: another highly photostable antioxidant, derived from ginger, which doubles down on the skin-shielding powers.
Gentle enough for sensitive skin, yet potent enough for the advanced signs of ageing, this is one almost everyone should get on well with. If you’ve tried and failed to find a vitamin C you like, this could be the end of the search.
Skin Rocks The Antioxidant
spacenk.com.uk
£75.00
Dr Sam’s Flawless Vitamin C NAD+ Serum
This addition to Dr Sam Bunting’s excellent skincare repertoire is much more than an antioxidant 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.
Dr Sam’s Flawless Vitamin C NAD+ Serum
drsambunting.com
£64.00
Hearst OwnedAllies of Skin Vitamin C 20% & Citrus Cells Advanced Light Reflecting Serum
Another beauty editor favourite, Allies of Skin creates precise products designed to bring about targeted skin changes. This is the brand’s new, most potent vitamin C serum yet, containing 20 per cent ethylated l-ascorbic acid: a highly stable form of vitamin C that makes light work of fading hyperpigmentation and brightening uneven skin texture.
What’s more, a dose of glutathione (the skincare industry’s current darling) boosts the antioxidant power, leading to more even tone.
The milky gel texture is dense and thick at first pump, but spreads easily on a 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.
Allies of Skin Vitamin C 20% & Citrus Cells Advanced Light Reflecting Serum
allies.shop
£79.05
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.
Dr. Dennis Gross 15% Vitamin C Firm & Bright Serum
sephora.co.uk
£87.00
Hearst OwnedSkin 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.
Skin Design London C-Glow Peel
Selfridges
£215.00
Hearst OwnedNATURIUM 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.
NATURIUM Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum
spacenk.com.uk
£22.00
Hearst OwnedNécessaire 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.
Nécessaire The Body Vitamin C
spacenk.com.uk
£58.00
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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Vitamin C serums: the mistakes to avoid
Vitamin C isn’t exactly a slap-on-and-go ingredient: there are a few things to bear in mind if you want to harness your product’s full potential. Firstly, use it in the morning, not the evening, so you can be sure to reap the protective benefits while you’re out in the world. Secondly, don’t be tempted to layer with abandon: vitamin C doesn’t play well with exfoliating acids (that’s your glycolic and lactic) or retinoids. And finally, store your bottle properly: vitamin C isn’t an inherently stable ingredient in skincare, and it’s susceptible to degradation at the hands of oxygen (so keep the lid on tightly) and sunlight. The biggest clue your product has oxidised? The formula will turn dark orange or brown.
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