Bạn đang xem: The 11 best vitamin c serums of 2023, tested and reviewed
Whether you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation, skin dullness, dark marks, or sagging skin, seeking out the best vi-ta-min C serum can help address all of the above. For many of us, the antioxidant has become a mainstay in a thoughtful beauty regimen. “I look at vi-ta-min C as that little black dress in your closet,” Samantha Mims tells Vogue. “It’s definitely one of those things you must have. It works lớn boost circulation, amplify the skin’s complexion, và stimulate collagen production.”
The Best vi-ta-min C Serums
What khổng lồ Look For in a vi-ta-min C Serum
As for Dr. Paula Bourelly, she recommends products with ingredients like arbutin & ubiquinone, as they both have “brightening properties which help khổng lồ lighten brown spots and, as antioxidants, the ascorbic acid và tocopherol địa chỉ another layer of defense lớn traditional sunscreens.” Generally speaking, you're looking for a formula with a stable size of vi-ta-min C that can deliver sufficient antioxidant protection—of l-ascorbic acid or tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Experts say you're typically looking for a vi-ta-min C in the 10-20% range. Also, the product's packaging makes all the difference: dark or opaque bottles help reduce the oxidation that could occur when vi-ta-min C gets exposed to sunlight or heat. Your precious formula is best stored in a cool, dark environment for best usage.
With this in mind, we spoke with seven skin-care experts và tested a handful of formulas to curate this edit of the 19 best vi-ta-min C serums out there. Get ready lớn give your skin the radiance boost it deserves.
Skin
Ceuticals C E Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid
Skin
Ceuticals C E Ferulic
$182
SKINCEUTICALS
$182
DERMSTORE
Key Ingredients: 15% l-ascorbic acid, 1% alpha-tocopherol (a khung of vitamin E), và 0.5% ferulic acidHow khổng lồ Apply: According to lớn Skin
Ceuticals, four lớn five drops can be applied to lớn a dry face, neck, & chest each morning.
i
S Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance Plus
i
S Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance Plus
$95
DERMSTORE
$95
AMAZON
Why We Love It: This i
S Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance Plus delivers skin protection, as well as treatment of acne, rosacea, liên hệ dermatitis, & insect bites through time-released vitamin C & a blend of botanicals. Key Ingredients: vitamin C, olive leaf, vitamin A, vitamin EHow lớn Apply: According khổng lồ i
S Clinical, apply three khổng lồ four drops across the face và neck.
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure vitamin C Serum
For more of the Cut’s favorite fashion, beauty, and home finds, sign up for the weekly Cut Shop Newsletter.
As a shopping editor who covers beauty, I’ve had many conversations with dermatologists và aestheticians about skin-care routines. The one thing they always recommend? vi-ta-min C. Despite the serum formulas smelling lượt thích hot dogs, the antioxidant is pretty much an all-in-one, targeting hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and sun damage. However, there’s a lot lớn consider when trying them out. Since nobody wants to lớn mess up their skin barrier, we reached out khổng lồ Dr. Angela Lamb, M.D., Dr. Dusan Sajic, M.D., Ph.D., và Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., F.A.A.D., to lớn help you pick the right vitamin-C serum for your face.
FAQs
Before you beeline to the cute packaging, you need to look at the ingredients list. There are many forms of vi-ta-min C. The most effective one? L-ascorbic acid, specifically between 10 và 20 percentage, because L-ascorbic can be irritating and unstable.
Another size of vitamin C is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Ciraldo favors this one since it’s more stable và less irritating than L-ascorbic acid. Plus, it’s beneficial for fine lines & collagen. She recommends seeking out a percentage of 2 to lớn 3. Last but not least, we have ascorbyl glucoside, which is another more stable, less irritating khung of vitamin C that’s easily absorbed into the skin. (Don’t worry about taking notes. We have plenty of recommendations, below.)
Yes. Vitamin C is sensitive khổng lồ light & air and, if packaged improperly, that could cause it lớn oxidize faster and in turn be less effective. The rule of thumb all that our experts agree on is that your vitamin-C serum should be in a dark or tinted bottle with a dropper lớn keep light và air out.
Since it’s such a sensitive ingredient, you’re going lớn want to avoid the aesthetic sunlit beauty shelves. (Sorry!) “It is important to lớn store it in a dark, cool place, away from sunlight & heat,” Sajic explains. If you have or have been looking for an excuse to get a skin-care fridge, Lamb says that’s also a good option if you want to lớn be extra cautious.
You can use vi-ta-min C daily, just not immediately. Start using it a few times a week in the morning (after you cleanse và before you moisturize), depending on your skin’s tolerance & serum concentration. & as usual, always wear sunscreen after you’re done.
The most important question of them all. We’d all like to fast-forward to the part where we have smooth và clear skin, but piling on ingredients on ingredients will have the opposite effect. Here’s the TL;DR on the ingredients you should avoid when using your vitamin-C serum:
- Retinol: If you’re using retinol và vitamin C as part of your nightly routine, Lamb recommends alternating nights or using your vitamin-C serum in the morning only.
- Exfoliants: These are your alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) và your beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). “Avoid using vi-ta-min C with benzoyl peroxide, & alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid, as they can cause irritation,” Sajic explains. Simply switch up the days you’re using your products khổng lồ obtain maximum results.
Lamb explains that there is a chance that those with sensitive skin may experience some irritation from vitamin-C serums. So you might want to lớn approach with care. If you don’t want to risk it and want to skip the vitamin-C serums altogether, a good alternative, according khổng lồ Lamb, is niacinamide. “Both vitamin C và niacinamide decrease damage from environmental factors, but niacinamide is more gentle,” she says.
The pricey cult-favorite serum comes highly recommended by derms, Cut staffers, and pretty much everyone else. This is a powerful full bộ of ingredients, which we guess contributes lớn the price tag. It has 15 percent L-ascorbic acid và a blend of additional antioxidants that help protect, smooth, and brighten.
Another Cut favorite we’ve raved about before. This has a similar ingredient danh sách to the Skinceuticals product above: 15 percent L-ascorbic acid, vi-ta-min E, and ferulic acid, at a fraction of the price.
This is one of Lamb’s favorites for the opaque packaging & combination of ingredients (15 percent L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, & ferulic acid). It comes in two separate parts that you set before your first use for the freshest sản phẩm each time và the best results.
As someone who’s had many not-so-great experiences with vitamin-C serums, this one is one of my favorites. Along with 15 percent vi-ta-min C, it also features kojic acid, a favorite for fading dark spots.
Features writer Matthew Schneier’s favorite is within the 12.5 percent, nonirritating range. He likes that despite its thick texture & potent formula, it doesn’t irritate his skin or make him break out.
Junior fashion và beauty writer Asia Milia Ware’s favorite comes from Tatcha. Besides being one of the most aesthetically pleasing bottles on this list, it has 20 percent vitamin C to target skin texture and hyperpigmentation.
Ware also recommends this brightening và firming serum from Dr. Dennis Gross. The active ingredient is a stabilized size of vi-ta-min C, 3-O-Ethyl ascorbic acid, along with amino acids for elasticity và niacinamide lớn aid in brightening.
Ascorbyl glucoside is the key ingredient in this favorite from Lamb. “The formula is boosted by garland lily extract, which protects the skin from UV & blue light, & it also contains hyaluronic acid khổng lồ deeply hydrate for radiant luminous skin,” she explains. “It excludes all endocrine-disrupting ingredients & therefore is safe khổng lồ use when pregnant or breastfeeding.”
Featuring a low but not too low percentage of L-ascorbic acid (10 percent), this recommendation from Sajic is on the gentler side — but reviewers also love the collagen-boosting peptides that help smooth skin.
Featuring tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and additional antioxidants for skin protection, you’ll also find squalane in this pick from Sajic.
Featuring tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, this recommendation from Ciraldo is for those with mature skin since it has ingredients lượt thích marine algae extracts to tư vấn hydration và elasticity in the skin.
Beauty director-at-large Maya Allen’s favorite is this gentle formula with 5 percent tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, & aloe và hyaluronic acid for hydration.
If you’re really willing lớn splurge, this serum from the facialist to the stars is recommended by Allen. With more of an oily texture, the tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate formula also features a number of anti-inflammatory ingredients and oils like hempseed to lớn help keep skin moisturized.
Vox Media, LLC Terms & Privacy Notice
By submitting your email, you agree to lớn our Terms and Privacy Notice và to receive e-mail correspondence from us.
The 13 Best Vitamin-C Serums, According lớn Experts Every sản phẩm is independently selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
Xem thêm: Vitamin B1 Có Ở Đâu, Vai Trò Vitamin B1, Vai Trò, Liều Dùng Và Các Lưu Ý Khi Sử Dụng
Chris Noth Denies Sexual-Assault Allegations in New Interview “I strayed on my wife,” the SATC star told USA Today. “And it’s devastating to her và not a very pretty picture. What it isn’t is a crime.”
Whoops! Someone at Vogue Is in Trouble A You
Tube glitch revealed affiliate-link commissions from the magazine’s clip series.