If you’re skin-savvy, you already know that not just because a particular product is touted as “the best” means it’s truly meant for you. With everyone having different types of skin and varying needs, the best vitamin C serum for you may not be the best one for me. This is why it’s important to understand your particular skin type before adding these skincare items to your cart! So instead of a generic search, why not look for the best vitamin c serum for sensitive skin, or the best vitamin c serum for oily skin, or maybe simply the best vitamin c serum for men?
Before we look at the factors to consider, let’s first discuss why vitamin C is important for our skin.
What does vitamin C do for the skin?
In essence, vitamin C is an antioxidant.
Antioxidants help in the fight against free radicals (those molecules that break our cells down over time, contributing to illness and aging). They keep everything in check.
As such, a vitamin C serum can help in the defense against UV radiation damage. It can help fight the indications of age on the skin. It minimizes hyperpigmentation, evens up skin tone, smoothes wrinkles, and protects skin from UV damage.
Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply you can replace sunscreen with a vitamin C skin serum. Vitamin C serums cannot be used in place of SPF because it does not absorb UVA or UVB radiation. However, if UV rays do penetrate your skin, some evidence suggests that vitamin C can help mitigate the damage.
What are the best vitamin C serums?
Most dermatologists and skincare experts recommend using a vitamin C serum that contains 15 to 20 percent L-ascorbic acid, which is believed to be the most effective among the types of vitamin C. And because it’s the most potent form of vitamin C, it can be the most beneficial for oily to normal skin. For those with dry and sensitive skin, however, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate might be less irritating because it’s a water-soluble vitamin C — making it a choice ingredient for the best vitamin c serum for sensitive skin.
Aside from potency and vitamin C types, make sure you take into consideration the price, packaging, and even customer reviews of these vitamin C serums. Keep an eye out as well for products that have additional beneficial ingredients. You may want to look for the best vitamin C serum with hyaluronic acid to ensure that you reap the vitamin C serum benefits of hydration, along with the antioxidant properties of your vitamin C serum.
Now, you might be asking, what if you have sensitive skin?
The best vitamin C serum for sensitive skin: according to concentration
While most of the options for the best vitamin C serum carry a high concentration of potent vitamin C, dermatologists still advise that we should begin with a low concentration such as 10% and increase to 15% or 20% as tolerated by our skin.
The best vitamin C serum for sensitive skin: according to pH
The pH level of a vitamin C serum is significantly responsible for its absorption. If you have normal skin, look for a product with a pH of around 3.5 for optimal absorption. If you have sensitive skin, however, it’s best to choose a product with a pH of 5 to 6. It’s closer to our skin’s normal pH and will therefore be less irritating.
The best vitamin C serum for sensitive skin
L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Vitamin C Concentrate
This 10% vitamin C serum is free of fragrances and dyes and comes at a reasonable price. It also includes hyaluronic acid, which helps to moisturize the skin. Light and effective, the L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Vitamin C Concentrate significantly improves wrinkles, according to its users. This vitamin C serum is gentler than most, but it still gets the job done, and clearly deserves a spot among the best vitamin C serum for sensitive skin.
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Vitamin C Serum
This 15% vitamin C serum contains L-ascorbic acid: not too low but not too high a concentration either. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Vitamin C Serum also has vitamin E, ferulic acid, and glycerin to moisturize dry skin. Many of its loyal fans adore how their skin looks and feels after just a few applications. It’s no wonder it’s a consistent top choice when it comes to the best vitamin C serum for sensitive skin.
Cosmetic Skin Solutions Supreme Serum CE
For superior antioxidant effectiveness, this vitamin C serum’s innovative technology treatment includes 15% pure L-Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E, and Asiatic Acid. The inclusion of Asiatic acid doubles the already synergistic advantages of the already potent composition, creating a super-antioxidant combination.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Sunday Riley is known to use advanced, clinically-proven ingredients blended with balancing botanicals for non-irritating and fast-acting formulas that transform the skin. As such, the Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum includes moisturizing oils like jojoba and evening primrose, as well as a dash of turmeric helping fade acne scars and improve the skin’s appearance.
Ursa Major Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum
Ursa Major Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum features a very stable type of Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid polypeptide), ensuring maximum freshness and potency throughout time. Aside from its longer-lasting efficacy, the ascorbic acid polypeptide is said to be more suitable for use on sensitive skin and offers improved absorption. This light face serum penetrates deeply to deliver immediate hydration while brightening and smoothing skin tone and texture, so it’s no wonder it’s considered one of the best vitamin C serum for sensitive skin. It comes with a long-lasting formula, a featherweight texture, and a fresh-squeezed, citrusy aroma.
Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum
Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum is a lightweight, antioxidant-rich serum that promotes a more luminous and youthful complexion. This vitamin C Serum brightens uneven skin tone while minimizing the appearance of fine wrinkles and is formulated with Ascorbic Acid to help retexturize skin and lessen apparent symptoms of aging. All in all, it’s a gentle but powerful serum that also contains collagen and hyaluronic acid for a youthful boost.
The best vitamin c serum oily skin
Moving on, let’s say you have oily skin. What then, should you look out for to find the best vitamin C serum for oily skin?
SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF
This vitamin C serum’s formula is comparable to CE Ferulic in that it contains L-ascorbic acid and ferulic acid, except for the potentially pore-clogging vitamin E. This makes it an ideal choice for those with oily skin types. With its light texture, the SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF can also be effective against skincare concerns such as melasma, as it’s especially effective at combating increased pigment production, and inhibits UV-induced discolorations, so it’s often considered the best vitamin C serum for oily skin.
The best vitamin C serum for men
As we go on a search for the best vitamin C serums out there, we’ve also scoured men’s choices too! After all, everybody can benefit from the goodness of vitamin C. And while the brands we’ve already mentioned also made appearances on their list, here are some more favorites for the best vitamin C serum for men:
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum
Also an Amazon’s Choice, Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum is a high-performance serum that can strengthen your skin’s natural protection system. Formulated with a revolutionary ultra-stable Vitamin C compound and modern biotechnology to not only remove fine lines, dark spots, and combat symptoms of aging, but also to encourage healthy skin from inside.
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum
With the powerful trio of active ingredients: vitamin C, Salicylic acid, and Neurosensine, you can fight the symptoms of age with this potent anti-aging Vitamin C serum. Designed to leave your face luminous and hydrated, La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum is very effective yet soothing enough, even for sensitive skin.
Choose the best vitamin C serum according to your skin type
So whether you’re looking for the best vitamin C serum for sensitive skin, the best vitamin C serum for oily skin, or the best vitamin C serum for men, make sure you pay attention to a product’s potency, pH levels, and the other ingredients included in the serum. You may also want to look into a natural and organic vitamin C serum or read our review about the TruSkin vitamin C Serum.
As always, it’s best to go slow and monitor how your skin is reacting to the products.