Vitamin C, like retinol, has long been hailed by dermatologists as the gold standard of beauty ingredients. Countless research results continue to confirm what we’ve known for years: Vitamin C can help treat a variety of skin color concerns.
"When used topically, vitamin C exerts antioxidant effects on the skin by neutralizing free radicals caused by environmental factors such as UV radiation and urban pollution," says London dermatologist Dr. Justin Crook.
“Other benefits of vitamin C include reducing collagen breakdown and regulating pigmentation, resulting in firmer skin and a brighter, more even tone.” Contrary to popular belief, vitamin C is worth taking during the day as it is an excellent antioxidant.
"So it makes sense to take advantage of these benefits to boost your sunscreen's defensive barrier in the morning," explains Dr. Crook. "However, oxidative damage doesn't just occur during the day; repair processes can also occur at night
so it certainly won't do any harm to include a vitamin C serum in your evening skincare routine, if necessary." But all this knowledge won’t do us much good if we’re not sure how to best harness the power of vitamin C.
Stabilizing ingredients in topical products has been notoriously difficult in the past. When it comes into contact with air, light and water (the basis of most skin care products), it loses stability and effectiveness - making it difficult to incorporate into products. good news?
Scientists and cosmetic chemists have been working for years to overcome these obstacles, and the latest vitamin C-based skin care products, some of the best on the market, include cold-pressed technology that forgoes the typical heating method to extract ingredients thereby for better stability; powder and bead encapsulation, also designed to improve stability; limited-time release products; and concentrated formulas with up to 30% efficacy.
A consultant dermatologist and author of The Skin Care Bible says that while product ingredient lists include multiple types of vitamin C (including magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbyl, and ascorbyl palmitate, among others), L- Ascorbic acid beats them all.
Your worry-free guide to perfect skin, Dr. Anjali Mahto. With so many innovations coming to the market, the future of your skin looks very bright. Here are nine of the best vitamin C serums available.
Nip + Fab Vitamin C Repair Concentrate 15%, £24.95, £18.45. Nip + Fab went one better, increasing the content of its best-selling vitamin C serum from 3% to a whopping 15%. Nip + Fab Vitamin C Concentrate 15%, £24.95 £18.45, available from Nip + Fab.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, £70. There's a reason it has a cult following—and not just because it looks good in a #shelfie. 15% Pure L-Ascorbic Acid, 0.5% Ferulic Acid, and 1% Vitamin E act as a barrier against everything the environment throws at your face every day while fruit extracts remove dead, dull skin cells for an overall healthier look. The complexion is brighter and fresher. It's a little sticky at first, but it's quickly absorbed and feels comfortable under moisturizer and makeup.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Day Serum, £70.00, available from Space NK. Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum, £82. Murad combines stabilized vitamin C with glycolic acid to quickly resurface and remove dead skin cells.
Not only does this help skin look brighter and more glowy, it also helps vitamin C penetrate better. Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum, £82.00, available from Look Fantastic. Sand & Sky Australian Glow Berry Dream Glow Drops, £38.95
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C is rich in Kakadu Plum (helps strengthen collagen) and Hyaluronic Acid Complex (moisturizes and gives skin a plump, hydrated look), while jojoba, almond and Olive oil locks all these active ingredients deep into the skin.
Sand & Sky Dreamy Glow Drops, £38.95, available from LookFantastic. Regular 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder, £5.70. As ordinary people know, stabilizing vitamin C is not an easy task because when it comes in contact with air and water, it breaks down and becomes unusable.
What's the best way to solve this problem? Prepare the powder. Mix a little with your daily serum or moisturizer (contains niacinamide, as this particular ingredient may reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C) and apply directly to clean, dry skin.
Within a few weeks we noticed a difference in brightness and a reduction in black spots. The Ordinary 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder Vitamin C 20g, £5.70, available from Boots. Strivectin Super-C Retinol Brightening and Correcting Vitamin C Serum, £62
The dynamic combination of vitamin C (best for brightening and protecting) and retinol (cleansing and balancing skin texture and tone) makes this serum a game-changer. Over time, skin will become smooth and radiant.
StriVectin Super-C Retinol Brightening and Correcting Vitamin C Serum, £62.00, available from Strivectin. Clinique Fresh Pressed™ 7-Day Pure Vitamin C System, £20.80 Clinique's powerful serum, which can be mixed with moisturizer or used alone, is formulated with 10% pure vitamin C to quickly eliminate hyperpigmentation caused by acne and sun damage—we can prove it. It's absorbed in seconds, leaves no sticky residue, and the airtight bottle ensures the formula stays potent until the last drop. Clinique Fresh Pressed™ 7-Day Pure Vitamin C System, £20.80, available from Boots.
Lixirskin Vitamin C Paste, £35
Lixirskin's Quick Rinse Vitamin C Paste contains L-ascorbic acid (the more potent acid form of vitamin C) and works on the skin in just 15 minutes.It removes oxidized sebum (which can lead to blackheads) and prevents environmental aggressors like dirt particles from settling in pores. Over time, skin will become brighter and firmer.
Lixirskin Vitamin C Paste, £35.00, available from Lixirskin.
SkinCeuticals C E Asafoetida Serum, £165, £119.99
This serum may be expensive, but there's a reason dermatologists always recommend it as part of your skin care routine.
Containing antioxidant vitamins C and E, it launches a dual attack on free radicals like pollution and UV rays, eliminating them before they can cause damage like fine lines, dullness and hyperpigmentation. It's hydrating enough to be used on its own and adds tone to sagging skin with its collagen-boosting properties.
Skin Ceuticals C E Ferulic, £165.00, £119.99, available from Face The Future.
Garden of Wisdom Vitamin C Serum 23% + Ferulic Acid, £10
Don't let the modest price fool you.
Like The Ordinary and The Inkey List, Garden of Wisdom offers clear, results-driven skincare, and this vitamin C serum (with 23% pure L-ascorbic acid and an extra dose of antioxidant ferulic acid) is One of the most effective products of the range, especially when it comes to controlling pigmentation. It's silky, non-greasy, and the airless pump ensures the formula stays strong.
Garden Of Wisdom Vitamin C Serum 23% + Ferulic Acid, £10.00, available from Victoria Health.
Sunday Riley's CEO 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum, £70
Use this cream daily to prevent dark spots and fine lines.
The formula contains 15% THD ascorbic acid, an oil-soluble vitamin C derivative that converts to L-ascorbic acid on contact with skin. Advantage? It is more stable than other forms of vitamin C, which oxidize easily and become nearly nonfunctional.
Sunday Riley CEO Rapid Flash Brightening Serum, £70.00, available from Cult Beauty.
Kiehl's Powerful Fine Line Concentrate, £62, £55.80
We love how this serum leaves our skin radiant, clear and plump, all thanks to a dream team of hydrating hyaluronic acid and, of course, vitamin C.
Three pumps each morning onto cleansed, toned skin is enough.
Kiehl's Powerful Fine Line Concentrate, £62.00, £55.80, available from Look Fantastic.
Hero Project Vit C-30 Ultra-Brightening Serum, £39
Forget everything you've heard about dropper bottles and vitamin C—this serum has it all, thanks to 30% ethylated L-ascorbic acid, a stabilized form of this magical ingredient. It improves skin tone and texture by fading dark spots and ironing out fine lines. Apply two to three drops to cleansed skin or add to moisturizer to protect against environmental aggressors.
Hero Project Vit C-30 Ultra-Brightening Serum 30ml, £39.00, £27.30, available from Look Fantastic.
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