You probably see so many things about vitamin C on every social media platform. I’m here to talk about the best vitamin C serums, what they will do for your skin, and how to apply.

How am I any more qualified than other people on social media?

I’m not necessarily “more qualified” than anyone to talk about skincare, and specifically vitamin C, but I do evaluate and treat skin for a living. I’m a dermatology nurse practitioner. So, I am able to discuss skincare from a research based medical standpoint as well as first hand experience. 

A large part of my practice is skincare and recommending products suited to my patient’s skin needs. 

What does vitamin C do for the skin?

Day to day exposure to the environment destroys your skin in multiple ways. The sun causes pigmentation changes, fine lines and wrinkles, and increases your risk of skin cancer. Free radicals in the environment also cause oxidative damage which means pigmentation changes, fine lines, and wrinkles. 

I have so many people ask me if they’re “old enough” to start taking care of their skin with a skincare routine.

You needed to start your skincare routine yesterday.

Prevention and maintenance is the key to a youthful glow all of your days!

I start the teenagers I treat for acne on a good skincare regimen to fight environmental damage.

You are never too young to take care of your skin!

Vitamin C, when applied topically, aids in collagen production and antioxidant protection. It protects the skin from daily free radical damage by evening skin tone and brightening the complexion. Collagen is what creates elasticity in the skin and as we age collagen is broken down to cause wrinkling and dehydration. Application of vitamin C restores and produces collagen to appear supple and hydrated. 

How to incorporate vitamin C serum into your skincare routine

I feel like I repeat myself in every single post, but I can’t stress enough, skincare is not a one size fits all!

Listen and evaluate your skin to be able to select the best product for you. The main questions I always ask my friends, family, or patients before recommending a product is:

1. Are you oil or dry?
   1. If you can’t immediately answer this, then you’re more than likely “normal” or “combination.” Normal to combination skin types is a hit or miss, unfortunately. I recommend starting in the middle to low end of strength (ie. most vitamin C is between 10-20%, therefore start with 10-15% concentration)
   2. Oily skin can tolerate much more than dry skin. If you are oily you will be able to start with a more concentrated form of vitamin C. This means a higher percentage and in the form of a serum rather than lotion.
   3. Dry skin you must be careful with. Ease into adding active ingredients (vitamin c, retinoid, AHA and BHA acids) because most of them are going to exfoliate the skin chemically. Start with the lowest percentage and try to find something that indicates hydration as well. Hydration is usually in the form of hyaluronic acid.
2. Is your skin sensitive?
   1. Do you feel like you can’t try products without getting irritated?
   2. Have you tried products with active ingredients (vitamin c, retinoid, acids) and gotten irritated from them?
   3. Yes to either of the two, treat yourself as described for dry skin above.

I use vitamin C in the morning. See how to create a skincare routine for the correct order. Some sources will say to use it twice a day, and you certainly can, although I use a retinoid at night rather than vitamin C twice a day. 

If you feel irritated from retinoids, I would recommend vitamin C twice a day for 3-6 months to get your skin acclimated to active ingredients and then try adding in the retinoid again.

You can always work your way into active ingredients. Don’t give up or lose hope. Some skin types just need a strategic plan to acclimate their skin! For example, with retinoids a lot of people cannot tolerate nightly use in the beginning. I have them use every other night and apply their moisturizer prior to the retinoid to serve as a buffer. So, again, there are many ways to build up your skincare routine with all the active ingredients you need!

Vitamin C Serums 

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SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic

• THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL VITAMIN C… there’s a but.. It’s pretty pricey. With over 2,000 reviews at 5 STARS on Dermstore.com you can rest assured if I could drink this stuff I would! No seriously, it is the best vitamin C serum I have ever used. I get it, it’s hard to spend that much money on one product but you will never go back. There are even research studies on this stuff to prove efficacy.
• It lasts me anywhere from 3-5 months (using 3-4 drops daily in the morning)
• Contains vitamin C 15% (antioxidant and reverses hyperpigmentation), vitamin E 1% (neutralizes free radicals and restores skin’s lipids), ferulic acid 0.5% (stabilizes and enhances the vitamin C and E)
• Non-comedogenic, phthalate, fragrance, sulfate, and paraben free

La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum

• A very budget friendly starter vitamin C serum. Great for more sensitive skin with a lower concentration of vitamin C and prebiotic thermal water.

• Contains Vitamin C 10%, salicylic acid (when the percentage of SA is not specified it’s usually to polish the skin through exfoliation rather than for acne), prebiotic thermal water (soothes)
• Oil and paraben free, non-comedogenic

La Roche-Posay Redermic C

• This is ideal for a person that has never used a vitamin C to see how the skin will react or the type of skin that is super sensitive to anything. It is in the form of a lotion rather than serum. This means it is more moisturizing and less concentrated to balance sensitive skin types. 
• Contains Vitamin C 5% (antioxidant and reverses hyperpigmentation), hyaluronic acid (hydrates and retains moisture), and peptides (antiaging)
• Paraben, sulfate, and phthalate free, non-comedogenic

SkinCeuticals Serum 10 AOX+

• This is great for anyone wanting a higher end product and needs more oil control or has acne prone skin. Also available in 20% once your skin becomes acclimated to the 10%.
• Great starter if you’re not ready to splurge on the CE Ferulic!
• Contains Vitamin C 10% and ferulic acid 0.5% (enhances and stabilizes vitamin C)
• Non-comedogenic, phthalate, fragrance, and paraben free