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As a purchasing author who covers magnificence, I’ve had many conversations with dermatologists and aestheticians about skin-care routines. The one factor they at all times advocate? Vitamin C. Regardless of the serum formulation smelling like sizzling canines, the antioxidant is just about an all-in-one, concentrating on hyperpigmentation, advantageous traces, and solar harm. Nevertheless, there’s rather a lot to contemplate when attempting them out.
Since no person needs to mess up their pores and skin barrier, we reached out to Dr. Angela Lamb, M.D., Dr. Dusan Sajic, M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., F.A.A.D., and Dr. Ashley Magovern that will help you choose the best vitamin-C serum in your face. Plus, I’m additionally sharing those I and the Reduce Store crew have tried and integrated into our routines.
Up to date January 12, 2026: Up to date costs and checked inventory for all merchandise.
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Key components: 15 % L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E and ferulic acid
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
The expensive cult-favorite serum comes extremely advisable by derms, Reduce staffers, and just about everybody else. It is a highly effective combo of components, which we guess contributes to the worth tag. It has 15 % L-ascorbic acid and a mix of further antioxidants that assist shield, easy, and brighten.
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Key components: 15 % L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
One other Reduce favourite we’ve raved about earlier than. This has an identical components record to the Skinceuticals product above: 15 % L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid, at a fraction of the worth.
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Key components: 15 % L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: .94 fl oz.
That is considered one of Lamb’s favorites for the opaque packaging and mixture of components (15 % L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid). It is available in two separate elements that you just combine earlier than your first use for the freshest product every time and the very best outcomes.
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Key components: Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and algae extracts
Greatest for: Mature pores and skin
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
That includes tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, this advice from Ciraldo is for these with mature pores and skin because it has components like marine algae extracts to help hydration and elasticity within the pores and skin.
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Key Elements: 15 % vitamin C (ethyl ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), yerba mate and guayusa
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
Vitamin-C serums actually can do virtually something, and this one does a bit extra. With added caffeine that you just’d normally discover in smoothing and depuffing eye serums, this serum guarantees to enhance circulation and ease a few of that morning puffiness, so possibly you possibly can skip the ice curler.
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Key components: 10.5 % L-ascorbic acid, 2 % ascorbyl glucoside, and hyaluronic acid
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 1.7 to three.4 fl oz.
Options author Matthew Schneier’s favourite is inside the 12.5 %, nonirritating vary. He likes that regardless of its thick texture and potent system, it doesn’t irritate his pores and skin or make him get away.
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Key components: 10 % L-ascorbic acid and peptides
Greatest for: Delicate pores and skin
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
That includes a low however not too low proportion of L-ascorbic acid (10 %), this advice from Sajic is on the gentler aspect — however reviewers additionally love the collagen-boosting peptides that assist easy pores and skin.
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Key components: 10 % ascorbic acid, squalane, and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 0.67 to 1.7 fl oz.
That includes tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and extra antioxidants for pores and skin safety, you’ll additionally discover squalane on this choose from Sajic.
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Key components: Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate for hydrating and babbu and marula oils
Greatest for: Delicate pores and skin and hyperpigmentation
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
When you’re actually keen to splurge, this serum from the facialist to the celebrities is advisable by Allen. With extra of an oily texture, the tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate system additionally options plenty of anti-inflammatory components and oils like hempseed to assist maintain pores and skin moisturized.
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Key components: 20 % L-ascorbic acid
Greatest for: Skilled pores and skin
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
At 20 % L-ascorbic acid, this serum isn’t beginner-friendly however comes advisable by Dr. Magovern. Whereas she normally wouldn’t advocate a excessive proportion of this highly effective ingredient, she explains that this system gives, “the entire nice advantages of a vitamin-C serum but it surely consists of hyaluronic acid to fight any dryness it’s possible you’ll expertise from a potent ingredient.”
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Key components: 20 % L-ascorbic acid, squalane, and tartaric acid
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
An analogous rec from Dr. Magovern is that this one from BeautyStat. The gel-cream system is light-weight and has long-lasting outcomes from the components that assist stability the L-ascorbic acid, akin to squalane for moisture and “tartaric acid, which gives the optimum pH stage for pores and skin absorption,” she explains.
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Key components: 15 % L-ascorbic acid
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 0.67 fl oz.
Paula’s Selection is a favourite for high-quality formulation, and this choose from Dr. Magovern isn’t any totally different. “It brightens a boring complexion and improves the looks of advantageous traces and wrinkles, and the concentrated system is made for all pores and skin sorts, particularly these with delicate pores and skin,” Magovern explains.
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Key Elements: Sodium ascorbyl phosphate
Greatest for: All pores and skin sorts
Dimension: 1 fl oz.
This beloved serum has over 100,000 critiques from loyal customers. The light type of vitamin C is boosted with hydrating hyaluronic acid that reviewers say has brightened and smoothed their pores and skin over time with none irritation.
Earlier than you beeline to the lovable packaging, you want to take a look at the components record. There are a lot of types of vitamin C. The simplest one? L-ascorbic acid, particularly between 10 and 20 proportion, as a result of L-ascorbic might be irritating and unstable.
One other type of vitamin C is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Ciraldo favors this one because it’s extra steady and fewer irritating than L-ascorbic acid. Plus, it’s useful for advantageous traces and collagen. She recommends in search of out a proportion of two to three. Final however not least, now we have ascorbyl glucoside, which is one other extra steady, much less irritating type of vitamin C that’s simply absorbed into the pores and skin. (Don’t fear about taking notes. We now have loads of suggestions, under.)
Sure. Vitamin C is delicate to mild and air and, if packaged improperly, that might trigger it to oxidize sooner and in flip be much less efficient. The rule of thumb all that our consultants agree on is that your vitamin-C serum needs to be in a darkish or tinted bottle with a dropper to maintain mild and air out.
Because it’s such a delicate ingredient, you’re going to wish to keep away from the aesthetic sunlit magnificence cabinets. (Sorry!) “You will need to retailer it in a darkish, cool place, away from daylight and warmth,” Sajic explains. You probably have or have been in search of an excuse to get a skin-care fridge, Lamb says that’s additionally a superb choice if you wish to be additional cautious.
You need to use vitamin C each day, simply not instantly. Begin utilizing it a number of instances every week within the morning (after you cleanse and earlier than you moisturize), relying in your pores and skin’s tolerance and serum focus. And as standard, at all times put on sunscreen after you’re accomplished.
A very powerful query of all of them. We’d all prefer to fast-forward to the half the place now we have easy and clear pores and skin, however piling on components on components could have the alternative impact. Right here’s the TL;DR on the components you need to keep away from when utilizing your vitamin-C serum:
– Retinol: When you’re utilizing retinol and vitamin C as a part of your nightly routine, Lamb recommends alternating nights or utilizing your vitamin-C serum within the morning solely.
– Exfoliants: These are your alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and your beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). “Keep away from utilizing vitamin C with benzoyl peroxide, and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) akin to glycolic acid, as they will trigger irritation,” Sajic explains. Merely change up the times you’re utilizing your merchandise to acquire most outcomes.
Lamb explains that there’s a likelihood that these with delicate pores and skin might expertise some irritation from vitamin-C serums. So that you may wish to method with care. When you don’t wish to threat it and wish to skip the vitamin-C serums altogether, a superb various, in accordance with Lamb, is niacinamide. “Each vitamin C and niacinamide lower harm from environmental components, however niacinamide is extra light,” she says.
“Vitamin C is a superb ingredient to fight zits in addition to residual blemish marks,” Dr. Magovern explains. “The energetic can assist management the manufacturing of acne-causing sebum, in addition to scale back irritation, redness, and hyperpigmentation.”
If you wish to use vitamin-C serums for zits, she recommends beginning with 15 % L-ascorbic acid and easing your manner as much as 20 %. She additionally suggests beginning with a system that particularly targets zits, like SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF which incorporates acne-fighting salicylic acid.
Dr. Angela Lamb, M.D., board-certified dermatologist, affiliate professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai
Dr. Dusan Sajic, M.D., Ph.D., a twin board–licensed dermatologist in dermatology and anti-aging drugs
Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., F.A.A.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founding father of Dr. Loretta Skincare
Dr. Ashley Magovern, board-certified dermatologist and medical advisor for Dermstore
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