How to Pick the Best Vitamin C Serum for Brighter Skin

February 5, 2020

Vitamin C, aka L-ascorbic Acid, is the buzz – the talk of the town. Skincare nerd or not, you probably know what this vitamin can do. ALL the major benefits. No question, everyone’s trying to get their hands on the best Vitamin C serum for that glowing, youthful skin.

Before you go ham and buy every C-product out there, it’s important to know exactly what to look for and how to incorporate them into your routine.

C for Collagen

Vitamin C is what I would call the skin’s brightening, free radical-fighting best friend. Even better, it helps with collagen synthesis.

You can think of the protein fiber as a trampoline. With every jump, it will bounce you back up. But the trampoline is not always going to be fun and bouncy. Same with your skin. Age, frequent sun exposure, and smoking all contribute to decreased collagen production, which can then lead to fine lines and wrinkles.

This is where Vitamin C comes in because this ingredient just might be the key to your “eternal youth”. Raw nuts and seeds also help with collagen. So go shopping and get yourself some trail mix!

Searching for the Best Vitamin C Serum

When picking a good serum, you have to consider several factors.

1. pH Level

Vitamin C gets absorbed through the epidermis. From there, it’s transported to the dermis layer to work its magic. In order for it to be stable and effective, the product’s pH level should be around 3.5.

2. Derivatives

If your skin is super sensitive, you may want to look for a Vitamin C derivative. Some include, ascorbyl palmitate, tetrahexyldecy ascorbate, etc. Just note, these options might not be as effective and beneficial to the skin as pure L-ascorbic acid.

3. Concentration & Delivery

You know what they say, “I’ll just get the highest percentage!”. But your skin isn’t necessarily going to absorb more that way. Vitamin C is usually effective at a concentration of 10% or higher, minimum 5%. If you’re unsure how your skin will react, pick the lowest percentage and work your way up.

At the end, it’s not just about the amount of Vitamin C in the serum. It also comes down to potency, the base of the product (water/oil), and the actual formulation.

The Next Step

You finally found the right Vitamin C serum for you. The next step is using it in your routine. Your mind is probably going, “What do I do?! When should I use it?! What step is this?!”

First, let’s answer when. The good thing about this tiny bottle is that you can apply the product both day and night. It’s best when used in the morning for that ultimate free radical scavenging prowess. Don’t forget your SPF!

Now, where does it fall in your routine? It’s simple. Just use it how you would any other serum, after cleansing and before moisturizing. We’ve curated the best cleansers and moisturizers in our blog.