Best Vitamin C Skincare To Suit All Budgets
This powerhouse ingredient is about as multitasking as it gets with vitamin C being a potent antioxidant that helps defend skin against aggressors like pollution, while working to mitigate some of the damage caused by UV (though it is not a replacement for SPF, more like a clever booster).
It’s also known as a collagen precursor, meaning that when used consistently it can support your skin’s own natural production of collagen. Plus, it supports skin cell turnover. It’s for all these reasons that dermatologists recommend vitamin C to almost everyone of all ages, skin tones, and skin types. It’s also why there is such interest in finding the best vitamin C serum and everyone wants to know what vitamin C serum is good for.
What does vitamin C skincare do?
Whatever your skin goals, you can pretty much guarantee that vitamin C will help you get there. In a nutshell, the best vitamin c skincare helps to reduce the appearance of sun damage, including pigmentation, protect against environmental pollution while keeping inflammation and irritation in check, support collagen and elastin production and skin cell turnover, and support skin healing.Dermatologists and skincare experts are a huge fan of the benefits of vitamin C and so will use it within their own routines. Dr Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist at SELF London opts to apply a vitamin C serum underneath her SPF in the morning for boosted antioxidant protection, while Sophie Anne Perry, a beauty industry educator and practitioner, and author of The Natural Face Lift, likes to use it alongside skin nourishers such as ceramides, to maintain the results of ingredients like retinol.
Looking for the best vitamin C serum for your skin? Read on for 10 of the best for all budgets.
The Best Vitamin C Skincare for Every Budget
Summer Fridays
CC Me Serum, £48.75
Best for boosted radiance
This daily serum uses not one, but two types of vitamin C to boost its brightening affect. With the addition of clove, coffee and green-tea extracts, plus peptides, it really packs an antioxidant punch. Apply a few drops to face and neck after cleansing.
Sunday Riley
CEO Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Cream, £15.00
Best for long term hydration plus protection
In our opinion, this is right up there for the award of ‘best vitamin C cream’. In addition to THD ascorbate, which is a high potency form of vitamin C, this nourishing cream has been formulated with sodium hyaluronate, a powerful hydrator that literally pulls moisture from the environment into your skin.
Oskia
Super C Smart Nutrient Beauty Capsules, £54.00
Best for on-the-go
Our best travel tip is to load up on capsules as they deliver concentrated formulations and take up almost no space at all. These luxurious vitamin C capsules are our travel-must have. On top of vitamin C, they contain vitamin E, sweet almond oil, and a blend of skin-boosting nutrients. Twist the capsule’s neck to release the serum, and then press into cleansed skin.
Drunk Elephant
C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream, £42.75
Best for the eye area
Vitamin C is an excellent ingredient for the eye area as it brightens and can help target laughter lines. This one is a favourite. It contains vitamin C and eight peptides that help strengthen the skin. The texture is silky and nourishing and sits beautifully under makeup. Use your ring finger to tap a pea-sized amount around your eyes, focusing where you have lines, and follow with moisturiser and SPF.
Medik8
C-Tetra Lipid C Radiance Serum, £29.25
Best for dry skin
Looking for the best vitamin C serum? This might just be it. It combines vitamin C with vitamin E, and wraps them with lipids which are essentially skin nourishing oils. This means the vitamin C won’t dry out your skin (which some can), and instead boosts moisturisation while delivering all the potent benefits of vitamin C. In our opinion, it’s the best vitamin C serum for dry skin.
NATURIUM
Vitamin C Complex Serum, £16.50
Best for environmental protection
Formulated with l-ascorbic acid, a potent and stable (meaning it doesn’t quickly go off) form of vitamin C, this excellent vitamin C serum helps protect all skin tones and types from the damaging effects of pollution, leaving it feeling healthier and more resilient over time. Shake well before applying and massage a couple of pumps into skin after cleansing and before moisturiser and SPF. Don’t forget your neck and chest area.
Biossance
Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, £42.75
Best for sensitive skin
An oil is an excellent vehicle for vitamin C as it helps to bolster the potent skin active with nourishing, hydrating, and calming ingredients. This vitamin C oil for face combines vitamin C with squalane which mimics the skin’s natural nourishers, helping to reinforce skin and prevent dryness, irritation and sensitivity. Massage a few drops into clean skin morning and evening. It’s one of the best vitamin C serums for sensitive skin.
111SKIN
Vitamin C Brightening Booster , £75.00
Best for treating hyperpigmentation
This serum is on the pricier end but the results are absolutely worth it. We think it might be the best vitamin C serum for hyperpigmentation. It has recently been reformulated with a more potent dose of vitamin C to inhibit tyrosinase production. This means it actively blocks the mechanisms in your skin that create hyperpigmentation. Apply after cleansing and before moisturiser, and if you’re using it in the morning, don’t forget to follow with a high factor SPF.
Paula's Choice
C15 Super Booster, N/A
Best for oily skin
Looking for the best vitamin C serum for oily skin? You’ll love this one. This daily serum combines 15% vitamin C with vitamin E and ferulic acid and peptides, making it a well-rounded, suits-all serum. It doesn’t contain any additional moisturisers so it’s ideal for those with oily skin, and it can be blended with your usual moisturiser or applied to skin first.
The Ordinary
Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%, £5.78
Best for plumping and brightening
If you’re in the market for the best hyaluronic acid and vitamin C serum, can we point you in the direction of this excellent and affordable option from The Ordinary? While in moisturiser format rather than a serum, it doubles down on hydration with hyaluronic acid that floods the skin with moisture and helps plump skin cells. The vitamin C is stable l-ascorbic acid so it gets to work straight away to help brighten and protect skin. As this is one of the best vitamin C moisturisers, you don’t need to follow with additional hydration but you must use SPF if you’re applying it in the morning.
Read More
• Benefits of vitamin C for Skin• Can you use vitamin C with retinol? • Summer Skincare Essentials
• The Benefits of Turmeric for Skin • Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
