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Vitamin C Serums: 15 Of The Best For Your Brightest Skin Ever
Here's why vitamin C is the a powerhouse ingredient to know about
Along with retinol and sunscreen, vitamin C is one of the three most important ingredients you'll hear dermatologists preach sermons about. Not just an essential supplement to boost your immune system as we transition into spring, it's a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your skin from external aggressors, boosts brightness and luminosity, and supports collagen production.
Here, we've broken down everything you need to know about vitamin C and why it should be a key part of your routine if it's not already. Plus, keep scrolling to discover the best ELLE approved vitamin C serums on the market right now.
What does a vitamin C serum do?
'Vitamin C is a staple for so many skin concerns,' explains facialist Abigail James. 'It's an antioxidant, which means it can protect against free radical damage – which is caused by things including pollution, the sun, smoking and stress. It's an amazing skin brightener, too, and it can give you a glow as well as helping to reduce the appearance of pigmentation.'
But that's not all: vitamin C is also a magic wrinkle fighting ingredient thanks to the fact that it boosts the body's production of collagen (levels of which deplete as we age) and helps to firm the skin.
'If you don't have vitamin C in your routine, you're not looking after your collagen,' explains skincare expert Dr Sam Bunting. 'Collagen is one of the most important molecules in our body because it represents a third of our total body protein and it's the most abundant protein in our dermis, which is the thicker layer of our skin,' she says. 'It turns out that vitamin C is essential for healthy collagen assembly, making it a great way to keep skin looking youthful, vibrant and healthy.'
Finally, it works to reduce inflammation and improve your complexion. Or as dermatologist Dr Joanna Gach puts it, 'vitamin C peels the superficial layers of the epidermis, giving a fresher and brighter look to the skin as well as strengthening the collagen fibres.'
What should you look for in your vitamin C serum?
'How effective it's really going to be is all about how it's formulated,' says James. 'Vitamin C is unstable and will rapidly degenerate when exposed to oxygen, so you might have a product that claims to have a high percentage, however if the packaging design is a dropper or pot – which allows the solution to be exposed to the air regularly – then it's going to gradually get more and more ineffective.'
The key is to look for the type of vitamin C being used. 'L-ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid is more stable than others and will maintain its strength longer.'
When should vitamin C be applied?
The great thing about vitamin C is that it can be used both morning and night. However, we would recommend that you use it in the morning after cleansing and before applying SPF. That way skin will really reap the most rewards as you'll benefit from the antioxidant properties, and it'll boost the efficacy of the sunscreen you're wearing, too.
Which ingredients work well with vitamin C?
As you probably know, there are certain ingredients that thrive in each other's company and others that can throw a carefully curated routine off balance.
When it comes to vitamin C, this antioxidant works well with a multitude of other ingredients. Hyaluronic acid, ferulic acid, vitamin E and azelaic acid are a match made in heaven for this active ingredient, but you'll need to proceed with caution if you are using retinol and vitamin C in tandem (it doesn't mean it's off limits: simply use vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night).
Keep reading to discover the best vitamin C serums for 2024...
Amelia Bell is the Senior Site Beauty Editor at ELLE UK, developing beauty strategy, writing, editing, and commissioning, and overseeing all beauty content for the site. Amelia has a particular interest in sustainable beauty practices, exploring the skin-mind connection, and decoding the latest treatments, tweakments and runway trends. She also has bylines for Women's Health, Refinery29, British Vogue, Harrods Magazine, and more.
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