If you want younger glowing skin, vitamin C is the ingredient you should add to your skincare regime. A buzzword in the beauty industry, you won’t go far without coming across new innovations or reading about it in magazines. A catch-all, vitamin C is a powerhouse in terms of the anti-ageing benefits it provides for your skin. But, with so many vitamin C skincare formulas available, it can be hard to find the right one for you…
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a naturally occurring antioxidant that you’ll find in fruit and vegetables. Just like our bodies, vitamin C can’t be produced by the skin naturally, so it’s important to apply it to the skin topically in skincare so you can reap all its benefits.
It comes in many different forms, the most potent being L-ascorbic acid. Others you may come across include magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and retinyl ascorbate. A good example of a brand that effectively uses many different forms is The Ordinary Vitamin C collection.
Vitamin C skincare benefits include…
Pros:
•The antioxidant properties protect your skin against free radicals like pollution, UV rays and cigarette smoke that can break down collagen. Vitamin C does this by donating an electron to the free radical to neutralise the damaging effects.
•It boosts cell turnover (skin healing), leaving brighter skin and even soothes sunburn.
•Improves the texture of the skin, leaving it smoother.
•Vitamin C has an anti-ageing effect, boosting collagen production so skin appears plumper, smoother and full.
•Evens out skin tone and can help with skin issues like pigmentation and hyperpigmentation, including residual scarring from acne.
•Reduces the appearance of dark circles when used in an eye cream like Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Serum.
Cons:
•Vitamin C is unstable and oxidises when it comes into contact with air, and thus reduces the potency. For this reason, it’s essential to have a stabilised formula or one that keeps it at its freshest like Elizabeth Arden Ceramide in the lineup below.
•High concentrations of vitamin C can irritate the skin, so if you’re new, start with a lower percentage of Vitamin C like 10% and gradually increase to 15% and 20% as your skin becomes more tolerant.
Do you apply vitamin C skincare in the morning or night?
The best time to apply vitamin C is first thing in the morning because it offers environmental protection against pollution, cigarette smoke and UV rays throughout the day. But, you can also use it before bed.
What ingredients does vitamin C work best with?
Vitamin C offers double antioxidant protection when paired with vitamin E. See Ceryn’s ingredient match edit to find out how to get the most out of your vitamin C skincare…
1. For Vitamin C Beginners
Product pick: REN Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream
Skin type: all skin types
Skin concerns: texture, pigmentation, tone, dullness and ageing
Texture: gel cream
Scent: fresh and citrusy
Benefits:
•Improves uneven skin tone
•Hydrating and plumps
•Boosts collagen production
•Antioxidant protection against ageing free radicals
•Adds radiance
•Nourishes
•Eco-friendly
Features:
•Stabilised vitamin C
•Tara pod
•Magnesium
•100% recyclable cap and bottle
•Cruelty-free
REN Glow Daily Gel Cream is the perfect starting point if you’ve never tried vitamin C skincare before. The light gel will fit easily into your current routine and can be easily swapped in place of your current moisturiser.
Bright, glowy and radiant – your skin will be all of the above after you use this hydrating moisturiser. Unlike most vitamin C skincare this formula is stable and won’t break down when exposed to air. This means that the formula contains all the properties you associate with vitamin C such as even tone, antioxidant protection and collagen-boosting but doesn’t reduce in effectiveness over time. What makes this vitamin C moisturiser even more impressive is that it works in harmony with your skin; featuring a whole host of clean ingredients that are activated when they come into contact with your skin’s friendly bacteria on the microbiome.
I like to think of it as recharging my complexion; a few pumps leaves my skin soft, plump and luminous. Not to mention, it’s a pleasure to use with a fresh aroma that makes it ideal to use first thing in the morning and a refreshing boost just before bed.
2. For Vitamin C Maestros
Product pick: La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10
Skin type: all skin types, including sensitive
Skin concerns: sensitivity, texture, dullness and ageing
Texture: light pearly serum, non-greasy
Scent: neutral
Benefits:
•Exfoliates dead skin cells
•Smooth fine lines and wrinkles
•Hydrates and plumps
•Improves uneven skin tone
•Boosts collagen production
•Antioxidant protection against ageing free radicals
•Adds radiance
Features:
•pH: 5.5
•Vitamin C – 10%
•Salicylic Acid – 0.45%
•Hyaluronic Acid
The La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 is the choice for sensitive skin. Unlike most vitamin C skincare it has a pH 5.5 potency formula that doesn’t aggravate or sting the skin despite its potent combination of 10% vitamin c and 0.45% salicylic acid. The strength of this is complemented by La Roche’s soothing Thermal Spring Water, which makes sure sensitive skin is hydrated and never irritated.
An award-winning formula, Vitamin C10 isn’t short of fans. Made from L-ascorbic acid, the most widely researched type of vitamin C and one of the most effective. The formula is the ideal solution for anyone looking for charged skin brightening and anti-ageing results. A few drops of the pearly serum can be applied using the pipette with no discomfort to speak of.
After the serum is absorbed, if you brush your hand over your face, the exfoliated skin comes off in a film. I find this satisfying because I can see it’s working! Your complexion looks glowy, pores reduced and there’s a marked change in the texture in the skin. Skin feels super smooth, soft and is ready for the next step in your routine.
Note: Follow with use with SPF30 and above, ideally factor 50. Salicylic acid exfoliates the top layer of dead skin cells so your skin will be more vulnerable to sun damage.
Want to learn more? See 10 independent reviews from beauty lovers with different skin types and concerns of the La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 in this edit…
3. For Vitamin C Experts
Product pick: Elizabeth Arden Vitamin C Ceramide Capsules Radiance Renewal Serum
Skin type: all skin types
Skin concerns: texture, pigmentation, tone, dullness and ageing
Texture: watery dry oil
Scent: neutral
Benefits:
•Improves uneven skin tone
•Smooth fine lines and wrinkles
•Hydrating and plumps
•Boosts collagen production
•Antioxidant protection against ageing free radicals
•Adds radiance
•Eco-friendly
•Pre-measured dose
Features:
•Oil-soluble vitamin c
•Biodegradable, airtight capsules
•Ceramides
The premium option, Elizabeth Arden Vitamin C is part of the iconic Ceramide collection. The legendary hydrating ceramides combined with the benefits of vitamin C, make for a supercharged glow. With 178x more potency than your average vitamin C formula, it doesn’t let up.
The vitamin C is always kept at most potent thanks to Arden’s signature airtight capsules, which prevent it from oxidising. Once twisted, the single dose is ready to apply. The watery serum is runny as it goes onto the skin but quickly absorbs. The oil serum binds to the skin, distributing vitamin C in all the right areas of the face. Its silky texture feels high-end, and the results are premium, too. Skin is smooth and the effects can be seen pretty quickly when used over a consistent period. After a week of using this every morning, my red, residual scarring from spots reduced and the overall radiance, clarity and texture of my skin improved.
