Want firmer and brighter skin? There’s an ingredient for that. Enter: Vitamin C. Along with Retinol, it’s one of the best skincare ingredients to protect skin from harmful free radicals, reducing pigmentation and dark spots, smoothing fine lines and giving your collagen levels a welcome boost too. Talk about overachieving. Now you know why everyone is literally obsessed with the glow-giving ingredient, find the one for you with these tried-and-tested Vitamin C serums.
By Alice Hamilton
Pure Vitamin C10 Serum
Best for: Uneven skin texture
La Roche-Posay has amassed a devoted following for its simple, gentle and efficacious formulas that tackle all manner of skin concerns and this little vit-hit is no different. Packed with 10% Vitamin C, it’s like a wake-up call for sluggish skin cells. With Salicylic Acid in the mix to smooth skin texture and promote luminosity as well as hydrating Hyaluronic Acid, skin looks enviably radiant and bouncy from first hit. An ideal base for makeup, particularly during those grey Autumn-Winter months.
The hype: “I've wanted to use a Vitamin C serum on my face for a very long time but any previous ones I've attempted have resulted in my skin becoming very red and sensitive. It was therefore with some trepidation I decided to try LRP's own - I can happily say it's been several months since I first started using it and my skin is loving it! On application, my sensitive face immediately feels softer and moisturised. My skin looks fresh and alive - it has this radiant glow that I haven't seen in years. I have fallen in love with this product.” - Customer review
Powerful Strength Line-Reducing & Dark Circle-Diminishing Vitamin C Eye Serum
Best for: Tired eyes
Okay, it might not be the most exciting name you’ve ever come across, but it really does what it says on the tin, or bottle in this case. If your under-eyes could do with a helping hand, this is your guy - using 10% pure Vitamin C alongside hydrating Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides, it’ll brighten and plump-up tired-looking eyes to make you appear well rested, even when you feel anything but. Even better, with continued daily usage, it erases dark spots and prevents the future formation of dark marks on the skin.
The hype: “It’s not at all greasy or watery but finds a ‘just right’ point in the middle that left my under-eye area looking smoother and more hydrated. I’m realistic about what an eye cream can do - dark circles are a complex issue that can be related to skin thinning as we age and no amount of cream can change that, but this is a powerful non-sensitising cream that feels comfortable to use and that made me look a little more refreshed." - Get The Gloss
Skinesis Overnight Facial
Best for: Facial-worthy glow
Dubbed ‘eight hours sleep in a bottle’, this best-seller has racked up a whole lot of praise for good reason. Created by A-list facialist Sarah Chapman - who counts Victoria Beckham and Meghan Markle as regular clients - this silky elixir firms, boosts collagen production and enhances radiance while you sleep. It uses a powerful combination of antioxidants, including Vitamin C, along with anti-inflammatory omegas and essential fatty acids to leave you with baby-soft, post-facial skin when you awake.
The hype: “I have long been a fan of this product. At first, I was obsessed with how it smelled. The aromatherapy element alone was enough to get me hooked, but then as I used it more, I started to notice the plumping, hydrating and smoothing effect it was having on my skin. Whenever I am tired or run-down, this is what I reach for. It saves me every time.” - Jessica Diner, Vogue
Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir
Best for: Reducing fine lines
Housed in Charlotte Tilbury’s signature art deco-style bottle, the brand’s very first serum can be used morning and night for altogether younger-looking skin.. How? It’s all in the clever blend of ingredients. Replexium, a peptide blend, is proven to reduce wrinkles by 34%, plant adaptogen extracts rejuvenate tired skin cells and, of course, there’s golden Vitamin C for brighter, more even skin tone. Then there’s the crystals, the serum also stars a Magical Crystal Complex, inspired by the powers of rose quartz, moonstone, ruby, amethyst and crystal quartz.
The hype: “The Crystal Elixir serum is wonderfully light and has a gorgeous watery milk-like consistency, which my skin drank up faster than I tend to inhale my first G&T on a Friday night. And honestly, after two weeks of using the serum every morning, my skin definitely felt better hydrated and looked a little more 28 than 30-something.” - Evening Standard
15% Vitamin C And Egf Serum
Best for: A plumped-up glow
This affordable pick from INKEY List uses Ascorbyl Glucoside, a highly stable Vitamin C analogue, which converts to active L-Ascorbic Glucoside as soon as it hits your skin so you’re always getting a potent dose of antioxidants. The EGF stands for Epidermal Growth Factor, it stimulates collagen and elastin production deep within the skin, while Vitamin C works on the surface for a brighter, more even toned complexion. Powerful yet gentle on sensitive skin, you can use this one AM and PM.
The hype: “Fast becoming a bathroom staple for me, is The Inkey List. The 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum, unusual in its higher dose of glow-giving, brightening vitamin C, without lashings of formula-spoiling silicone (it’s not toxic, just vexing when it peels away under enthusiastic makeup application). Cruelty-free, extremely good and as British as the Beeb.” - Sali Hughes, The Guardian