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Presenting: The best vitamin C serums, according to dermatologists and beauty experts
Get ready to glow...
Shopping for the best vitamin C serum is about as tricky as finding your soulmate, there are all these rules - is the bottle airtight, will it oxidize, wait three days before texting back... It's stressful. But when you're dealing with such a potent ingredient, it's better to play it safe than waste your money on a formula that does nothing for your skin.
And it’s worth the hunt, trust us. When you find the right one it fits seamlessly into your life and makes everything better - like your skincare soulmate. No wonder so many dermatologists and beauty experts rave about incorporating vitamin C into your regime.
If you've ever questioned how exactly vitamin C fits into your skincare routine, here's the lowdown...
What are the benefits of a vitamin C serum?
Yep, vitamin C is pretty much a magic ingredient – not only does it help strengthen the skin, but it can also help refine texture issues and diminish the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Pretty awesome, huh?
"Vitamin C has a multitude of benefits for the skin. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and works to neutralise skin-damaging free radicals produced by exposure to UV radiation and environmental aggressors such as pollution. Vitamin C also helps stimulate collagen and elastin production within the skin as well as reduce pigmentation," says Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Alexis Granite.
When should you use a vitamin C serum?
Our skincare regimes are pretty complex as it is, so how do you go about adding a vitamin C serum into a regimented routine?
"I generally recommend applying vitamin C at least once daily in the morning. Depending on skin type and other actives used in your routine, vitamin C can also be applied twice daily," says Dr Granite.
See? Not so hard after all.
Are there any skincare ingredients you shouldn't use at the same time as vitamin C?
Juggling skincare actives can be a puzzle. Some love each other, and some hate each other, so it's important to find out who vitamin C gets along with.
"Vitamin C is an acid (L-ascorbic acid) and can be quite unstable in formulations, so should not be mixed with AHAs and BHAs such as glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids which can alter skin pH and reduce vitamin C efficacy," says Granite.
A myth that's often circulated is that vitamin C and retinol don't play nice. However, Dr Granite explains that this doesn't have to be the case:
"Retinol may be used with vitamin C, but I tend to recommend not to apply them together, so applying vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening to reduce the risk of dryness and irritation."
Can you use vitamin C on all skin types?
We've established that vitamin C is an important ingredient to add to your routine, but if you have sensitive skin, it might be good to err on the side of caution.
"Very sensitive skin types may have experienced irritation with vitamin C, but generally this is an active that is well tolerated. Look for L-ascorbic acid at concentrations of 15-20% for optimal efficacy. If you do have sensitive or dry skin it is best to start with vitamin C several times weekly and increase as tolerated," says Dr Granite.
The best vitamin C serums
We’ve decided to hit up the people who know skincare better than anyone, the UK's very best dermatologists and beauty experts. Yep, we reached out to a few of the most in-demand skin doctors and journalists, to find out which vitamin C serums they recommend. Here's what they had to say...
BTW, our Special Beauty Bible dedicated to all things skincare is on newsstands on the 27th of August. Don’t miss your chance to grab our beauty bible full of helpful tips and product recs for now to keep forever.
Victoria Jowett is an award-winning journalist and the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work in beauty journalism and oversees the skincare, hair, makeup and fragrance content across all of Cosmopolitan’s platforms. She's worked in the beauty industry for over 13 years (and tested 1000s of products), making her an expert when it comes to recommending beauty brands that truly work. Having started her career working weekends on a makeup counter, Victoria began interning at the likes of AnOther and IDOL magazine, before landing her first Beauty Writer job at weekly fashion magazine, LOOK. Joining Cosmopolitan in 2016, Victoria has always remained a beauty fanatic and has been lucky enough to interview everyone from Britney Spears to Kourtney Kardashian about their beauty routines. Follow her on LinkedIn.
Charlotte Bitmead (she/her) is the Senior Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. She has over six years experience writing about beauty and has previously written for ELLE and The Sunday Times Style, covering everything from politics to sustainability to inclusivity within the beauty industry. When she’s not writing in-depth features, testing out the newest skincare fad or trying to decide what nail art to get, you can find her overspending in bookshops or shouting at Arsenal matches. Find her on LinkedIn
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Um, this serum is like a tweakment in a bottle