Best Vitamin C Serum: The 2024 List Beauty Awards
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Drinking a glass of orange juice that's chock full of vitamin C can do a body good on the inside, but there are also proven benefits to adding some vitamin C to the outside, too — especially when it comes to your face and neck. "Vitamin C is known to be a powerful ingredient that slows early skin aging, prevents sun damage, and helps to improve the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and acne," explains dermatologist Dr. Dylan Greeney. "It can do a lot."
The best way to treat your complexion right is by using a Vitamin C serum. Fortunately — and also unfortunately — there are a lot from which to choose. With hundreds of formulas available, it can be hard to decide which one is right for you and which ones should stay on the shelf.
Lucky for you, it's The List Beauty Awards season, and I did some pretty serious testing of 10 vitamin C serums that have gotten some attention. From those 10, I selected the five I found to have some of the best qualities. (Those other five? Bad applicators, greasy skin, rough textures, odd smells, and vague directions turned us off.) Straight from The 2024 List Beauty Awards, here are the vitamin C serum winners.
Best Overall: TruSkin Vitamin C Facial Serum
Be prepared to pet your skin a lot when you use TruSkin Vitamin C Facial Serum. After using it once, your skin instantly feels silky and smooth to the touch, tempting your fingertips over and over. The serum clocks in with 20% active strength, the most potent of all the serums I tried, and the form of the vitamin is sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which TruSkin says can be used on all skin types and lasts longer than other vitamin C sources.
In addition to the impressive vitamin C load, the serum — housed in a glass bottle — also contains vitamin E, an antioxidant with anti-aging qualities, and botanical hyaluronic acid, which offers intense hydration. All three together help even out and brighten your complexion, and give a little boost to your collagen production, which in turn can make your skin look fresher and younger.
The serum is fragrance-free, and a bit thicker than water, but still liquid enough to smooth easily over the skin. Directions call for using three to five drops on the face and neck, and in a twist that I didn't see in any of the other serums, they also suggest applying it to the backs of your hands for a little anti-aging boost. A few drops are more than enough — I found if you use too much, it gets a little sticky and takes longer to absorb.
Buy TruSkin Vitamin C Facial Serum on Amazon for about $20.
Best Multi-Purpose: LOréal Paris Revitalift 12% Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum
The longest official name in the bunch, LOréal Paris Revitalift 12% Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum has a long list of benefits to go with it. In addition to having 12% vitamin C, the formula also contains (as the name will confirm) pure vitamin E (an antioxidant), and salicylic acid, a multi-purpose miracle ingredient for skin. Combined, the serum promises to help even skin tone, reduce fine lines, brighten the complexion, refine pores, smooth skin, protect against free radicals, and even help with acne.
The heavy glass bottle houses the thick, oozy serum, which is applied via a dropper. There's a clean floral scent that accompanies it, but it disappears quickly. Directions call for two to three drops, applied evenly over the face and neck. The formula quickly absorbs into the skin, which is both a blessing and a curse. Blessing: you won't have to wait for the serum to soak in before you can apply other potions or your makeup. Curse: it absorbs so quickly that it's hard to spread the tiny drops over your entire face and neck before they disappear into your skin; you may find a couple extra are needed.
Buy LOréal Paris Revitalift 12% Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum for about $25 on Amazon.
High C Content: Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum
For a potent amount of vitamin C in your serum, Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum rises to the challenge. The independent skincare company has packed an impressive 15% pure vitamin C into its dark glass bottle to offer your collagen production some serious nutrition. There's also vitamin E and ferulic acid to round out the powerhouse ingredients, and a few minor, but very interesting elements, like magnolia.
The serum is a little on the thinner side and is applied via a dropper. Given how quickly the product runs, it's best to apply it to your fingertips to smooth over the face, neck, and, as Maelove suggests, the décolleté. If you try to drop the serum directly on your face, you run the risk of it dripping off your chin before you can smooth it over your cheeks.
The directions are to "apply liberally," and you do need quite a bit for a smooth and easy application. Once applied, you will have to give it a few minutes to fully absorb, and your skin may feel a little bit sticky while you wait. Oh, and there's also the fragrance — it has the slightest of smoky scents — maybe that's the magnolia tree?
Buy Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum for about $33 at Maelove.
Easiest to Apply: CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
Out of all the products I tried, CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum gets the highest praise and serious kudos for creating a product that is easy to apply and won't shatter if you drop it on the bathroom tile. Instead of a glass bottle, it comes in a tube, and instead of a dropper, it has a pointed applicator tip.
There's no recommendation of how much to apply, so you can just squeeze the tube to get a bit on your fingertips, then easily smooth it over the skin — and it does glide nicely over the face and neck. The consistency is closer to a cream than an oil and absorbs fairly quickly. It doesn't leave behind any sort of scent (it's fragrance-free), or any stickiness.
The formula is pretty impressive, too. Starting with 10% pure vitamin C, it adds in three essential ceramides (which Cerave describes as "the glue that holds our skin together"), as well as vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid. All together, it promises to help brighten and even skin, as well as give a little hydration.
Buy CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum for around $17 on Amazon.
Most Like Fruit: Bliss Bright Idea Serum
When you think of vitamin C, you naturally think of ripe, juicy oranges glowing in the sun. If you're looking to mimic that Florida-produced vibe, Bliss Bright Idea Serum is the one to try. Not only does the bright orange glass bottle come in a box showing fresh slices of the fruit, but the formula has a natural, fresh citrus scent. The serum is also vegan and cruelty-free.
While Bliss hasn't revealed the percentage of vitamin C that's included in their serum, they have shared it is clinical-grade. The formula also includes tri-peptide (another collagen helper), licorice root extract (an antioxidant), and glycerin (a hydrator).
Super-thick and creamy, the serum is dispensed from the bottle via a pump, and there's no direction on how much to use. Bliss does recommend massaging it into the skin, and the formula is easy to work with. The thicker consistency, though, does mean it takes several minutes to thoroughly absorb into the skin, leaving you with a bit of a sticky face while you wait. It's definitely one you'll want to apply, eat an orange, then move on to the rest of your skincare routine.
Buy Bliss Bright Idea Serum for about $25 on Amazon.