Once upon a time, there was a girl in her early 20s. Her love life was in shambles and her career was still in the "What will I be when I grow up?" phase. But her skin care routine was easy: drink two to five cups of water a week and remember to take off her makeup before bed most nights. The result? Skin that was plump, smooth, and even dewy. But now that girl is a grown up mom, and that super chill approach to skin care just isn't going to cut it anymore.
Yep, we are all that person! We all hit a point where we need to be a little more intentional about our skin care game, especially if we want to to keep the wrinkles at bay for as long as possible. Of course, it's totally cool if we don't want to worry about wrinkles or whether our skin is a little more dry than it used to be. Makeup and skin care stuff is optional in life, but for those of us who find taking extra time on our skin care routine to be a form of self-care, we're here with 15 suggestions for vitamin C serums that live up to the hype! And, because we are always realistic that dropping $100 on a serum isn't in everyone's budget, we made sure to include options at all the price points, so there is something for everyone here!
Derma E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum With Hyaluronic Acid
This option, one of the top sellers on Amazon, wins points for being super hydrating and environmentally friendly. It's 100% vegan, avoids all the sulfates and parabens, and comes in recyclable packaging. All that and it costs less than $20! Perfect for daily use.
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Firming Oil
This serum from the brand Biossance promises to make any skin type feel more firm and hydrated. A quick glance at the reviews on Sephora confirm that people love it. As one five star review raved, "I kid you not within 2 months my skin texture is smoother, hydrated, dark spots are gone, forehead fine lines has disappeared and my complexion is brighter/glowing!" Plus, Reese Witherspoon is a huge fan!
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Face Serum
This option, from French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay, includes both 10% pure vitamin C as well as salicylic acid, so it gently exfoliates the skin and provides extra hydration. This one can be used alone or with a moisturizer, depending on skin type and preferences.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Vitamin-C Day Serum
People who love a luxe skin care routine love the brand Drunk Elephant. The brand's daytime vitamin C serum contains a whopping 15% vitamin C and true believers swear by it. To be totally transparent, this one does have a bit stronger smell than some other options, but it fades quickly after applying!
Drunk Elephant C-Tango Vitamin C Eye Cream
While evening skin tone and reducing wrikles is the promise of almost every vitamin C cream or serum, this option from Drunk Elephant is specially designed for the eye area. Users swear by it for reducing dark circles and for helping that delicate under eye skin look smoother.
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Remember how we promised that there would be some budget-friendly options for vitamin C serums? Well, this is not the budget-friendly option. This is the most expensive product on our list, but this product from SkinCeuticals has been called the gold standard of vitamin C serums and has almost 4,000 five-star reviews on at Dermstore to prove it.
Paula's Choice Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum
$43
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Paula's Choice
This mid-price option from Paula's Choice is a strong recommendation for people who have sensitive skin. It uses a different form of vitamin C and includes some calming ingredients to refine skin while not being too aggressive on the exfoliation.
No. 7 Radiance+ Vitamin C Glow Toner
Sometimes we want to leisurely shop at the beauty specialty stores, trying out loads of pricey products. And sometimes we just want to grab something at Target and give it a try without worrying about wasting money. This affordable option has 2% vitamin C, so it might not have as dramatic results as some of the more high powered (and cost) options, but it can be a great way to see how skin responds to vitamin C before buying a more expensive option.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Serum
This option is on the more expensive side, but it has two major selling points. First, it has a 20% concentration of vitamin C so it is potentially more effective on dark spots. Second, the dark bottle helps protect the investment of spending over $90 on a product! Vitamin C products can break down quickly when exposed to light and air, so this bottle keeps the good stuff working until the very last drop.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
When it comes to taking care of our skin, we can sometimes forget to make sure our luscious lips get the attention they deserve! This leave-on lip mask uses vitamin C to heal dry and flaky lips overnight, leaving them more soft and smooth looking. This is perfect for helping keep lips healthy all winter long!
Herbivore Nova 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum
This 15% vitamin C serum also has turmeric as an ingredient, giving it an almost gingery scent. We love that it does all the good things that a vitamin C serum should do but also has a pump top bottle, so the product is never exposed to air, keeping it more effective for longer, especially if stored somewhere cool and dark.
Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum
OK, how adorable is this packaging? So cute and — bonus! — it smells like strawberries! This is a great option for breakout prone skin because it has hyaluronic and glycolic acids to hydrate and exfoliate skin without causing acne flare-ups.
Murad Vitamin C Triple Exfoliating Facial
While most of the vitamin C serums we've highlighted are great for daily (even twice daily use) the Murad Vitamin C Triple Facial is meant to be used as a mask and should only be used one to three times a week. It promises to help with reducing acne scars and is best for oily skin. Because this product can increase sensitivity to the sun, so make sure to be extra diligent about sunscreen use after this product.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Targeted Spot Brightener
This one is the ninja at specifically targeting and helping fade dark spots on the face, such as from acne scars and hyperpigmentation. We like that the tube has a small tip, perfect for getting out just the right amount for spot treatment, and protects against light damage, too.
Honest Beauty Vitamin C Radiance Serum
This option, from Jessica Alba's Honest Beauty brand, uses vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to give skin a nice dewy look, while staying at a price point that almost any mom can afford! The mini bottle is only $13, making it a good option to try for a few weeks to see if it helps improve skin tone or skin texture.
*Psst: if you choose to purchase an item from this post, CafeMom.com may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
