The Best Vitamin C Serum for Any Budget
If you’ve been following me for awhile you know I LIVE for Vitamin C products. It’s one of those ingredients that actually WORKS and you can see results. Because of that I always suggest Vitamin C products to friends and the EDPfam who are just venturing into creating a great skincare routine.
What is Vitamin C? It’s a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals. Because of its antioxidant properties, vitamin C aids in your skin's natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells. In a nutshell, when I use potent Vitamin C products I start to see a seriously more even skin tone. My acne scars slowly start to fade and there’s an overall glow to my skin that cannot be replicated with any other product. What’s not to love?
I’m pretty particular with my skincare products: once I find something I like, I typically stick to it. My skin is oily and acne prone and the littlest changes can totally set it off. You can see my tried and true favorites on this post. That being said, with work, I do get the opportunity to try new products and am VERY selective in doing so. Over the past 4+ yrs I’ve tried three Vitamin C serums that I really love and finally decided to do a round-up post for you gals. All three range in price which means there’s really something great out there for your budget! Keep scrolling for deets as well as some Qs that came in from you gals on IG about:
Fresh Chemistry Glow Getter Brightening Serum
Key ingredients: Vitamin C + Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Uses 3-O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid version of Vitamin C which is proven to be more stable with better skin absorption (vs. L-Ascorbic Acid version)
Unscented
Serum absorbs into skin well, great for AM regimen
PERK: you mix the active ingredients into the base after receiving the product for ultimate potency!
$65 ~ 1 bottle lasts about 1.5 months | EDP fam gets additional 10% off with code EDP10
ISDIN Flavo-C UltraGlican SERUM
Key ingredients: Vitamin C, UltraGlycans, and Hyaluronic Acid
Uses L-Ascorbic Acid version of Vitamin C
Mild scent
Serum is a bit thicker. probably best for PM regimen and/or AM's on makeup free days
$112 ~ 30 ampoules can last up to 60 days if you split ampoules
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Key ingredients: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, and Hyaluronic Acid
Uses L-Ascorbic Acid version of Vitamin C | The other ingredients have added benefits on top of Vitamin C such as - the pure form of vitamin E neutralizes free radicals and replenishes skin lipids and ferulic acid, a plant-based antioxidant, neutralizes free radicals and enhances the antioxidant benefits and stability of vitamins C and E.
Product absorbs into skin well, great for AM regimen
The smell is something to get used to / some gals def have a problem with and the consensus is it smells like uncooked hot dog
$166 ~ 1 bottle lasts about 1.5 months | I always wait for Dermstore to do a sale (usually once a quarter)
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN BUYING VITAMIN C SERUMS
The big Q: Ash, so which one would you recommend? All of them! They’re not apples to apples as noted above. The one thing they all have in common is potent Vitamin C that is very effective. Things to think about when deciding to dive in:
What type of skincare regimen can I afford to maintain? $166 every 1.5 months is not cheap. If your goal is to focus on just the Vitamin C ingredient, maybe the Fresh Chemistry Serum makes the most sense.
Viscosity - sounds silly but the formulas and viscosity of each of these is different. It’s a very personal preference but some gals hate thicker serums (ie: ISDIN one) while others LOVE something a little thicker that feels like you’re really lathering something on.
The scent - while Skinceuticals C E Ferulic is a cult fave it legit smells like uncooked hot dogs - hah. I personally know gals who cannot handle the smell no matter how effective the product is.
If you’re new to Vitamin C, you should truly see a difference in your skin within the first 2 -3 weeks of using any of these products. Been using Vitamin C for years? While I’m not one to switch things up often, I have found that trying a new Vitamin C serum every 9-12 months has kind of kickstarted the effectiveness in my skin since it can kind of get used to existing products after using for a prolonged period of time. Hope this helps! Always happy to answer any Qs - shoot me a DM on IG: @everydaypursuits.
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