If you’re anything like me, you get overwhelmed every time you step into the beauty and skincare department. With hundreds of products stating thousands of claims – clears acne, brightens skin, provides deep moisture – it’s hard to decipher what products will work best for your skin and give you the results there labels are promising. More times than not, you get home to experiment and find your face irritated by these new products, or worse, showing zero results, leaving you in this state of doubt and wonder if your skin will ever look better. To be honest, I was ready to give up on my skin. However, one serum has completely erased any doubt and has truly made a difference in my skin in less than one month.

Between stress, hormones, and environmental changes (allergy season always wrecks havoc on my skin,) my skin seemed to face a new challenge week after week. After trying countless acne products, exfoliants, peels, masks – My skin still faced breakouts and looked dull compared to my other 20-something year old friends. To say I was envious of girlfriends and coworkers who didn’t need to have concealer in their back pocket is an understatement.

I started hearing about the magic of Vitamin C serum and decided to give it a try for myself. Other bloggers and news outlets claimed it was a cure all serum that worked on all skin types and legitimately offered results. What’s to lose, right? I already knew that Vitamin C was a great supplement for our bodies – it provides rich antioxidants that benefit our immune system and can prevent damage from free radicals in our body that may cause cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Research shows that applying the right concentration of Vitamin C to any skin type can enhance the following conditions:

1. Brightens skin: The immediate benefit I noticed was how bright my skin looked. Vitamin C smooths the skin surface, naturally increasing brightness, and also has claims to reduce hyperpigmentation such as sun spots, age spots, and melasma. Applying Vitamin C to the skin disrupts melanin production, producing a more even skin tone.
2. Soften fine lines and wrinkles: Vitamin C is known for its benefit of boosting our body’s production of collagen, a protein that gives skin elasticity for a smooth and glowing complexion. As we age, our body’s level of collagen decreases, causing fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin C serum helps increase collagen production that in turn helps smooth these aging wrinkles.
3. Provides moisture: Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, a derivative of Vitamin C, allows your skin to retain moisture and can decrease skin’s roughness. Vitamin C serum is a great supplemental product to use after cleansing and before moisturizing to lock in moisture.
4. Protect skin from sun damage: Since Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it can protect skin from the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays. Increased exposure to the sun reduces the skin’s natural levels of Vitamin C. Antioxidant powers help supply the skin with stolen vitamins, ultimately strengthening the skin. By reducing free radicals in the skin caused by sunburn, a good serum may be able to reverse some damage such as dark spots. Note: Vitamin C serum is not a sunscreen alternative. Always wear sunscreen.
5. Helps clear acne and reduce scars. Vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory, meaning it helps speed up the body’s natural healing process. The serum can help reduce redness while pro-elastin properties help reduce and repair scars caused by acne. I’ve already noticed my hormonal acne scars fade from use. For best results, exfoliate before using Vitamin C serum for better penetration.

When shopping for a Vitamin C serum, look for one with at least 10-15% concentration – that’s the perfect balance of Vitamin C that creates results instead of redness and irritation. Use the serum after cleansing and exfoliating skin, and before moisturizing for best results. Some studies show that the serum is most effective in the morning but I’ve been using the product both morning and night and have seen results in just 3 weeks.

Here are a few recommended serums, including the one that I use.

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TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Serum – It’s no surprise that this serum is rated a best seller on Amazon due to its 20% Vitamin C concentration and low price point. 

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum – This is the serum that I’ve been using twice daily. Reasonable price point, plus, Mad Hippie donates portion of proceeds to conservation and ending poverty worldwide. Features 10% concentration with added Vitamin E.

Sunday Riley C.E.O Rapid Flash Brightening Serum – The highest price point of the three recommended, this serum has 15% concentration that brightens skin while glycolic acid exfoliates and prevents dead skin cells.

If you give it a try, leave me a comment below to let me know how you like it! If you’ve tried other Vitamin C serums before, I’d love other recommendations!

Note: These thoughts are completely my own. Each recommended serum is connected to an affiliate links. I will make a small profit if you purchase using these links.