Apply serum evenly to face and neck daily. Avoid eye area. If contact with eyes occurs, rinse thoroughly with water. Store serum in a cool, dark place.
As a well-known skincare line often recommended by dermatologists, I couldn't wait to see how CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum stacked up against the many other face serums I've trialed. After using this hydrating face serum both morning and night for just a week, it's clear why it comes so highly recommended!
While it's all down to your skin (and no one knows your skin better than you), most prefer to apply vitamin C serums in the morning because of its antioxidant properties—which means that it helps to defend against pollutants and free radicals that could otherwise damage skin throughout the day.
Vitamin C serum benefits
If you're wondering when to apply a vitamin C serum, the answer is both morning and night, after cleansing and toning. One study even recommends applying a vitamin C serum every eight hours, or twice daily for the pinnacle of protection.
Vitamin C can be very acidic, and serums can cause skin irritation in some people, particularly in high concentrations. When using a vitamin C serum for the first time, apply a thin layer every other day and gradually increase to daily applications.
Many people wonder when the best time is to use their Vitamin C products. While some associate Vitamin C with daytime, others believe nights and evenings are best to use their Vitamin C-infused products. The truth is, Vitamin C can work effectively in the days or evenings.
Once your vitamin C serum has dried down, apply moisturizer. This order is crucial because applying moisturizer before your serum could block your skin from absorbing all of its goodness. If applying in the morning, follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher.
A Vitamin C serum should be used in your bedtime routine and a couple of drops of it should suffice. Tap it on your skin using your fingertips and leave it on overnight. Wash your face in the morning and apply SPF to avoid any skin irritation.
Vitamin C serum (leave to absorb for 1-2 minutes)
Dr Khan explains: “With vitamin C, you want to get the most out of the product by not diluting it. A couple of minutes should be an adequate time for the product to dry down before you go in with your next step.”
Pat any excess product onto the top of your hands, neck, and décolletage. Step 4: Apply a moisturizer (Yes, your moisturizer should come after your Vitamin C serum — remember the “thinnest to thickest” rule.)
You can take vitamin C supplements at any time of day, with or without food, although taking ascorbic acid with foods can help decrease the potential gastrointestinal side effects caused by its high acidity ( 7 ).
The truth: You can use vitamin C with retinol and retinoids. Get them as separate products so you can tailor the concentration of each and use them at the right time of day. Although vitamin C can be used day or night, it is ideal for daytime use, while retinol and retinoids should be applied at night.
Apply serum evenly to face and neck daily. Avoid eye area. If contact with eyes occurs, rinse thoroughly with water. Store serum in a cool, dark place.
Most of the skincare experts we spoke with recommend adding a Vitamin C serum to your skincare routine slowly before building up a daily or twice-daily tolerance. “I recommend every other day to daily use in the morning, typically three to five drops for the entire face,” Palm says.
A thick moisturizer with hyaluronic acid would be applied after a vitamin C serum, but a hyaluronic acid serum will come before a face cream with vitamin C in its formula. In the case that you have two separate serums, it still comes down to thickness. Apply whichever is thinner first.
Vitamin C serum is typically applied once or twice per day. A good rule of thumb is to cleanse, tone, apply vitamin C serum, and then moisturize. It can be safely used with other active ingredients, although using alongside niacinamide may make vitamin C less effective.
AHAs and BHAs, such as glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids should never be used with Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an acid, too, and is unstable, so the pH balance will be thrown off by layering these ingredients together and might as well be useless.
How Long Does Vitamin C Serum Take to Work? You will likely notice skin improvement 4-12 weeks after starting routine use of vitamin C serum.
Use a water based or non comedogenic moisturizer which means it doesnt clog your pores. AcneOC is a good one which is light, non-greasy and non comedogenic.
Your early 20s are a great time to begin using vitamin C, and you should continue using it throughout adulthood. This powerful antioxidant protects your skin from free radicals that can damage skin and expedite signs of aging, including wrinkles, skin laxity, and sunspots. It can also help reverse some of these signs.
When vitamin C acts as a pro-oxidant, the consequences include irritation, inflammation, collagen and elastin breakdown, and acne. So if you have any of these skin ailments, and are using a vitamin C serum, then its time to re-think your regimen.
There's no proof that Vitamin C causes acne. In fact, it may even help treat it faster! And yet, many of my clients with oily, acne-prone skin complain their acne got worse after introducing a Vitamin C serum into their skincare routine.