4 weeks is usually the golden rule for beginning to see changes - it's allowed your skin to go through at least one renewal cycle with this skin-changing ingredient. At this point, your skin should have a subtle change in radiance, which is something you'll notice will stick around as long as you keep using Vitamin C.
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.
Also, keep in mind that it can take two to four weeks of daily usage to see results, so keep a close watch on your skin. If it starts looking brighter, that's a sure sign your vitamin C products are working.
Concentration: The sweet spot for the concentration level is between 10 and 20 percent. You definitely want a concentration that's higher than 8 percent for maximum effectiveness. But going over 20 percent could lead to irritation and doesn't increase its benefit.
Dr. Chiu warns that because vitamin C is a skin-care “active”—meaning it's particularly potent—applying too much of it on your face can potentially lead to more breakouts or irritation. Keep it to a max of two applications a day when a formula that has no more than 10% vitamin C each time.
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.
After you're all serum'd up, it's recommended that you follow up with a moisturizing oil or face cream. This will help seal in all the goodness from the vitamin C serum and ensure your face stays hydrated and smooth. You can absolutely use vitamin C serum in your morning routine before you put on your makeup.
When Youll See Results: Once you add vitamin C to your skincare regimen, you may start seeing noticeable improvements in three weeks. It can help significantly fade hyperpigmentation in about two months.
While it won't hurt if you use your vitamin C serum at night, it may interact with other skin care products meant to be used in the evening (like retinol) and cause skin irritation and sensitivity.
Always allow your serum to absorb for 60-90 seconds, to ensure it has time to penetrate the skin. Follow up with a moisturizer to lock in the goodness of your serum, and bolster your skin's protective lipid barrier.
You may choose to begin applying it every other day, and if tolerated you may apply it daily. It may take up to three months of consistent use to see a noticeable improvement.
What Does Vitamin C Serum Do? Vitamin C serum is a gel-like liquid that contains a potent concentration of this key ingredient. Applied topically, its rich formula provides skin with a fast-absorbing dose of Vitamin C to instantly improve tone and texture.
Fortunately, due to vitamin C's powerful absorbing capacity it can't be rubbed or washed off the skin. Studies have shown that vitamin C reservoirs in the epidermis for anywhere from 8-24 hours!
Never combine Vitamin C serum with AHAs, BHAs, retinol, niacinamide, and benzol peroxide in the same routine. It can lead to skin flaking, drying, and irritation.
Four to five drops a vitamin C serum is enough to protect the skin. As vitamin C serum is a potent antioxidant and its high quantity may cause adverse effects, so always use in a small amount.
This is why most vitamin C and retinoid serums are packaged into dark bottles. To ensure longer product life, these should definitely be stored in the fridge. It won't just make them last longer, but it'll keep them effective for longer, and without a weird smell.
It is because Vitamin C is extremely potent but it can easily react with the air, light and heat in the environment to only make your skin appear darker.
Vitamin C is also a “great ingredient” for anyone with acne-prone skin for several reasons, according to Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist: It can help neutralize inflation and prevent breakouts, brighten dark spots left behind when pimples heal — it can also treat melasma (dark patches on the skin) ...
A favorite of dermatologists for its ability to brighten skin, buff away hyperpigmentation and slow signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, vitamin C is a skin care powerhouse — and often an affordable one at that.
Although, both of these ingredients do their best work under certain conditions: You want to apply a vitamin C serum on clean, dry skin so it can penetrate the skin cells, but you want to apply hyaluronic acid on a damp face so it can pull water into the skin.
Vitamin C serums can help smooth out fine lines by plumping and hydrating the under-eye area. Although vitamin C is more effective at reducing overall redness, some people say it can help alleviate discoloration associated with under-eye circles.
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.”
Vitamin C works best in combination with vitamin E, ferulic Acid, vitamin B, and hyaluronic acid. Designed to deliver a high concentration of actives, a vitamin C serum is a popular choice in skincare.