Vitamin C easily fits into your skincare routine just like taking a multivitamin. You can use it every day or every other day, depending on your skin type.
Hi, yes, using a vitamin C product daily can be safe and beneficial for oily or acne-prone skin. Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation, fades acne scars, and promotes collagen production. You can choose a non-comedogenic, oil-free formulation to avoid clogging pores and further breakouts.
You can use vitamin C in both your morning and evening skin-care routines, provided it's not irritating your skin, Lipner says. When it comes to treating pigmentation conditions, some clinical studies do have participants use vitamin C twice a day, Fu says. "But most of the data is actually using it once a day."
Vitamin C can help you maintain the collagen you do have, while encouraging new growth. Vitamin C's role in wound healing also can help lower the risk of scarring, including acne scars. "Everybody can benefit from using vitamin C," Christenson says.
While Vitamin C serum is generally well-tolerated, some individuals may experience skin irritation, especially if they have sensitive skin. Symptoms of irritation can include redness, itching, and a burning sensation.
Using too much vitamin C serum can cause irritation and redness, while using too little can reduce its effectiveness.
The best forms of Vitamin C for the face are L-ascorbic acid, known for its potency and effectiveness, and more stable derivatives like sodium ascorbyl phosphate or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, which are gentler and better suited for sensitive skin.
Vitamin C serum can be transformational for your skin, but it's important to be realistic about your expectations for seeing visible improvements. Patience is key when it comes to seeing results, and so is consistency. Regular use of vitamin C serum should enable you to see visible improvement in 4-8 weeks.
For those with dry or extra sensitive skin, products like vitamin C serums can often have a low pH which is well-known for irritation. If you have sensitive skin, try using a gentler formula of vitamin C serum at first, preferably one that contains under 5% vitamin C.
Acids, vitamin C serums and retinoids can all cause purging. Purging is an initial acne breakout that can occur when you're starting a new active skincare product—one that causes your skin cells to turn over more quickly.
DON'T MIX: Vitamin C and AHA/BHA
Since vitamin C is pH-sensitive, using other products without stabilized pH right before or after vitamin C can degrade the antioxidant properties and decrease the skin's absorption of the ingredient, Dr.
Our favorite drugstore vitamin C serum is the L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Vitamin C Face Serum, thanks to the nongreasy texture and how well it smooths and brightens the skin. If you have acne-prone skin, we recommend the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum since it helps lighten post-acne marks.
Nearly across the board, dermatologists recommend incorporating vitamin C serum into your morning routine as opposed to using it at night.
Several people have a persistent query: can I use Vitamin C serum at night without moisturiser? No, you should not; ending the routine with a moisturiser (best if it is blended with vitamin C) will give the skin a wholesome treatment.
Although allergic reactions to Vitamin C in skincare are rare, they can happen. Symptoms normally include redness or a mild burning sensation, and they tend to appear immediately. Irritation may also cause breakouts. With Vitamin C serums, the most common cause is a formula which is too acidic and not stable.
In other cases, mixing can destabilize or cancel out the benefits of the antioxidant. Here are some ingredients to never mix with vitamin C: Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid.
Skin Irritation: Redness, itching, and a burning or stinging sensation. Dryness: Vitamin C can sometimes dry out the skin, leading to flakiness and tightness. Allergic Reactions: Some of the users may experience swelling, hives, or severe itching with excessive use of vitamin C.
Ascorbic acid does not always penetrate into the skin very far, therefore it ends up oxidising on the surface of the skin, which causes dryness, damage and orange-tones. Ascorbic acid is acidic, so it can cause skin irritation such as peeling, stinging and excessive dryness, particularly when used in high percentages.
Vitamin C cream was found to be superior to retinol cream in treating marionette lines and in enhancing the overall tone and texture of the skin, whereas, the retinol cream appeared to be more effective in treating mottled and discrete pigmentation.
All of our experts recommend Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, a serum containing 15% L-ascorbic acid. It's often referred to as the gold standard in vitamin C serums by dermatologists.