These are the best vitamin C serums – according to dermatologists and beauty experts (2024)

Shopping for the best vitamin C serum is about as tricky as finding your soulmate, there are all these rules - is the bottle airtight, will it oxidize, wait three days before texting back... It's stressful. But when you're dealing with such a potent ingredient, it's better to play it safe than waste your money on a formula that does nothing for your skin.

And it’s worth the hunt, trust us. When you find the right one it fits seamlessly into your life and makes everything better - like your skincare soulmate. No wonder so many dermatologists and beauty experts rave about incorporating vitamin C into your regime.

If you've ever questioned how exactly vitamin C fits into your skincare routine, here's the lowdown...

What are the benefits of a vitamin C serum?

Yep, vitamin C is pretty much a magic ingredient – not only does it help strengthen the skin, but it can also help refine texture issues and diminish the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Pretty awesome, huh?

"Vitamin C has a multitude of benefits for the skin. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and works to neutralise skin-damaging free radicals produced by exposure to UV radiation and environmental aggressors such as pollution. Vitamin C also helps stimulate collagen and elastin production within the skin as well as reduce pigmentation," says Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Alexis Granite.

When should you use a vitamin C serum?

Our skincare regimes are pretty complex as it is, so how do you go about adding a vitamin C serum into a regimented routine?

"I generally recommend applying vitamin C at least once daily in the morning. Depending on skin type and other actives used in your routine, vitamin C can also be applied twice daily," says Dr Granite.

See? Not so hard after all.

Are there any skincare ingredients you shouldn't use at the same time as vitamin C?

Juggling skincare actives can be a puzzle. Some love each other, and some hate each other, so it's important to find out who vitamin C gets along with.

"Vitamin C is an acid (L-ascorbic acid) and can be quite unstable in formulations, so should not be mixed with AHAs and BHAs such as glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids which can alter skin pH and reduce vitamin C efficacy," says Granite.

A myth that's often circulated is that vitamin C and retinol don't play nice. However, Dr Granite explains that this doesn't have to be the case:

"Retinol may be used with vitamin C, but I tend to recommend not to apply them together, so applying vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening to reduce the risk of dryness and irritation."

Can you use vitamin C on all skin types?

We've established that vitamin C is an important ingredient to add to your routine, but if you have sensitive skin, it might be good to err on the side of caution.

"Very sensitive skin types may have experienced irritation with vitamin C, but generally this is an active that is well tolerated. Look for L-ascorbic acid at concentrations of 15-20% for optimal efficacy. If you do have sensitive or dry skin it is best to start with vitamin C several times weekly and increase as tolerated," says Dr Granite.

The best vitamin C serums

We’ve decided to hit up the people who know skincare better than anyone, the UK's very best dermatologists and beauty experts. Yep, we reached out to a few of the most in-demand skin doctors and journalists, to find out which vitamin C serums they recommend. Here's what they had to say...

"I always recommend Skinceuticals CE Ferulic. It's a highly potent antioxidant product combining a high strength Vitamin C with additional anti-oxidants, Vitamin E and ferulic acid. The formula is lightweight and easily absorbed by the skin, so it's perfect for layering on over sunscreen and under make-up." Says Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sharon Wong.

"I genuinely think this is one of the few Vitamin C serums that faded my hyperpigmentation and left my skin looking glowy. I used it religiously throughout the first Covid lockdown and it made such a big difference to my skin," says Hanna Ibraheem, former Deputy Beauty Editor.

“I love Vitamin C10 from La Roche-Posay as it is so easily tolerated by so many. It is created with sensitive skin in mind, the 10% concentration means you’ll reap all of the rewards from Vitamin C with downtime that you may get with stronger formulas. Vitamin C10 also has a small amount of salicylic acid to gently exfoliate and La Roche-Posay thermal spring water to soothe,” says Dr Justine Hextall.

"It's hard to come by a punchy vitamin C serum that's under £30, but CeraVe has delivered. Just landed on UK shores, this is the number one vitamin C in the US and it's not hard to see why. Its silky texture is hydrating, without being greasy, and the nourishing formula features 10% of the superstar ingredient as well as hyaluronic acid and three essential ceramides, so your skin barrier is getting a real treat with this one," says Charlotte Bitmead, Senior Beauty Writer.

“This lightweight serum, which combines vitamin E and the equivalent of 15% vitamin C, acts as a barrier to daily skin insults such as UV rays and city pollution. It brightens the skin and reduces the onset of dark spots and wrinkles, even better, it’s non-comedogenic so doesn’t increase the risk of breakouts,” says Dr Justine Kluk, Consultant Dermatologist.

"Vichy's Liftactiv Supreme 15% Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum contains L-Ascorbic Acid which is a pure form of vitamin C. L-Ascorbic acid has been shown to improve pigmentation as well as acting as an effective antioxidant. With good clinical data and a decent price point it’s a great addition to an anti-ageing skincare routine," explains Dr Anjali Mahto, Consultant Dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic.

“Before I tried this, I wasn’t on the vitamin C bandwagon. Loads of products I tried had the super-ingredient in it but I just didn’t see how it enhanced my skin. But after using this gel cream for a few months I noticed how much my skin was glowing before I’d even put on makeup. It was the product that made me feel more confident to go out sans base product,” says Keeks Reid, Contributing Beauty Director.

"I'm a big fan of the Skinceuticals Phloretin CF serum. It contains 10% l-ascorbic acid (vitamin c), 2% phloretin and 0.5% ferulic acid and this combination makes for brilliant antioxidant protection. It also has an excellent track record and you will find many Dermatologists globally citing it as their favourite," says Dr Justine Kluk, Consultant Dermatologist.

"Pure Vitamin C is oxidised when in contact with air or moisture. Once vitamin C is oxidised, it turns a darker yellow or brown. This means it is no longer active or effective. Therefore the best vitamin C is one that is formulated and stored properly to keep it’s potency. It must be dry and in a vacuum-sealed bottle or tube. I’m a big fan of ZO C-Bright for these reasons. It provides a potent dose of pure vitamin C that is stabilised to brighten and re-texturise the skin," says Dr Tatiana Lapa, founder and medical director of the Dr Tatiana Clinic.