Five of the best vitamin C products for your skin and how to use them

This article was first punlished in June 2020.

Vitamin C has become ubiquitous in the skincare industry. Brands flock to release the latest and greatest brightening products because achieving “the glow” is apparently a never-ending mission, and vitamin C is usually the weapon of choice.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, so it protects the skin from free radical damage. Free radicals are often found in life’s greatest pleasures – your favourite bottle of wine after a stressful day or even a cheeseburger. They can be the cause of a dull complexion and breakouts, and can age your skin prematurely.

The worst thing about free radicals is that some, such as air pollution and sunlight (UV rays), are impossible for us to avoid. Life can be so cruel.

Unlike other skincare ingredients, people don’t produce vitamin C on their own. But, don’t worry, I have you covered. Here are my tried-and-true topical vitamin C products to help keep your skin in tip-top shape.

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REN Skincare – Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream, $84

It’s not my fault I’m addicted to several Netflix shows at any given time. I stay up past my bedtime and have eyebags to show for it.

I’ve been using REN’s vitamin C eye cream for almost a month, and I’ve noticed visible brightening results in my eye areas.

Trilogy – Vitamin C Booster Treatment, $45

This was one of the first vitamin C products I dabbled with. One bottle lasts me just over two weeks. It has instantaneous, radiant results, which is what I am all about.

Be careful, however, because I found this treatment oxidised relatively fast compared to many other vitamin C serums on the market.

Summer Fridays – CC Me Serum, $109

I love using CC Me during the day. This is not my night-time vitamin C serum. It’s ultra lightweight and easily absorbed.

The glow is like no other and has a slight radiant shimmer to it. Of course, this serum has all the typical vitamin C benefits, but its dewy glow is what keeps me coming back.

The Ordinary – Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution, $28

Vitamin C is at the more expensive end of the skincare ingredient scale, so this top The Ordinary solution is a cheap scoop.

Some people can find vitamin C irritating, but ascorbyl glucoside is less potent than other forms, such as L-ascorbic acid, but still delivers the same antioxidant benefits.

Dr Dennis Gross – C+ Vitamin C Serum, $132

This is expensive, but it’s also my favourite. I only use DDG’s vitamin C serum at night, and I use it for the results alone.

It features a highly potent dosage of L-ascorbic acid that targets my hyperpigmentation from months in the harsh New Zealand sun, combined with lactic acid (AHA) that cleans up my dead skin cells for a refreshed complexion in the morning.

What Dr K says

Dr Kirshni Appanna is a cosmetic doctor at Jeunesse MedSpa. If you’re starting out with vitamin C, she has some advice:

• Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required for the growth and repair of tissue in all of the body, including the skin, but we cannot produce it on our own and need to obtain it from our diet in fruits and vegetables. It’s a potent antioxidant and is often thought of as your go-to pill to stop winter ails. But it is also a powerhouse topical skincare ingredient.

• Vitamin C helps protect the skin against environmental stressors, such as UV light and pollution, which create free radicals in the skin, damaging cells and resulting in dull skin, wrinkles and even cancers.

• Vitamin C promotes the production of collagen, the substance that gives our skin support and structure, and as it degrades with age, that’s when we begin to notice wrinkles and lines.

• Vitamin C lightens brown spots, and is helpful in blocking the abnormal production of pigmentation, so it can help even skin tone and fade dark spots.

• Vitamin C is unstable and loses its antioxidant properties when exposed to heat, light, air, and other chemicals. Look for preparations that come in air-tight, opaque packages, and must be stored in a cool, dark environment to prevent it from oxidising and deactivating. Most vitamin C products have a short shelf life.

• If your vitamin C product has turned brown, it’s best to replace it with a new bottle, as the colour change indicates it has oxidised and is no longer effective.

• Add a vitamin C serum to your skincare routine slowly to build a daily or twice-daily tolerance, starting every other day.

• Apply vitamin C products before moisturiser for the best results, and let it dry for one minute before applying your moisturiser or sunscreen.