Best vitamin C serums, tried and tested by a beauty expert

The instructions for this serum call for six drops to be massaged over the face and neck, but our tester found around three or four actually worked perfectly and, of course, made the product last a bit longer. When applying, the soft citrusy smell is a great morning wake-up scent, while the silky feel is instantly luxurious and very easy to apply, thanks to a precise small pipette.

The brand revolves around a CSA strategy – vitamin C, sunscreen by day and vitamin A by night – emphasising just how core an element vitamin C plays within the brand ethos and skincare in general. The catchily named, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD) is the vitamin C of choice for this serum, meaning it’s gentler on the skin, easier to store and more stable in formulation.

While squalane, vitamin E, F, maracuja oil and red ginseng are also included for a deeply moisturising treatment helping to protect the skin barrier, stimulate collagen production and nourish cells. For anyone who wants to strip their skincare routine back even further, the brand’s two-in-one moisturiser vitamin C cream was also loved by our tester.

Working as a sun protection agent when combined with SPF, it’s unsurprising that sun expert Bondi Sands has brought out its own vitamin C serum. With 10 per cent ascorbic acid and a touch of vitamin C-filled kakadu plum fruit extract, this is a great option for beginners. Easy to use, simply drop three to four drops into the palms and massage into the skin post-cleansing and before moisturising and it’s an extra skincare step that won’t take more than a few seconds.

Licorice root extract has been added to help reduce inflammation along with microcitrus Australasica fruit extract for exfoliation, giving it extra skin-enhancing properties. But, being an active form of vitamin C, it did spoil, turn bright yellow and smell rancid after around three weeks of being open – which could’ve been user error of not tightening the lid enough, or could be a downfall of the unstable ascorbic acid type.

With a 15 per cent vitamin C complex, this Nip + Fab formula is best for those well-versed with the ingredient already. Blending three stable forms of vitamin C together, it’s designed to help you reap the full rewards of the brightening, wrinkle-reducing and sun damage reversal properties without too much worry of the product spoiling. Ferulic acid is also included to help make the vitamin C work even harder, alongside allantoin and niacinamide, which will help boost the skin barrier.

Our tester found the orange-scented product quite a delight to use. Not only does it smell like the ingredient itself (obviously this is a downside for those who don’t favour fragranced products), but it instantly absorbs into the skin with no sticky or slimy residue and it left our skin feeling hydrated, too.

We’ve emphasised how difficult it can be to store certain vitamin C serums already and even had a real-life example of just how easy they can be to spoil with Bondi Sands. So, coming in capsule form, this RoC option is one of our favourites for fuss-free, easy use whether at home or on the go.

With 20 per cent ascorbic acid, it’s on the higher end of concentration and luckily the capsule has already dictated the exact amount needed, meaning there’s no need to worry about overdoing it and causing irritation. Although, in saying that, beginners would be better suited to lower levels before moving on to this.

Dimethicone is the main ingredient, an intense moisturising ingredient known to help with conditions such as eczema, so it is intensely hydrating too. While rubus idaeus leaf cell cultures hydrate and work to reduce signs of ageing, polygonum aviculare extract helps protect against UV and infrared rays, and terminalia ferdinandiana soothes inflammation. Fine lines were notably reduced, skin felt hydrated, and it instantly absorbed with no greasy residue. For well-versed vitamin C users looking for a change, this is one to go for.

Luxury skincare lovers rejoice, as of course we’ve included Omorovicza in this round-up, how could we not? Firstly, we have to note that it is quite the expense. The Hungarian brand prides itself on its ingredients, history, results and science-led design, so our tester was more than excited to give this vitamin C serum a whirl.

Using sodium ascorbyl phosphate as the form of vitamin C – the same structure as used in the Aesop version – it’s again very stable with no chance of oxidisation, a huge relief when spending over £100. The main ingredient is water – which seems like quite a shame when considering the price – but it’s not just any water, it’s Hungarian thermal water, which is said to have impressive healing properties and a high mineral concentration. Niacinamide, nasturtium officinale flower/leaf extract, radish root ferment filtrate and actinidia arguta fruit extract work to nourish and protect the skin while keeping it clear and free from acne-inducing bacteria.

So, packed with skin-boosting ingredients and with a boujee bottle to match, we can see where the price point comes in. But, if you do have the money to spend then definitely give it a go – one drop was enough to cover our entire face so it’s sure to last you a very long time.

Olay has been backing its vitamin C range for a while now with Amelia Dimoldenberg, aka host of Chicken Shop Date, as the face of it. But, it takes more than a celeb face to sway us here at IndyBest so we put this product through its paces, just like the others, to see if it really is worth parting the cash for.

The first thing to note is the scent, a fresh citrus banana whiff that reminded us of that yellow medicine as kids – both a good and a bad thing. The pipette is very easy to use, and only a few drops cover the whole face. Do note this product is cloudy, so don’t be thinking it has spoiled if the scent is still intact.

It was slightly sticky compared to other options but did absorb into the skin quickly with long-lasting moisture. It’s the 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid that is used here along with glycerin, niacinamide, dimethicone and lactic acid for a moisturising yet exfoliating treatment that can be used both morning and night, making it a great option for anyone looking to reduce dark spots and brighten skin.

Ask almost any beauty buff what the best vitamin C serum is and it’s likely that they’ll say this SkinCeuticals option. Yes, it’s incredibly expensive (which is why we haven’t made it our best buy) and it can spoil quite quickly, but the results are incredibly impressive. Housing 15 per cent pure vitamin C, 0.5 per cent ferulic acid and one per cent vitamin E, it’s a pretty potent product that, only after a few weeks, visibly brightened, smoothed and boosted our skin. However, it doesn’t last too long as it’s prone to oxidise, so be sure to act swiftly applying each morning before it goes a funny colour and slightly tacky.

We know we’ve already said that 20 per cent is really the maximum recommended concentration of vitamin C when going by general consensus, but Trinny has blown everyone out of the water with this 30 per cent concentrate. Once again, 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid is the vitamin C of choice and the main ingredient in this serum, meaning it is incredibly strong. But, even after a couple of weeks of use, we experienced no irritation, sensitivity or burning. Perhaps this could be due to the other potent and nourishing ingredients, jojoba oil, olive oil, plankton extract, lemon peel ferment, lactococcus ferment and meadowfoam seed oil.

As with the majority of the Trinny London range, this serum has been created with older skin in mind, so anyone in that category is sure to love this product. But, if new to vitamin C, be sure to train your skin for a couple of months beforehand with one or two of the lower concentrate options in this round-up first, just in case.

Our skin appeared brighter, smoother and more even in tone after continued use which is sure to increase as time goes on. And, best of all, it’s also refillable meaning less waste.

Not strictly just a vitamin C serum, but marketed as such, the Aesop lucent facial concentrate is the brand’s take on a classic vitamin C product. In the classic aesthetic Aesop packaging, we loved having this sit pride of place on our bathroom shelf and the pipette was easy to use and large enough that just two drops covered most of the face and neck with the silky, instantly absorbing liquid.

Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is the vitamin C of choice here and being the most stable option it won’t oxidise, so there’s much less worry about spending this much money on a product that could quickly go off. Niacinamide, hydrogenated castor oil, boswellia carterii oil, fusanus spicatus wood oil and rosa damascena flower oil closely follow in the ingredient list providing a blend of moisturising, conditioning and nourishing ingredients that really are worth their weight in gold.

Vitamin-rich, any skin type will soak this up and look radiant with a glowy yet semi-matte finish our tester fell in love with.

Famous for its banana bright eye crème, Ole Henriksen is a beauty lover’s go-to for brighter eyes. And the main ingredient? Vitamin C. What many people don’t know is that the brand also has a pretty impressive vitamin C serum for the whole face, and that’s what we put to the test.

With 15 per cent vitamin C – stemming from 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid – and five per cent polyhydroxy acids (PHA’s) stemming from fruit acids, this serum works to instantly brighten and boost skin for a fresh-faced glow. Hyaluronic acid is included for added moisture while banana powder-inspired pigments nourish the skin from the inside.

Our tester fell in love with the fresh citrusy scent and the silky feel of the product immediately. Although it feels a little heavy on the skin at first, it absorbs within around ten seconds with a semi-matte finish while feeling hydrating for hours afterwards. Do note, unlike most other options in this round-up that are best applied in the morning, due to the level of PHA exfoliants, this one is best to be used at night to avoid instant sun exposure.

Coming in at under £10, this Simple serum really is a great budget buy for an everyday essential. Incorporating vitamins C, E and F, it’s a bit of an all-rounder. But, if you’re now wondering why some of the other options in the round-up are considerably more expensive, let’s take a closer look.

Claiming to be ten per cent concentration of all of those vitamins, this product actually breaks down to include two per cent vitamin C, one per cent vitamin E and seven per cent vitamin F. So, while it still will provide some goodness to your skin, you’re unlikely to see many of the key vitamin C benefits occur anytime soon if solely using this. The vitamin C used is again sodium ascorbyl phosphate, making it very stable, and aside from water the other hero ingredient is cannabis sativa seed oil, bringing in the moisturising properties of vitamin F.

While it felt instantly cooling on the skin with a milky-looking odourless formula, we would only recommend this to those at the very beginning of their skincare journey rather than beauty buffs looking for serious results.

La Roche-Posay is quickly becoming one of our skincare favourites with a huge range of affordable products that do exactly what they say on the tin. If it’s growing on you too, you may want to add this vitamin C serum to your basket. Combining 10 per cent ascorbic acid, salicylic acid and hydrolysed hyaluronic acid, it’s built to reduce signs of ageing – tackling fine lines and wrinkles and plumping skin with moisture.

The pipette wasn’t our favourite and is a bit tricky to get the liquid drawn up into it, but the light citrusy scent, weightless feel and instant absorbency of the serum had our tester reaching for this over and over again.

With 30 per cent pure L-ascorbic acid, The Inkey List’s vitamin C serum is pretty powerful stuff, despite it’s bargain price point. In fact, we’re still trying to work out how it’s so affordable considering the impressive vitamin C concentration. Only four ingredients are included – dimethicone, ascorbic acid, polysilicone-11, peg-10 dimethicone – making it quite the simple formula.

As dimethicone is the core ingredient, it’s also quite moisturising as well, making it a great option for those why dry skin, which our tester just loved. Although, as it’s a squeezy bottle, we did find it tricky to control the amount that comes out, so remember slow and steady is always safest. After a month of use, we’re sure our skin is looking a little brighter and plumper, too, so we have to give it full marks.