Put your best face forward with the help of nourishing vitamin C face oils! Nearly everyone harbors at least one insecurity about their skin. From sun damage to hyperpigmentation to wrinkles, abnormalities of the skin can negatively impact our appearances and diminish our self-images. Thankfully, solutions exist to reverse the hands of time when it comes to our skin.
Revealing the inner glow of our skin that sits just below the surface serves as the primary purpose of using vitamin C serums. However, many consumers have never heard of or considered vitamin C face oils. In this article, we’ll go over what a vitamin C serum is, what benefits it offers, how to choose the best serum for you, and much more!
What Is a Vitamin C Serum?
A vitamin C serum is a popular skincare product infused with high levels of L-ascorbic acid. Most serums have the consistency of a gel, oil, or other viscous liquids. In almost all cases, users apply vitamin C serums directly to their faces. Skincare shoppers can find vitamin C serums in nearly all stores that sell skincare products, including:
- Beauty supply stores
- Department stores
- Drug stores
- Makeup stores
- Online stores
Vitamin C serums are applied in several different ways: Some serums require an eyedropper. Some come prepackaged in little plastic, single-use capsules. And others can be pumped out of bottles resembling lotion dispensers. Whichever delivery mechanism you choose, you should expect the same dramatic results that only vitamin C serums can deliver.
The Benefits of a Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C serums offer a wide range of benefits for your skin. They support collagen synthesis, reduce the appearance of fine line wrinkles, smooth out patches of hyperpigmentation, and more! In addition to the benefits mentioned above, some of the other perks associated with the use of vitamin C serums include:
- Restoration of dull skin
- Skin fortification
- Improved healing
- UV protection
- Neutralization of free radicals
- Reduction of inflammation
- Maintenance of elastin in the skin
A secondary benefit of using a vitamin C serum involves your pocketbook. Once you begin to see results, you may require less primer, foundation, and other costly cosmetics. Over time, the savings add up. Plus, the rejuvenating effects of vitamin C serums mean you can use less makeup in general, saving you a lot of time in the morning.
How to Choose a Vitamin C Serum
Shoppers looking to purchase a vitamin C serum should consider several important factors before making a decision. Selecting the right serum under the right circumstances can mean the difference between a potent anti-aging solution and a weak, underwhelming one. Let’s go over some tips and tricks to remember when choosing a vitamin C serum.
Packaging
With most skincare products, packaging remains irrelevant to the quality and performance of the item purchased. But, that’s not the case when it comes to vitamin C face oils. In fact, the packaging represents one of the most critical aspects. Because vitamin C loses its potency when exposed to air and sunlight, choose a serum that comes in an opaque, airtight container.
Ingredients
Most vitamin C face oils contain L-ascorbic acid. However, vitamin C comes in a variety of forms. Some of the alternative forms of vitamin C that you may encounter include:
- L-ascorbic acid
- Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
- Sodium ascorbyl phosphate
- Ascorbyl palmitate
While L-ascorbic acid remains the most popular form of vitamin C used, some skincare specialists prefer tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate because they believe it proves more effective.
Concentration
Skincare products that contain trace amounts of vitamin C do not provide the intended benefits to your skin. Make sure you pick up a face serum that includes at least a 10% concentration of vitamin C. You can also find items on the market that possess a 15% or 20% concentration for a little extra kick.
Formulation
Shoppers may encounter certain skincare products that contain vitamin C as the sole active ingredient. And, users can see beneficial effects from vitamin C alone. However, formulations that contain other active ingredients usually offer better results. Some ingredients that support vitamin C and improve its efficacy include:
- Vitamin E
- Ferulic acid
- Glutathione
- Linoleic acid
Vitamin C Serum Solutions
As the proven effects of vitamin C become more recognized by the general population, new brands of vitamin C serums and novel application methods have arisen. With so many different types of vitamin C face oils out there, choosing one over the other can cause a lot of confusion. To help consumers, we’ve curated a collection of vitamin C products that we love.
Citrus Glow Drops
Admire My Skin’s Citrus Glow Drops present a powerful, effective option for users who wish to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and other skin conditions. Formulated with vitamin C, vitamin E, argan oil, rosehip seed oil, and sea buckthorn oil, Citrus Glow Drops offer a 100% natural, 70% organic solution to a wide range of skin issues.
Available in an eyedropper format to prevent wastage and an opaque, airtight bottle, Citrus Glow Drops will deliver the same potency in the last drop as it does in the first. As one of the few vitamin C face oils produced in the U.S.A., this Admire My Skin offering also represents a great skincare option for conscientious shoppers because it’s:
- Not tested on animals
- Vegan approved
- Paraben-free
- Fragrance-free
- Gluten-free
Ultra Potent Brightening Serum
Another popular skincare product by Admire My Skin, the Ultra Potent Brightening Serum, reduces discoloration caused by melasma, hyperpigmentation, age spots, and other skin conditions. In addition to vitamin C, the formula consists of hydroquinone, kojic acid, azelaic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid.
The combination of mild acids reverses the effects of sun damage. It exposes the true radiance of your skin that exists right below the surface. Purchasers should apply the serum to their faces every other day until they build up enough tolerance to use it daily.
Also, users should wear sunscreen every day because the acid combinations may make the skin more susceptible to sunburn.
C E Ferulic
C E Ferulic by Skinceuticals comes in eyedropper form, increases collagen production, and brightens the skin. With a vitamin C concentration of 15%, this skincare product provides 8x the protection from free radicals as untreated skin does on its own. Additional ingredients include vitamin E and ferulic acid.
Purchasers should apply three to five drops to the face and neck each morning before applying other skincare products. Clinical studies have shown that this serum remains effective for up to 72 hours, reducing damage caused by UV light and air pollution by over 40%. This means you can save money by applying it every two days.
Vitamin C + E Complex
The Vitamin C + E Complex put out by SkinMedica represents one of the few serums out there that includes two different forms of vitamin C: ascorbic acid and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. The formula also consists of vitamin E to support the beneficial effect of vitamin C. Suitable for all skin types, this product demonstrates considerable effectiveness at treating:
- Aging skin
- Sun damage
- Loss of firmness
- Fine lines
- Wrinkles
- Free radical damage
Professional-C Serum 20
Obagi’s Professional-C Serum 20 packs a powerful punch. With a 20% concentration of L-ascorbic acid, Obagi’s face serum represents one of the most potent products available. It also contains hyaluronic acid and antioxidants to support the efficacy of vitamin C. This serum proves especially effective for individuals with:
- Acne-prone skin
- Oily skin
- Mature skin
Why Are Vitamin C Serums More Expensive than Comparable Treatments?
Experienced Vitamin C serums users already know that they can easily become the most expensive item on your shelf. The tiny bottles and high prices often make first-time users question the wisdom of making a purchase. However, there are some pretty good reasons why vitamin C serums cost as much as they do.
Instability of Vitamin C
Most forms of vitamin C become unstable with time or after exposure to sunlight and oxygen. To preserve the products’ effectiveness, companies must include some of the most expensive forms of vitamin C. Also, companies include additional ingredients to further increase the lifespan of vitamin C.
Some companies experience massive product losses due to expiration. Ultimately, these losses get passed onto the consumer through inflated prices. And finally, companies use premium transportation methods to ensure the vitamin C serum purchased by consumers remains as fresh as possible.
Research & Development
As surprising as it may sound, you can’t just squeeze an orange into some coconut oil and call it a vitamin C serum. Significant research and development go into each and every product as companies attempt to formulate the ideal solution. This tedious process can go on for years as researchers and developers utilize a trial and error approach until finding the perfect blend.
Understandably, the scientists that create vitamin C serum command high salaries, increasing the overall cost of the final product. And, as usual, that cost gets spread out among millions upon millions of vitamin C face serum bottles that hit the market.
Patents
The vitamin C serum industry is highly competitive. Companies protect their product by applying for and defending patents. The cost of applying for a single patent remains very high. But the cost of asserting a patent infringement claim against copycats can run in the millions of dollars range.
Why Are Vitamin C Serums Worth the Investment?
Can you really put a price on true beauty? It appears that way since skincare companies do it every day. Given that the prices of vitamin C serums are what they are, the question becomes: Are they worth the investment? The vast majority of happy serum users will tell you that the products they use could cost twice as much and maintain their popularity.
So, why are vitamin C serums worth the investment?
Superior Protection
Believers in vitamin C serums laud their superior protection from harsh elements like air pollution, UV light, and other skin irritants. Vitamin C that we ingest through food does not easily make it all the way to our skin. So, topical application provides a protective effect many times greater than our skin can produce naturally.
Lasting Results
Perhaps the main reason why vitamin C serums cost so much has to do with the results. Not only have scientists proven the beneficial effects of vitamin C serum, but the anecdotal, photographic evidence provided by users shows lasting reductions in age spots, hyperpigmentation, and discoloration caused by melasma.
Because vitamin C serums work so well, the demand remains very high. In turn, this drives up the price as consumers clamor for a skincare product that offers brighter, more radiant skin. Plus, the fact that the results last well after discontinuation of use makes vitamin C serums even more desirable.
Improved Self-image
One should not underestimate the positive impact vitamin C serums can have on our mental wellbeing. Watching your skin tone even out over time creates a lot of excitement, improves self-image, and increases confidence. The euphoric feeling of getting actual results causes users to continue purchasing the product, keeping the demand high and the supply low.
Conclusion
Hundreds of millions of consumers purchase vitamin C face serums every year. The opportunity to improve your appearance by reducing fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and other common skin issues drives global sales into the billions. However, before you go out and buy the most expensive bottle of vitamin C serum, consider trying a moderately-priced product first.
Results do vary from person to person. Some individuals experience a more even skin tone right away. Others must apply serums to their faces for a few months before the effects begin to take hold. Start slow, see how it goes, and if it works for you, you can start looking at the top-shelf vitamin C face serums.
