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Article updated on February 5, 2024 at 7:15 AM PST

Best Vitamin C Serum, Recommended by the Experts

A key supplement you should add to your skincare routine is vitamin C.

Our Experts

Written by 
Mercey Livingston
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
Mercey Livingston CNET Contributor
Mercey Livingston is a health and wellness writer and certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She's written about fitness and wellness for Well+Good, Women's Health, Business Insider, and Prevention.com among others. When not writing, she enjoys reading and trying out workout classes all over New York City.
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Our Picks

$115 at Credo Beauty
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Best clean vitamin C serum
Marie Veronique Vitamins C+E+Ferulic Serum
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$22 at Amazon
Portrait of Truskin vitamin C serum
Best affordable serum
TruSkin Vitamin C Serum
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$92 at Amazon
Obaji Vitamin C Serum
Best serum for acne prone skin
Obagi Clinical Vitamin C + Arbutin Brightening Serum
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$182 at Dermstore
Skinceuticals serum
Best serum for combination or dry skin
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic
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$182 at Dermstore
cnet-image-size-listicle-17.png
Best serum for oily skin
Skinceuticals Phloretin CF
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$25 at Amazon
olehenriksen truth serum
Best serum for dry skin
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
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Generally, when you hear recommendations for using vitamin C, it's for your immune system to keep healthy. It's great for your energy levels and gives your body powerful antioxidants. There are plenty of reasons to incorporate it into your skincare now too. It can help protect your skin and help it be healthier. Often it's already in a lot of skincare products, but if you are looking for the best vitamin C serum, keep reading.

"Vitamin C is a great ingredient because it is a multitasker," dermatologist Elyse Love said. "It's an antioxidant, so it helps to protect the skin against any UV damage that may have made it through your sunscreen defense. It also helps to regulate pigmentation production, producing a more even skin tone. For this reason, I recommend vitamin C a lot -- for its anti-aging protective effects and pigment-regulating function."

We've brought together some of the best vitamin C serums for your skin below. These selections are based on extensive research, expert recommendations, and top-rated and reviewed products online. 

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Best vitamin C serums

$115 at Credo Beauty

Best clean vitamin C serum

Marie Veronique Vitamins C+E+Ferulic Serum

This serum's star ingredient is vitamin C, but it also contains vitamin E and ferulic acid, an antioxidant. The serum is a best seller on clean beauty retailer Credo Beauty, where reviewers rave that even sensitive skin is clearer and fresher-looking.

$22 at Amazon

Best affordable serum

TruSkin Vitamin C Serum

The TruSkin Vitamin C Serum is an Amazon bestseller, with a solid 4.5 stars out of over 100,000 reviews. The serum contains a blend of Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and aloe vera for extra hydration support. It also contains vitamin E, which is another antioxidant that works synergistically with vitamin C to boost the antioxidant effect, as Love noted. 

$92 at Amazon

Best serum for acne prone skin

Obagi Clinical Vitamin C + Arbutin Brightening Serum

Love recommends Obagi Clinical's Vitamin C + Arbutin Brightening Serum since "it contains 10% l-ascorbic acid (the purest and most potent form of vitamin C) but is formulated to be gentle on the skin." Love, who works with Obaji as an opinion leader and dermatologist source, adds, "Although it has a nice slip texture to it, it is also oil-free and non-comedogenic."

$182 at Dermstore

Best serum for combination or dry skin

Skinceuticals CE Ferulic

Campbell says that this Skinceuticals serum works for most skin types, although it's indicated for combination or dry skin. Skinceuticals are "the original inventors of topical antioxidants -- aka vitamin C -- for anti-aging. They have done all the clinical trials showing it helps calm inflammation, reduce signs of aging and even repairs DNA damage that can lead to skin cancers," says Campbell.

$182 at Dermstore

Best serum for oily skin

Skinceuticals Phloretin CF

Campbell recommends the Skinceuticals Phloretin CF for oilier skin types. Phloretin is an antioxidant that comes from apples and fruit tree bark that can also help with cell turnover, according to the brand.

$25 at Amazon

Best serum for dry skin

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum

A best-seller on Sephora (4 stars out of 5, 5,000-plus reviews) The Ole Henriksen Truth Serum contains a vitamin C complex, collagen, orange and green tea extracts, and aloe. Sephora reviewers said their skin looks clear and it helped reduce acne scars. Plus it reportedly smells great.

What to look for when shopping for a vitamin C serum

What to look for in a vitamin C serum depends on your personal skin concerns. If you're concerned about acne, be sure to look for products that are oil-free. "Vitamin C is often formulated with vitamin E for their synergistic antioxidant effects, but vitamin E is an oil and may cause flares on acne-prone skin," says Love. 

Keep in mind that vitamin C serums can be irritating to the skin. If you're concerned about sensitivity, look for brands that advertise "sensitive skin" or note that the product is formulated to reduce irritation when you shop for products. 

Sometimes it's OK to buy skin care products and let them sit on the shelf for a few months before using them. You don't want to do that with products that contain vitamin C. "L-ascorbic acid [vitamin C] is difficult to stabilize, which is why a 'steal' is probably too good to be true. Both air and sunlight can oxidize vitamin C, causing it to lose some of its efficacy," says Love.

Besides using the product as quickly as you can, Love also suggests opting for a serum that comes in a container that blocks out light. "Minimize the amount of time the product is exposed to air by applying it quickly to your hands and screwing the top back on the bottle securely. Some products now come in containers that don't require opening the top, so this is also helpful," says Love. 

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How to use vitamin C serum

Dermatologist Dr. Caren Campbell recommends applying vitamin C in the morning: "Apply 2-3 drops in the morning after washing your face. Vitamin C helps your sunscreen work better so it's best used during the day, [which] is also when you are exposed to oxidative stressors like sun and pollution."

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