Vitamin C serum protects and repairs your skin. Regular application of vitamin C serum to your face and neck leads to brighter, smoother, plumper, firmer, younger-looking, and overall healthier skin. These vitamin C benefits have turned this potent antioxidant into a must-have skin care product for all women.
But, there are some things you should know before buying and using vitamin C for your skin. Follow our six tips to get more from your vitamin C serum.
1. Buy one made with the right ingredients.
Vitamin C serum can cost $15 or $100. Pricing isn’t what determines if a vitamin C serum is effective, though. The ingredients used to make it determine its quality and effectiveness. To get the most vitamin C benefits for your skin, buy a vitamin C serum formulated with some or all of the following natural ingredients:
- Vitamin C (5-20% concentration depending on your skin type)
- Vitamin E
- Niacinamide
- Hyaluronic acid
- Salicylic acid
- Retinol
- Aloe Vera
- Essential oils.
2. Pay attention to the packaging.
An unstable serum is an unusable serum, and any exposure to light, heat, and air can start making a serum unstable. Buy vitamin C serum in a tinted or darker glass bottle with a medicine dropper or an airless pump, all of which help keep it from deteriorating.
3. Store it correctly.
Since exposure to light can damage vitamin C face serum, you want to store it in a cool, dark place. Some vitamin C serum retailers will tell you to store it in the refrigerator. Check the product label for how to correctly store vitamin C serum.
4. Apply your skin care products in the right order.
You not only need the right skin care products with the right ingredients for your skin, but you also need to apply them in the right order. Apply vitamin C serum after you’ve cleansed and toned your face but before you moisturize and apply sunscreen. Let the serum dry and sink into your skin for a minute or two before applying an SPF moisturizer.
5. Use vitamin C serum consistently.
How often should you apply vitamin C serum is a common question. Some women apply vitamin C serum to their face in the morning. Some apply it at night. Others apply it morning and night. Ultimately, your skin type and the vitamin C concentration of the serum will help determine how often you should apply it. Whatever you decide, just make sure you apply it at the same time every day.
6. Don’t use if it’s brown.
Just like an apple slice turns brown when exposed to air, so does vitamin C serum. Oxidation happens over time, slowly darkening your serum from clear to yellow, orange, and then brown. If your serum turns brown, stop using it.
As winter is coming, it’s especially important to get the most from your vitamin C serum. Learn why your skin needs vitamin C during the cold winter months.