Healthy and glowing skin is a must. Taking care of your skin comes under self-care and self-pampering time. We will discuss many things including the benefits, the application process, and when to use Vitamin C serum.

Whether you are a man or woman, your skin needs to be guarded from the hot beam of sunlight. The UV rays present in the sun can cause various skin problems. For instance, sunburns, allergies, painful rashes, dryness, etc.
As you age, the skin also requires more attention. A skincare routine should be infused with all the necessary ingredients your skin craves.
1. Meaning Of Serum
A serum is a topical lightweight liquid skin product that has a high concentration of a particular ingredient. For instance, Vitamin C1, hyaluronic acid2, oxygenating3, and oil serums.
Besides this, it is not used as a moisturizer but used to reduce specific skin concerns. For instance, hyperpigmentation4, dark spots, blemishes, fine lines, and so on. Every serum has its specific healing properties.
2. Meaning Of Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C serum is mainly a concentrated form of L-ascorbic acid. It can be a both water-based and oil-based serum. Oil-based Vitamin C is preferred for oily skin while water-based Vitamin C is preferred for dry skin.
It is topically applied to the face after cleansing. The consistency, like all other serums, is watery, light, and absorbable.
The percentage of Vitamin C content may vary depending on your skin type. But most commonly 15% to 20% L-ascorbic acid5 content is used. Extra ingredients like aloe vera, Japanese mandarin, Kakadu plum, etc are also added to the serum for better results.
The quality of Vitamin C serum may vary with the price. But always look at the ingredient lists because sometimes super expensive products cannot be the most effective products.
3. Vitamin C Serum Benefits For Sensitive Skin
Including Vitamin C in your skincare routine has innumerable benefits. The are various skin types but the general skin types are oily, dry, and combination skin.
They all need their respective type of ingredients that will benefit them. But anyone can use Vitamin C serum without any restriction.
3.1 Collagen Production
This highly concentrated liquid of L-ascorbic acid brightens your face leaving it bright and healthy. Topical Vitamin C serum enables your skin to produce collagen6.
Collagen keeps the skin plump, elastic, and stretchy. As you grow older, the collagen present in your skin decreases, causing it to have fine lines, wrinkles, and saggy skin.
Collagen production acts as a natural exfoliator that is responsible for brightening your skin. On the other hand, it also helps to grow new skin cells and replace dead cells. As a result, making your face look young, bright, and healthy.

3.2 Rich In Antioxidants
Vitamin C serum increases potent antioxidant levels which are also an anti-aging ingredient7. Sensitive skin is prone to react easily with environmental pollution and harmful chemical products.
Vitamin C serum is gentle and harmless to the skin. It protects the skin against oxidative damage8. Besides this, it reduces inflammation, discomfort, and itching.
3.3 Hydration
Vitamin C Serum soothes the skin and gives a calming effect. Moreover, this topical serum has skin-hydrating properties. It helps to balance water retention.
As a result, it protects the skin from getting dehydrated, dry, and dull in the hot scorching summer.
3.4 Healing Properties
Vitamin C serum helps to reduce your hyperpigmentation, dark spots, uneven blemishes, or melasma. Pair the serum with Vitamin E and it will also heal you from painful sunburns, redness, and puffiness.
If you are looking for a good skin care product infused with healing properties, Vitamin C serum is what you need.
4. Best Age To Use Vitamin C Serum
Is it worrying you what is the ideal age to apply Vitamin C serum? Are too young or too old to apply the topical Vitamin C products? To answer these questions, the perfect age to add Vitamin C serum to your skincare routine is the early twenties.
This is the age when your skin becomes super sensitive to environmental aggressors. Often, your 20s are the beginning of your college life and adulthood. Stepping out in the sun and being preoccupied with career stress is common. Therefore, collagen formation in the skin and antioxidant levels begin to decrease.
Dermatologists and skin experts often advise applying Vitamin C serum even before the skin starts showing signs of aging and hyperpigmentation. Your 30s is the time where Vitamin C products must be included.
In short, the earlier the better. Just make sure you are not allergic to L-ascorbic acid. The early 20s and late 20s are the perfect time to begin and continue using Vitamin C serums for prolonged benefits.
5. When To Use Vitamin C Serum?
The common time to use Vitamin C is during the day. But make sure to apply SPF before stepping out in the sun. If you apply Vitamin C during the day, it is advisable to use retinol9 or AHAs at night for better results.
Never use retinol and AHAs with Vitamin C . (Read other points to learn more)
It can also be applied during the night as it will get the chance to absorb and heal your face as you are asleep. Applying at night is more beneficial for sensitive skin.
Acne never goes well with Vitamin C. First, let the acne go down then resume with your Vitamin C serum routine.
6. How To Apply Vitamin C Serum?
Applying Vitamin C serum is quite simple. But you cannot apply it like an ordinary moisturizer.
There is a proper procedure to apply Vitamin C serums correctly to maximize skin benefits.
Step 1: Make sure your face is free from oil or dust residue to avoid the emergence of potential acne. Besides this, the dust or oil particles can act as a barrier and won’t let the serum absorb properly to the face.
Step 2: Once the face is clean and prepped, take a few drops(about 3-4 drops) or a pea-sized amount onto the palm of your hand. Do not rub the serum vigorously onto your palm.
Step 3: Topically apply the Vitamin C serum on your clean face and neck in a patting motion. You must make the serum absorb into your skin so tapping the serum onto your face is the efficient way to do it.
Step 4: After letting the Vitamin C serum completely absorb into your face, apply a good moisturizer. It must be free from AHAs and BHAs10. Moisturizer will help to lock the serum into your skin.
Step 5: If you are applying Vitamin C during the day, you must apply sunscreen for protection from the UV rays of the sun. Applying SPF is crucial because only Vitamin C on your bare skin might cause sun damage, rashes, inflammation, itchiness, and hyperpigmentation.
Furthermore, it is always recommended to apply Vitamin C during the night because it does react well with sun exposure. Again, make sure sunscreen must not contain AHAs and BHAs.
7. Mistakes To Strictly Avoid When To Use Vitamin C Serum
The skin-care industry is surging and expanding consistently. It leaves any consumer new to skincare confused and puzzled. There are specific ingredients you have to look out for that suit your skin’s concern.
Moreover, applying all the topical serums without understanding the ingredients and best combinations won’t give any results. It might even have the opposite result of what you wanted.
To understand how and when to use Vitamin C better, we must understand what ingredients to avoid. Firstly, as stated earlier, avoid using AHAs and BHAs. These ingredients are commonly used in anti-acne skin-care products. But it is not advisable to use them with Vitamin C.
AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) are acids that dissolve in water. It is usually contained in sugarcane, fruits, and milk. It acts as an exfoliator that replaces dead skin cells. AHAs assist in the growth of Collagen production, keeping the skin young.
For instance, Lactic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic acid, etc are AHAs.
On the other hand, BHAs(Beta Hydroxy Acids) are oil-soluble acids that reduce the oil from your skin and prevent acne. It is also an active exfoliator and can treat calluses. It can go into the pores to cleanse and nourish it.
For instance, Salicylic acid. Lastly, check the ingredient list of products like face wash, moisturizer, sunscreen, and exfoliators when combining them with Vitamin C.
7.1 Avoid Retinol
In addition, using vitamin C and retinol together is useless for the skin. Retinol is an oil-based product while Vitamin C serum (most of the time) is a water-based product. Using both together would neutralize the effect and would not give any benefit.
If you want to incorporate two products together, you must give a considerable time gap between the applications. First, apply the Vitamin C serum as it has lower Ph levels. After it gets properly absorbed, apply retinol.
It is advisable not to combine both products. Under any circumstances, if you feel discomfort, itchiness, dryness, or redness, or do not see any results in a month, try not to use the two products together.
7.2 Avoid Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyl Peroxide is also a chemical substance that is used in anti-acne products. Combining benzoyl peroxide and Vitamin C serums won’t go along well. It will oxidize the ascorbic acid and lessen its effectiveness. It will also cause dryness and discomfort.
Do note that Niacinamide can be used with topical Vitamin C serum but only when the concentration content is favored.
For instance, 10% Vitamin C can be used with 5% Niacinamide. Besides this, ask your dermatologist and choose the products wisely, considering your skin type.
8. Ingredients To See
After understanding what ingredients neutralize the results of the Vitamin C serums, let us learn what ingredients will enhance the effectiveness of Vitamin C serum.
8.1 Vitamin E
Using Vitamin C with Vitamin E can be great. It heals the skin from sunburn and inflammation. This is because both products contain potent antioxidants that shield the skin from harmful free radicles like the sun’s UV rays.
Vitamin E reduces dryness and itchiness thereby preventing skin problems like psoriasis. Both vitamins slow down aging. It boosts collagen production and clears out the skin tone. They both complement each other.
Using Vitamin C and Vitamin E will not disappoint your skin.
8.2 Ferulic Acid
Ferulic Acid11 paired with pure Vitamin C works wonders. L-ascorbic acid is a gentle cleanser. The light texture of the skincare products helps each other to penetrate the skin for better absorption.
They both have anti-inflammatory properties and anti-aging properties. The antioxidants protect skin health from severe sun damage. Ferulic acid helps to reduce acne, wrinkles, loose skin, dark spots, etc.
8.3 Vitamin B
Vitamin B for instance, B3, B5, and B12 helps in water retention that keeps the face hydrated. It makes the skin barrier stronger. Vitamin B moisturizes dry and stiff skin. It gives the skin the required nourishment to keep it soft and gleaming.
Use Vitamin C serum with Vitamin B to heal the needful condition of the skin health. It makes the skin plump, radiant, and acne free. It also reduces unwanted blemishes, skin irritation, and hyperpigmentation.
8.4 Hyaluronic acid
Although Hyaluronic acid is an acid, it works well with the thin watery texture of ascorbic acid. They both can be used alongside one another in your skin-care routine.
A moisturizer that contains Hyaluronic Acid should be used after the application of the Vit C serum. It perfectly locks the Vitamin C serum into the skin and keeps the skin illuminated and hydrated at all times.
Both products work on skin irritation, dryness, itchiness, acne blemishes on skin tone, and sensitive skin. Using them can also keep you youthful, reduce the aging process and retain moisture.
9. Few Vitamin C Serums
There are millions of soft skin-care products available in the market. Similarly, there are numerous vitamin C serums in the Canadian market for your skin-care routine.
A few Vitamin C serums that can be purchased are:
9.1 Derma-E Vitamin C serum.
It can be purchased in Canadian Walmart. It is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The price of this product is $29.97.
9.2 APTO Kakadu Plum Serum with Vitamin C
It is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The price of this product is $ 24.96.
10. Conclusion
Vitamin C serum has therapeutic and long-term benefits for your healthy skin. It should be applied before applying thick textured products in your skin-care routine.
It is not for children but if you are in your 20s and 30s, it will be perfect for you. There are many topical products in the skin-care industry but always remember to check the ingredients.
Do recommend your dermatologist if you need help with special skin concerns. Be a well-aware skincare lover. To learn more about skincare Click Here.
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Last Updated on by Sanjana