Vitamin C serum has been touted as almost a miracle product for an anti-aging routing. These are my impressions of the ones I’ve tried.

The Story

Every beauty and skincare expert I follow touts the benefits on vitamin C serum, from brightening, to balancing redness, to wrinkle prevention. It’s also said to protect against environmental damage. Eating food rich in vitamin C in not enough to reap these benefits, so that is why it’s recommended to use directly on the skin. Read more about reasons to add vitamin C to your routine.

Vitamin C Serum Application

I like to apply these serums by using the dropper directly on the face, but taking care not to actually touch the skin in order to keep the dropper sanitary. Skin is like a sponge and it’s good to pat serums into your skin rather than to rub.

A Few Words of Caution

• Don’t store your vitamin C serum in the bathroom! It should be kept out of the light and at a constant room temperature. The heat and steam from your shower can cause the vitamin C serum to go bad.
• Vitamin C can make your skin more sensitive and prone to sunburns, so it’s extra important to use with SPF.

Vitamin C Serums I’ve Tried

So far, I’ve tried two vitamin C serums: Dermatologica Biolumin-C Serum and SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF. Of these two, I prefer the SkinCeuticals.

Dermatologica Biolumin-C

This was the first vitamin C serum I ever tried, based on positive reviews from one of my favorite influencers, Mary Orton. It has a light scent like oranges which isn’t unpleasant. The consistency is on the thicker side-think of orange juice pulp in liquid form. To me it felt a bit sticky upon application, but that goes away.

What I didn’t like about this product is that I felt that it caused me to break out. As such, I wouldn’t purchase it again.

SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF

I chose the SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF serum based on a recommendation from a friend who I consider to be a skin guru (she’s over 50 and does not have one wrinkle!). She told me, “it smells like ***, but it works.” Other friends had also mentioned they use the SkinCeuticals brand.

This serum is more liquid-like in consistency. I was prepared for it to smell really bad, but it didn’t immediately strike me that way. I’d say that it smells like molasses or a cookie. It’s not a smell I love, but the smell isn’t a deal breaker, either.

I’m still working on finishing my bottle of the SkinCeuticals. Can I say I’ve noticed any results…hmm…no? However, I suspect that vitamin C is a long-haul product and that change is so gradual it would be hard to observe.

The Verdict

I’m still in search of the right vitamin C serum for me. Do you have a vitamin C serum you love?

Both of the products I’ve tried so far are quite expensive, and at this point, I can’t say that I’d recommend either to friends; neither is something I’m terribly excited about. The Dermatologica caused breakouts for me, so that one is out for me. I’d be open to returning to the SkinCeuticals, but only after I’ve tried a few others.

Vitamin C Serums On My List to Try

I’m curious to try and review these vitamin C serums:

• Sunday Riley C.E.O 15% Vitamin C Britening Serum
• Youth to the People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum
• Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum

Have you tried any of these? If so, what are your thoughts?