5 Vitamin C Serums for Brighter, More Even Skin on Any Budget

Vitamin C is well known to be an important factor in maintaining a healthy diet, preventing diseases such as scurvy. Vitamin C is also important, however, to maintain glowing and youthful skin. Using a Vitamin C serum on your face is not only an amazing way to even out your skin tone and hydrate; it also provides protection from UV rays, and therefore, wrinkles! If you’re looking for a new serum, Vitamin C is probably the way to go – luckily for you, I’ve rounded up a list of the best (and obviously cruelty-free!) ones.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I will earn a small amount of profit if you choose to purchase something through my link. It will come at no extra cost to you, though, and means that I can continue to work on my blog.

1. Drunk Elephant ‘C-Firma’

Drunk Elephant are definitely a luxury brand in my opinion, with prices that may be well out of the budget for many. That being said, the ‘C-Firma’ serum is one of their cheaper options at £67 for 30ml – you will not need any more than this, as fresh Vitamin C in a serum like this expires after three months or so. I have to say it impresses me that Drunk Elephant go to the effort they do to not only keep their packaging as secure and protective from sunlight as possible, but to also produce small batches to ensure that when someone purchases their product they are getting the Vitamin C fresh.

I’ve been using this Vitamin C serum for a couple of months now, and I definitely feel that my skin is a lot smoother in texture, as well as brighter than before. I didn’t have dreadful skin to begin with, but I wasn’t as comfortable going without face makeup as I am now. My skin appears to be glowing and is more even in tone. I really like the way this product sits on the skin, too – it dries in and leaves a dewy finish more bright than any illuminating product I’ve tried. Next on my list to try is the fellow ‘C-Tango’ Vitamin C eye cream, as it’s supposedly great for the under-eye circles and wrinkles that I seem to prematurely struggle with. It’s slightly cheaper (only by £13, but I’ll take it with this brand) at £54.

The ‘C-Firma’ Vitamin C serum has won an allure ‘Best of Beauty’ award, been a Women’s Health ‘Editor’s Pick’ and was named one of InStyle’s ‘Best Beauty Buys’, so don’t just take my word for it! One thing I will mention is the odd smell of this product – it’s like smoky bacon, or pepperoni, or some sort of pork scent…

2. The Ordinary ‘Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%’

A much cheaper, but also excellent option is The Ordinary’s ‘Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%’ (the name just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?). This Vitamin C serum retails for just £4.90, and is popular amongst customers, bloggers and beauty editors. A very small amount of this product can go a long way, with a thin layer twice daily providing much brighter and youthful skin over time. You can also mix it into your moisturiser – how handy is that!

The packaging on The Ordinary’s products is fairly cheap – probably to keep the price down for the consumer – and so it’s important to recognise that the sun may get to the product easier than other Vitamin C serums, and break it down.

Also, this is a heavy serum, and so may cause a tingling sensation in your skin in the first few days/weeks of use; it’s a strong product. If this particular Vitamin C serum doesn’t take your fancy, The Ordinary have a full Vitamin C portfolio you can check out.

3. Mad Hippie ‘Vitamin C Serum’

This award winning serum is fairly affordable at £30 for 30ml, and is packed full of smoothing and brightening ingredients. Mad Hippie are definitely a brand worth supporting; they work hard to make their products ethical and kind to the planet and promote the idea of being cruelty-free. Mad Hippie are also fairly natural in their ingredients – the other Vitamin C serums on this list don’t contain any dodgy additives either, but this serum is probably the most gentle in terms of chemicals, and would work best for sensitive skin. It also contains Vitamin E, which helps to regenerate new skin cells for a fresher, more youthful look.

4. Andalou Naturals ‘Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum’

I received this product in the Kinder Beauty Box – read my review of that subscription service here! – and at the time I didn’t have a huge amount to say, as I hadn’t been using it for long. Fast forward to a couple of weeks later (or now, as most people would call it) and I can honestly tell you I really like this serum. It’s gentle, it’s smoothing, it’s hydrating…the list goes on. Applying this serum leaves me feeling like I don’t even need moisturiser, and it’s so easy on my skin that I can apply it at night, which would be impossible with some serums I own. I’ve also been using it around my eye area – one of the more sensitive parts of my face – and it’s not caused any sort of irritation.

This product incorporates turmeric into the formula, as well, which has been proven to help skin conditions such as acne and eczema. It also provides protection from UV light and can help to control oily skin. Vitamin C and turmeric are certainly a great duo in this serum!

5. Dr Dennis Gross ‘C + Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum’

This serum definitely tops the prices on this list at £79 for 30ml, but hear me out. This product has been said by many to change the skin’s appearance within a couple of months of use. It can get rid of dark spots, improve radiance and brightness of skin, and even clear up blemishes – which isn’t a common claim for a Vitamin C serum.

This serum actually has three types of Vitamin C in it: 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Ascorbic Acid. It also contains collagen, which is popular in skincare for its plumping, anti-ageing properties. Whilst this means it should work wonders on the skin, it also implies it’s a strong product – go careful with this one if you have sensitive skin!

That’s it for the Vitamin C serums that I’ve either tried and tested, or been recommended on numerous occasions. Are there any Vitamin C serums that you’ve tried, and love? Have you tried any of these? Make sure to share with us in the comments below! If you’re interested in reading more about skincare, you can read one of my other posts:

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Eve

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