Do you know how to erase acne scars and lighten up dark circles? Just use the best vitamin C serum for acne-prone skin. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that brightens up and evens out skin tone, plus it smoothes away fine lines. It can also increase your resistance to the sun by thickening the skin.
Many vitamin C serums contain additional ingredients in the formula that hydrate your face and further diminish blemishes. For example, hyaluronic acid moisturizes and plumps. Ferulic acid contains antioxidants that reverse aging. And retinol gets rid of wrinkles.
Top Vitamin C Serums for Acne-Prone Skin
This all sounds great, but what happens if you’re prone to breakouts? To help you shop for a safe and effective solution, we selected the top vitamin C serums for acne-prone skin. These products strive to give you the results you want with minimum or no irritation.
1. Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum with Konjac Root, Hyaluronic Acid, and Ferulic Acid
The Mad Hippie serum has been praised on beauty sites like Allure, InStyle, and Marie Claire. The vegan formula is so safe that the EWG (Environmental Working Group) rates it a 1 for very low hazard to health. Moreover, the company uses a stable form of Vitamin C called Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, to avoid oxidation or spoilage. It’s also a form that your body can absorb easily.
The additional ingredients in the formula include plant extracts, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin E. Together with Vitamin C, these components make your skin look brighter, smoother, firmer, and healthier.
2. Lumene Valo Vitamin C Arctic Berry Cocktail
Lumene’s Valo Vitamin C cocktail contains Arctic Cloudberry that strengthens and revitalizes the skin. This fascinating fruit offers more Vitamin C than an orange. Its seed oil fades fine lines and age spots, too. Lumene’s serum contains no parabens, synthetic dyes, formaldehyde, or mineral oil that could irritate sensitive skin.
3. Amara Organics Vitamin C Serum
Amara Organics uses STAY-C 50, a proprietary type of Vitamin C proven to diminish wrinkles and discoloration. It sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave any kind of residue. Of course, there are no artificial fragrances, dyes, or parabens in the bottle. If you don’t love it, contact them for a full refund.
4. Seoul Ceuticals Korean Skin Care – 20% Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Serum + CE Ferulic Acid
K-beauty skincare products are quite popular in the US right now. This one imitates the CE Ferulic Serum from Skinceuticals which is a much more expensive option. Give it a try since it’s backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
5. Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum
Murad’s vitamin C serum is recommended by dermatologists because it gets results without the need for many of the irritants found in similar products. It features Vitamin C and Vitamin E as well as glycolic acid to exfoliate dull skin.
6. DERMA E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum
If your skin is especially sensitive, try this Vitamin C concentrated serum by DERMA E. It’s a little more gentle than more potent serums with a higher concentration. It moisturizes while it helps clear up acne and shrinks pores. The company recommends mixing it with your usual face lotion for the first few times you wear it. That way your skin can become accustomed to it.
7. TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Serum for Face
The TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Serum is a hot pick because it offers a lot of value without a hefty price tag. It’s mild enough and pH-balanced for sensitive skin, yet it fades acne scars and age spots. It was never tested on animals, and it’s made from 72% organic ingredients. There are no parabens, either.
8. Obagi Professional-C Serum
Obagi’s serum provides 20% L-ascorbic acid, a high concentration that works well on oily skin. Regular use makes your face look younger.
9. Claire-ity 25% Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E
The Clare-ity serum is made in the USA without alcohol or parabens. The 25% concentration of Vitamin C from ascorbic acid enhances the formation of collagen to make skin firmer. It also has aloe and glycerin plus hyaluronic acid to add hydration. Furthermore, rosemary and witch hazel tighten pores. The manufacturer offers a 90-day satisfaction guarantee.
10. Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum
Mario Badescu’s serum features 7.5% ascorbic acid plus hyaluronic acid. Users say it makes their dark circles disappear and gives their skin a healthy glow.
11. Alina Skin Care Award-Winning & Dermatologist-Recommended Vitamin C Serum
Alina Skin Care’s Vitamin C Serum pleases acne-prone users because it softens their skin without making it greasy. It contains Vitamin C Ester, a version that encourages collagen production. It also remains stable in the bottle. Clinical testing revealed that 94% of the users thought their skin tone improved within a month of daily use. More than 80% reported that fine lines had faded.
12. Paula’s Choice BOOST C15 Super Booster 15% Vitamin C
The Paula’s Choice Boost serum covers all the bases with Vitamins C, E, peptides, and ferulic acid. It makes your skin smoother, firmer, and brighter. The 3.0 pH level of ascorbic acid is acidic enough to ensure that you get the most from it. The manufacturer recommends combining this product with a cleanser, exfoliator, and toner plus spot treatment for maximum results.
13. Made in Utah Vitamin C Serum Face and Skin Rejuvenation with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E
The Made in Utah Vitamin C Serum goes the extra mile to rejuvenate your face. It has aloe, hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, vegetable glycerin, and witch hazel to ensure optimal hydration. With regular use, it diminishes wrinkles and lightens acne scars and other discoloration.
14. Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Eye Serum
The Perricone MD eye serum is made especially for treating fine lines and dark circles around your eyes. It won’t cause burning or stinging. Just apply it once a day.
15. Vitamin C serum 22 by serumtologie
This company crams 22% Vitamin C into their serum along with ferulic and hyaluronic acids plus Vitamin E. Compare that to other formulas that provide 5 to 20% concentration. They recommend applying it morning and night.
16. “C+ Plus” Highest Concentrate 30% Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E and Breakthrough Aging Complex by Pure Biology
The C+ serum from Pure Biology goes a step further with 30% Vitamin C. We’re not sure how they did it, but this is the most intense concentration we found. They source from non-GMO ingredients and don’t use artificial dyes or fillers in the formula. Finally, they include Fision Fix, a proprietary blend of peptides that fight evidence of aging.
17. DOUBLE the Size of All Other Vitamin C Serums by Go Radiance
Go Radiance wants to give you top value for your dollar by selling a two-ounce bottle for the price that others charge for only 1 ounce of serum. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, too. Not only does it contain Vitamin C, but it also has an amino complex and 5% hyaluronic acid from plant sources.
18. Radha Beauty Vitamin C Serum for Face
Radha Beauty packs their serum with 20% Vitamin C from Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and vegan hyaluronic acid. The formula has ingredients that are derived from vegan sources plus it was never tested on animals.
19. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
The Sunday Riley Rapid Flash serum relies on a laboratory-refined version of Vitamin C called THD Ascorbate. It absorbs quickly even into oily skin. And it creates instant results. You should notice that your complexion looks immediately brighter with smaller pores and overall radiance.
20. Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C Plus E Ferulic Acid Serum
The top of the line Vitamin C serum may be this one from Timeless Skincare. It’s so potent that its effects last for at least 72 hours after you apply it. During that time, it reverses environmental damage to your skin caused by free radicals from pollution, infrared, and UV rays. In other words, it makes wrinkles and dark spots disappear. Furthermore, it’s safe enough to use after laser treatments and paraben free.
How to use Vitamin C serum
To get the most from your new Vitamin C serum, try these steps. First, wash your face and leave your skin damp. Next, massage a few drops the serum into the skin with your fingertips. Then wait for 3 to 5 minutes for it to absorb completely. Now apply your regular moisturizer.
While you are using Vitamin C serum, it’s smart to apply sunscreen (or a moisturizer with sunblock), too. Although Vitamin C is an antioxidant that strengthens your skin against UV radiation, many formulas contain additional ingredients (like exfoliants) that can make your face more sensitive to burning.
Finally, if you can tolerate it, use the serum twice a day for best results. In the beginning, you may notice irritation. In that case, only apply once a day. Or you could dilute the serum by mixing a couple of drops with your moisturizer. This reduces the effectiveness but helps your skin build up a tolerance.
Conclusion
We hope our article helped you discover the best Vitamin C serum for your needs today. There are many that are suitable for acne-prone skin. They can help prevent breakouts and fade acne scars. Additionally, they keep your skin soft, healthy and have anti aging properties.
Related: Vitamin C Serums for Hyperpigmentation
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