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Vitamin C is another one of three products that is stated should be in your skincare routine. It boosts your skin’s collagen production to give you firmer, more plump skin and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C help fight free radicals and damage caused by UV radiation. The result is anti-aging action for younger looking skin. I have not got on very well with this acid. In fact it is far to say that I think that I will never buy this type of product again. But this was after starting this post in September 2019. I brought first budget Vitamin C, then in 2020, I got more expensive products and then saw a difference.

The first one I tried was Garden Of Wisdom Vitamin C 23% and Ferulic Acid. Within a week, I had to stop using it. The smell, the texture, my skin hated it and I felt it was nasty horrible product for me. I have never not finished a product when testing it. This was the first and it was not for me. Next it was the Inkey List Vitamin C Serum  this was not a serum to me but a silicone cream that I was fan of. The only thing was the smell and the first time I used, I was slightly flaking on my face. As I was a home it did not matter but this should not have happened. The next time I used, it made my face very oily, as in a noticeable oil. Within five days of first use, I noticed lots of spots coming up. Now I do not suffer with spots not since my teenage years some time ago. And Vitamin C was the only product I had added into my routine. I contacted the Inkey List and they advised me to mix this with Hyaluronic Acid. This product still did not work for me, and I then decided to chuck it out. A year later, I found out this had 30% Vitamin C and possibly too strong for me.  I started to research Vitamin C in beauty and found these articles that were of great interest to me. 

These two articles listed below are very interesting.

The Three Reasons Why Vitamin C Are Bad For Your Skin

How Vitamin C Causes Acne In Healthy Skin

So I thought I would give this beauty product one more chance. I added the Indeed Labs Vitamin C24 Facial Creme into my routine. I used it now in the evening on alternate nights to the retinol product that I use. No smell, I liked the cream but it took some time to sink into my skin. And as time went on, it was harder and harder so that you had to roughly massage this to get this into the skin. When this was finished, I knew that Vitamin C and me do not mix well together and I sold my last product which I had previously brought from Beauty Pie.

Then knowing that La Roche Posay are a brand I trust with my rosacea skin. I thought I would give this a go. I found both of these in my local pharmacy on clearance. So I played £20 for each, when one of them alone retails for £38.50. Within the first week using every morning, I came out in spots again. I was determined to finish both of these products and see what happens. The Pure Vitamin C was lovely but problematic for me. The serum very thick but sunk into my face well and I had no problem, It was just the packaging for me. The dropper, the bottle I am not a fan of. So I am on the fence if I would buy this again. Then once this was finished after three months, I moved over to Redermic C10. This vitamin C lotion is a daily moisturiser that visibly plumps skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This lightweight and hydrating formula with pure vitamin C and fragmented hyaluronic acid improves skin’s firm feel. This is another very nice product.

Medik8 another brand I trust due to their scientific background. I first tried the C Tetra serum. I used this daily in the morning. I am not a fan of the dropper bottle. It is not just this brand but every brand. I liked the product, very lipid. This felt to my like a dry oil to me. Very silky, and as lovely as this felt, I am not sure I would repurchase.

This satiny dry oil serum from Elizabeth Arden helps to visibly brighten skin, even tone and protect against premature aging signs. See visibly brighter skin after just one use. Single-dose capsules. Travel friendly. Free from added fragrance. Encapsulated for freshness, formulated for maximum potency. This luxurious, lightweight dry oil serum combines two powerhouse ingredients in one capsule: Vitamin C for its brightening superpowers, and ceramides to help prevent moisture loss. From the packaging, the product should be enough for both face and neck, not for me. Worked fine, but if my fingers are swollen, due to rheumatoid arthritis, possibly not. The serum was lovely to use though but this is expensive. But I think I would like to use these again.

Drunk Elephants C Firma Day serum did not work for me. This has 15% pure L-ascorbic acid (a potent form of vitamin C), 0.5% ferulic acid and 1% vitamin E,  supported by a host of antioxidants and enzymes. Which work to neutralise aggressors and replenish precious lipids to diminish visibility of lines and pigment patches. Also starring pumpkin ferment and pomegranate extracts, the serum enzymatically dissolves dead surface skin cells for a smoother-than-smooth texture. I just did not like the texture of this, as very runny and just something I want to use again. And a full size of this is so expensive that I would not buy due to the cost.

Next was the Dr Dennis Gross C+ Collagen serum and cream. The serum is supercharged with ingredients to fuel cells, increasing collagen production, accelerating repair and improving imperfections like dullness, dark spots, uneven texture and expression lines. Dr Dennis Gross’ proprietary energy complex; featuring CoQ10, superoxide dismutase, carnitine, and niacinamide. All recharges skin so it can maximize vitamin C for accelerated repair and protection to help build collagen and brighten. In addition, collagen amino acids aid in strengthening skin’s fibres. This I did not like. Then the moisturise cream that works to brighten and energise lacklustre skin. It has a concentration of hydrating, health-boosting oils extracted from camellia japonica seed, sunflower seed and rice bran provide rich moisture to repair skin’s barrier function and reduce transdermal water loss. Used morning and night ideally layered over your favourite serum. These products are very expensive in a full size. So not repurchasing them.

It’s skin, power 10 formula VC effector is a skin brightening and smoothing serum that delivers a steady stream of Vitamin C derivatives and green tea components to suppress melanin formation and lessen the appearance of freckles and other skin discolorations. Continued use considerably lightens skin and gives skin a taut appearance with a more refined texture. Skin appears visibly healthier and fairer after only a few days of use.

The Super Serum from A Florence Skincare is lovely but expensive but it did not react to my rosacea skin. No spots, no problems what so ever. So I have bookmarked that for a future repurchase.The multi-correctional formula is an antioxidant powerhouse, designed with actives such as Vitamin C (10%), Co-Q10+, Astaxanthin, 2% Green tea extract in the form of EGCG, Superoxide Dismutase and potent botanicals, including precious Cranberry, Amazon Pequi oil and Phosphatidycholine rich lecithin to nourish and shield skin from environmental pollution, while working hard to prevent collagen degradation and pigmentation. This is one of my favourite vitamin C products that I have tried, I have had no problems with this and this has worked well with my rosacea skin.

Vichy LiftActiv Peptide-C Anti-Ageing Ampoules are 10% Vitamin C. A concentrated daily anti-wrinkle dose, this formula is enriched with key active ingredients, including 10% pure Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and Bio-Peptides. The formula is minimalist, only including ten ingredients, ensuring each ingredient is carefully selected and effective. Targeting fine line and wrinkles, the concentrate leaves you with a healthier and younger-looking complexion, deeply hydrating the skin. This formula clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and firm skin, restoring your radiance. The serum us housed an air-tight, amber glass ampoule to protect the formula from light, UV and Oxidation, keeping it fresh and potent. The product is fine but the smell is off putting, and the ampoule does not work for me.

OSKIA Super-C Smart Nutrient Beauty Capsules are very expensive. Formulated with 2% Super Vitamin C, Smart Vitamin E, Squalane and Tomato Lycopene, this nutrient rich blend of super-charged active ingredients boosts skin health, protects, hydrates and nourishes for a youthfully radiant complexion. Although 2% Vitamin C may seem low compared to other serums, this highly stable formulation minimises any potential irritation caused by higher concentrations of Vitamin C. Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, used within the Super-C Smart Capsules is oil soluble and clinically proven to be hugely effective at lower levels due to its stability and penetration qualities. It is also provides three times better penetration than L-Ascorbic Acid and is shown to produce better results even when used at lower percentages. These were lovely but very expensive.

Superdrug Vitamin C & Ferulic Acid is a new budget serum. This Vitamin C Turbo Booster has been developed to help improve the appearance of dark spots and revive the skin’s complexion after just 4 weeks of use. Vitamin C and antioxidant Ferulic Acid work together to protect against skin aging whilst improving the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness. This is the cheapest Vitamin C I have used in a while. Thick, smelly liquid, absorbs well. Worked fine, not bad for the money.

This hydrating serum combines new generation Vitamin C technology with botanical extracts to deliver superior antioxidant support to plump and rehydrate skin which lacks clarity and collagen. Grape Seed Extract, rich in omega fatty acids and Vitamin E, also helps to fight free-radical damage and enhances the skin’s natural barrier function. The result is better, brighter skin.

Guidance

I then came across these three different products all with Vitamin C. I have a cleanser, a day cream and a night cream. You have to be careful with Vitamin C, you should never use all these at the same time, Either one a night, or use up one and then try the other. You can do so damage if you use too much of it.

Vitamin C and AHA’S/BHA’S ACIDS

Vitamin C is effectively an acid, so layering it with AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids is a big no-no. It’s also really unstable so any acids you layer it with will destabilise the pH balance and render it completely useless before it even has chance to work its magic. Mixing it with acids can cause dryness and irritation and damage the skin’s moisture barrier.

Retinol and Vitamin C

Using retinol and Vitamin C together is yet another recipe for irritation, peeling, and redness. Together they’ll also increase skin’s sensitivity to the sun, meaning you’re at a much higher risk of burning and UV damage. Best practice is to use retinol at night and vitamin C by day.

Oil Based and Water Based

Oil and water don’t mix. In fact, oil actually repels water, so when it comes to your skincare, using an oil-based product will leave a film on your skin which prevents water-based formulas from absorbing.

Niacinamide and Vitamin C

Used separately, both ingredients are great for treating blemish-prone and scarred skin, but combining them is a recipe for disaster. Niacinamide cancels out all of the good properties of vitamin C and turns it into a substance that causes redness and can trigger acne breakouts. The fix? As long as you’re not layering the ingredients on top of each other, it’s totally fine to use them at different times of the day or week. I now use both of these ingredients on alter days.

Conclusions

I have found a couple of these Vitamin C’s that I like. The Elizabeth Arden Capsules as being a mix of the vitamin with ceramides. Also, A Florence super serum that works well too. So I can use these in a rotation.  I like having different products, and not use the same thing all the time. But now having finished every Vitamin C that I own. I am not sure if I want to use this in routine. I like less more harder working products and not single ingredient ones. Time will tell, if I purchase again in the future.