The best vitamin C serums: boost brightening, fight ageing and tackle pigmentation issues

Let’s face it, we all want that post-facial glow 100% of the time without having to splash out on weekly trips to the spa for facials, but finding a product that can deliver those glow-giving results can be a challenge. Thankfully, vitamin C serums are great for tackling a multitude of skin concerns.

With a cocktail of antioxidant benefits, adding a vitamin C-enhanced serum into your daily skincare routine has loads of benefits like brightening, boosting hydration levels, helping fade dark spots and pigmentation, evening out redness and skin tone, and combating ageing skin.

There are a lot of vitamin C serums on the market, so it can be hard to figure out where to start, but The Recommended has sourced the best serums that deliver that all-important glow factor.

The best vitamin C serums at a glance:

• Best eco-friendly choice: Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Serum
• Best for sensitive skin: Product Florence Bio Cosmesi C Serum
• Best budget buy: Eclat Organic Vitamin C Serum
• Best for deep wrinkles: La Roche Posay Pure Vitamin C Serum
• Best all-rounder: TruSkin Vitamin C Serum For Face
• Best for oily/acne-prone skin types: Ren Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream
• Best for discolouration: Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum
• Best for tired skin: CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
• Best for dry skin: Satin Naturel Organic Vitamin C Serum

The best vitamin C serums

Best eco-friendly choice: Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Serum

Gently exfoliates dead skin cells

This vitamin C serum has been carefully blended with Niacinamide & Salicylic acid to gently exfoliate. The box and bottle are fully recyclable, and the bottle is made from 40% recycled glass.

Garnier’s Vitamin C serum is also Leaping Bunny Approved by Cruelty International, so you can rest assured that your skincare is cruelty-free.

Best for sensitive skin: Florence Bio Cosmesi C Serum

Brightens and fights ageing skin

This vitamin C serum has added hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E to target ageing skin without causing irritation. Kinder on your skin and formulated with the finest, most ethically sourced ingredients without added parabens, sulphates and microplastics.

Its advanced formula with added hyaluronic acid and vitamin E is dermatologically tested, so suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types and designed to target a multitude of skin concerns, including brightness, firmness, fine lines, frown lines, wrinkles, acne scars, dark spots and sun spots - minus any redness from sensitivity.

Best budget buy: Eclat Organic Vitamin C Serum

Hydrates dry skin and combats hyperpigmentation

If you’re on a budget and after a serum that delivers brighter and smoother results fast without spending a fortune, look no further than this cold-pressed vitamin C serum.

Loaded with antioxidants, like 20% radiance-boosting vitamin C, moisture-packed hyaluronic acid, nourishing jojoba oil, brightening ferulic acid, and soothing vitamin E. Eclat Organic uses vitamin C that is cold pressed, meaning no heat or chemicals were used to extract it. This serum makes a great addition to your skincare routine, especially if you want to brighten dark spots and overall skin dullness.

Best for deep wrinkles: La Roche Posay Pure Vitamin C Serum

Prevents and corrects the appearance of wrinkles

This glow-giving serum not only promises to deliver noticeably dewy skin but also helps with ageing skin, thanks to the triple action anti-ageing power complex for optimal effectiveness and is gentle to use on sensitive skin types.

Get your daily dose of vitamin C from This fast-absorbing serum by La Roche Posay. It's made from 10% pure vitamin C, salicylic acid and neurosensine, which is designed to leave skin plumper, more radiant, softer and targets wrinkles. Fear not, this serum has also been allergy tested and is suitable for all skin types too.

Best all-rounder: TruSkin Vitamin C Serum For Face

To nourish and brighten

Think of this like a healthy green juice for your skin. This highly concentrated antioxidant complex serum is designed to leave skin silky smooth, stronger, younger and healthier thanks to the powerful strengthening ingredients vitamins C, E, and hyaluronic acid.

A plant-based vitamin C serum that delivers powerful results? Check. Calming on skin? Check. Evens out skin texture? Check. Radiance boosting? Check. Softens fine lines and wrinkles? Check. Firms skin? Check. Plus, TruSkin offers a 90-day money-back refund if this serum doesn’t meet your skincare needs.

Best for oily/acne-prone skin types: Ren Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream

Rich in protective antioxidants

This gel-cream daily moisturiser is designed to hydrate and soothe irritated skin. Packed with antioxidants to help rejuvenate the skin. Ren claims it can improve skin tone and texture after continued use.

If you prefer more of a gel cream than a serum, then look no further than Ren’s Daily Vitamin C Gel cream. With an ultra-lightweight formula, this cream promises to not leave your skin feeling greasy and works on a variety of skin types. A powerful cocktail of ingredients like glycogen, tara pod extract, vitamin C and magnesium make up this glow-giving cream.

Best for discolouration: Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

Treats and prevents dark spots from forming

This vitamin C serum has been carefully blended with proprietary white shiitake mushroom extract and vitamin C to brighten and fade dark, hyperpigmented areas. The serum also features sugarcane-derived squalene, which helps to maintain moisture levels and can help prevent dryness.

Brighten and deeply hydrate your complexion with the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum, a targeted brightening dark spot serum with proprietary white shiitake mushroom extract and 10% vitamin C to help re-energise the skin and fade dark spots.

Best for tired skin: CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

Fragrance-free, fast-drying formula

Lightweight and fast drying, this serum glides on easily and is ideal for layering with other skincare products. This vitamin C serum comes in protective packaging to help prevent oxidation and maintain product performance.

The secret to this skin-renewing serum is the cocktail of rejuvenating and anti-ageing ingredients, including brightening 10% pure vitamin C, three essential ceramides to help lock in moisture and hyaluronic acid, a popular additive known for its water-replenishing properties.

Best for dry skin: Satin Naturel Organic Vitamin C Serum

Added aloe vera soothes and replenishes

This serum is both organic and vegan-approved and is suitable for use on dry, mature and sensitive-prone skin.

This serum features added aloe vera to provide deep hydration and a reviving, anti-stress effect combined with the key ingredient collagen-boosting vitamin C, as well as vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, to brighten and deliver a serious moisture boost.

Want to read more beauty product round-ups? Check out our Cosmetics page for a full list of recommendations, including our list of the best fake tans and the best foundations recommended by professional makeup artists – and check out our guide to the best value beauty advent calendars of 2022.