We all know that we should use a Vitamin C serum in the morning by now, but there are so many products out there, it's hard to find the perfect one. I, myself, had gone through the difficult process and personally tried 5 of the most popular brands. I've organized them from cheapest to most expensive from left to right. On the top of the table, I included my ratings of the best Vitamin C serum. I also analyzed them based on the few key factors of a vitamin C serum so that you can choose the best one for you.
Best Vitamin C Serum—Brand & Price
Second Place | First Place | NOPE | Fourth Place | Third Place |
53ml/NT$316 | 30ml/NT$980 | 30ml/NT$1,590 | 15ml/NT$880 | 20ml/NT$1,880 |
NT$6.1/ml | NT$33/ml | NT$53/ml | NT$59/ml | NT$94/ml |
Best Vitamin C Serum—Color & Vitality
If a vitamin C serum is yellow or dark brown it means that it has already oxidized. An effective Vitamin C serum should be clear to a muddy white or light champagne yellow. Though La Roche-Posay's 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum is presented at a light champagne color in their ads, when I opened mine, it was a dark brownish orange. So it's either false advertising or faulty design in their packaging and proves that the quality is unstable. Which is why I kicked it out in the very first round.
Best Vitamin C Serum—Packaging
To prevent the vitamin C serum from oxidizing, the packaging is very important, too. The C15 Super Booster from Paula's Choice uses an air-tight bottle with an addition dropper and plug that tightens the seal which you install on your own. But after a while, the contents oxidizes starting from the opening of the bottle. Ms. elec and Advanced Clinicals use simple dropper vials just like La Roche-Posay but neither oxidized even a bit until I finished them, mainly because the texture, concentration, and volume. MIRAE Vitamin C & CICA Extra Brightening Serum uses a special airless pump that is only revealed when you twist the cap.
Best Vitamin C Serum—Consistency
Other than the fact that the La Rochey-Posay vitmamin C serum was completely oxidized when I got it, I also like the texture and consistency of it the least. The serum is very thick which impacts its spreadability. My skin also feels very sticky after use and creates crumbs on my skin when I try to apply sunscreen or makeup on top of it.
Ms. elec vitamin C serum is a oil and water co-solvent which felt kind of like an essential oil against my skin. I like the consistency of Paula's Choice and MIRAE the most. They are moisturizing but not heavy. Paula's Choice has a more watery texture than MIRAE but MIRAE feels lighter less burdening.
Best Vitamin C Serum—Concentration & Other Ingredients
Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Anti-aging Serum has the lowest concentration so it also took the longest time for any results to show. I had to go through 1–2 bottles before I noticed significant change. It's perfect for people who have sensitive skin or are trying a vitamin C serum for the first time. There is the additional of aloe vera which is soothing and the serum did not sting like most vitamin C serums. Advanced Clincals was also my first bottle of vitamin C serum.
Paula's Choice C15 Serum combines Vitamin E and ferulic acid, which are both strong antioxidants that can maximize the benefits when working with vitamin C. Since it has a higher concentration, it kind of stung when I first started using it, but I got used to it in 2–3 days. Ms. elec C10% serum leaves a warm sensation but does not sting.
Though MIRAE Vitamin C Serum has a comparatively lower concentration, 5it yielded the most obvious results out of the. In 3 days, my dark circles brightened without changing my sleep schedule and my freckles visibly lightened. MIRAE vitamin C serum does not sting, however, the addition of salicylic acid makes it a potentially more irritating formula. If you have never used BHA before or have sensitive skin, I recommend using it once every 3 days instead of every day. And don't forget to use proper sun protection and sufficient moisturization afterwards.
I've been using Paula's Choice 2% Salicylic Acid for a while, so I simply stopped using it and started using MIRAE vitamin C serum daily instead. After one week, I still experienced a transition period where my skin was a lot more sensitive. There was no redness, breakouts, or anything that affected the appearance of my skin though. But on the fifth day, some of the mild skincare products that I never had any problems with started to sting a bit. On the seventh day, my skin started peeling, not from dryness but kind of like how snakes shed skin. It didn't hurt and I could remove a huge sheet of skin simply by picking at it with my fingers. It's like a very mild chemical peel. The skin that is revealed below had no redness or injury, it's just a very smooth and soft layer of skin. I used a brow razor to lightly exfoliate and ended up with a completely new layer of skin on my face. I had bigger pores and some blackheads on my forehead and nose, which greatly improved afterwards.
During this sensitive transition period, I only used MIRAE once every 3 days and avoided the sensitive area around my eyes. I moisturized my skin a lot more and did not apply makeup. Since I work from home, I would apply some AHC hyaluronic acid toner every couple of hours, and I used calming, nourishing, and moisturizing face packs before bed.
But I do not plan to "replace" my face constantly so after the initial skin shedding, I continued the once every 3 days routine, and used Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Anti-aging Serum on other days.
Best Vitamin C Serum—Which should I choose?
La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum oxidized and expensive. Out.
Perfect for sensitive skin. Super cheap. But has a lower concentration and takes longer for results to show. –> Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Anti-aging Serum
For those who already use acid in their routine. Very affordable. Yields quick and amazing results. Potentially irritating for sensitive skin. –>MIRAE Vitamin C & CICA Extra Brightening Serum
Good for dry skin and people who like oil-based skincare products. But quite expensive. –> Ms. elec 10% Vitamin C Serum
Suitable for all skin types. Extra anti-aging properties. Super expensive. –> Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster
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