Hi, beauty lover! It’s good to see you here! Last year I introduced a stabilised vitamin C serum into my daily routine. It’s made a huge difference to my skin. I experienced brighter and smoother skin with fewer age spots and freckles. And now I’m a dedicated daily vitamin C user!
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In this post, we’ll be discussing:
- What is stabilised vitamin C serum?
- The benefits of a stabilised vitamin C serum
- What to look for in a serum
- How often and when to apply your stabilised vitamin C serum
- My top stabilised vitamin C picks
All in line with your natural and organic sensibilities! Sound good? Great! But first…
What is a stabilised vitamin C serum?
Traditionally, vitamin C came to our skincare products as L-Ascorbic Acid (LAA, the synthetic and chemical name for vitamin C). Pure is good, right? Not always, and especially not for sensitive skin.
LAA is potent, but unstable. It has the potential to cause irritation during an initial settling in period and beyond. If used incorrectly it can damage skin, and it might not be the best choice for people with the most sensitive skin.
When exposed to light and/or air, ascorbic acid not only becomes inactive, but it also oxidises extremely fast to become dehydro ascorbic acid (DHAA), which further degrades to acids that are very irritating to the skin (source).
Jilly Schechter, Formula Botanica
Enter stabilised vitamin C!
Stabilised vs non-stabilised vitamin C in skincare
Stabilised vitamin C is less irritating than LAA and has a longer shelf life. However, it isn’t as potent. But does this matter? Not if you’re just starting out with vitamin C! That’s because even low concentrations of vitamin C have been shown to give good results! And you can work your way up to your maximum non-irritating dose, or even make the leap to serums containing LAA if you need to.
The benefits of vitamin C serums
Vitamin C is a great way to support skin in its natural ageing process. Why? It helps slow the break down of collagen in the skin, it brightens the skin, and it can even stop age spots appearing.
It’s an antioxidant. This means it stops the actions of free radicals against your skin. Additionally, vitamin C is acidic, so it encourages your skin to produce more collagen and elastin.
Vitamin C has photo protective properties. Don’t skip your sunscreen, though. Vitamin C simply mops up those free radicals created by UV exposure.
If you don’t use it already, you should consider it – regardless of your age. It’s such a great preventative – I wish I’d started using it sooner!
I think of vitamin C like an investment in my skin. With daily use, I get smoother and more even skin. The effects of ageing, pollution, UV light, and environmental stressors are lessened.
And if you’re pregnant and/or breastfeeding, don’t worry. Vitamin C is safe for you and bubs, too.
What to look for in a stabilised vitamin C serum
There are many derivatives of vitamin C. Some ingredients to look out for on the ingredients list include ascorbic acid polypeptide, sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP), magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP), ascorbyl glucoside, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (an oil-soluable form), and 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid.
Look for those with supporting antioxidants such as vitamin E and ferulic acid. Many serums have other helpful ingredients in their blend such as hyaluronic acid, green tea, witch hazel, and aloe vera. Niacinamide also works really well with ascorbyl glucoside.
I choose my stabilised vitamin C from brands who identify as “natural” and who aim to remove controversial ingredients.
How often to apply a vitamin C serum
Start slowly by applying a small amount once a day.
I experienced a tingly start, so I experimented by mixing my serum with my moisturiser to dilute it. It took my skin a week to settle into this new routine and now I use vitamin C serum daily with absolutely no tingling.
You can try every other day or 3 times weekly if your skin feels irritated.
When to apply a vitamin C serum
You can use vitamin C day or night. I favour morning because when worn with sunscreen, vitamin C works better. I save my evening routine for other acids and bakuchiol.
“Before my patients leave their door, I tell them to apply an anti-oxidant rich product and an SPF 50 or higher. Vitamin C is a great anti-oxidant that provides a second layer of defense after sunscreen by neutralizing free radicals that can damage skin, accelerating signs of aging.”
Dr. Adam Geyer, Kiehls Consulting Dermatologist
Apply it after your toner/hydrating layer but before your moisturiser.
What are the best stabilised vitamin C serums?
Here are my top picks for stabilised vitamin C serums to start with.
Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum
This is my current top pick for stabilised vitamin C serum. It’s a fantastic combination of antioxidants vitamin C + E + ferulic acid, along with chamomile, clary sage, and konjac root in a water-based based serum.
It comes in a dark glass bottle but I always keep mine in the box. The price is very reasonable. This is a real little gem of a serum that’s a delight to use and super-effective!
Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum
Buy Now – £24.99 at Botanica Health
The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum
Clinically proven to increase moisture and brightness, and will brighten up a dull complexion while improving texture and firmness. This lightweight 15% concentration serum claims to boost collagen and address pigmentation. As you would expect from The Organic Pharmacy, it’s 91% organic.
This product comes in clear glass, so be sure to keep it in its cardboard packaging away from light.
This is a really lovely and effective serum. It also contains witch hazel which packs its own antioxidant punch – along with delivering a nice potent dose of vitamin C.
On the downside, it doesn’t have the same easy to apply texture as the Mad Hippie serum, hence this is my second favourite formula.
The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum
Pai Skincare Stabilised Vitamin C 20% Brightening Booster
This oil-based serum contains vitamin C derived in the form of ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate in a high percentage that slowly releases on the skin. It also contains prickly pear seed oil to calm and counteract the vitamin C.
This gorgeous oil is so versatile as it can be blended with your other products. I love to use a few drops in my morning facial oil. Find vitamin C stressful? Don’t worry – this one is perfect for sensitive skin. I love the protective packaging too!
Pai Skincare Stabilised Vitamin C 20% Brightening Booster
John Masters Organics Vitamin C Anti-Aging Face Serum
This complex blend from John Masters Organics with stabilised vitamin C is recommended for signs of ageing. It protects and rejuvenates the skin while reducing the appearance of age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.
It also contains extracts of sea algae and rosebud to provide intense moisture and antioxidants to help collagen production.
John Masters Organics Vitamin C Anti-Aging Face Serum
Buy Now – £45 at John Masters Organics
Final thoughts on stabilised vitamin C serums
I hope I’ve inspired you to try a stabilised vitamin C serum, and given you some ideas for serums to try for the first time. Using a vitamin C serum is such a great investment in your skin. Have fun with it!
Do you use a vitamin C serum? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time. With love. x
8 Comments
This is really interesting information! I’ve been trying to be more diligent with my skin care in the last few years but this could be worth looking into integrating into my current routine.
Definitely! Vitamin C is a great way to boost any routine!
This has really inspired me to try vitamin c serum out. There is so much here that I didn’t know! Thanks!
That’s so great to hear! Thank you!
Never knew that vitamin C should be apart of skin care! I hope to have a solid and beneficial skin care routine before the end of this year. I’ll have to check back for more skin care tips!
It’s very interesting isn’t it! It’s like using vitamin C in food to preserve it. It’s a powerful antioxidant. Let me know if I can help!
Thanks for the serum recommendations that’s infused with Vitamin C. I’ve never used a serum before and this is making me consider to try one.
It’s a simple but effective step in any skincare routine and with these serums you’re starting gentle!