If you’re struggling with things like dull skin and dark spots, incorporate one of these radiance-boosting formulas into your skin-care routine and start glowing.
At this point, we know you’re inundated with skin-care ingredient after skin-care ingredient — but hear us out. While some ingredients hydrate, plump, and boost skin elasticity (looking at you, hyaluronic acid), others have a proven track record of improving the look of acne scars, dark spots, and fine lines, promoting even skin tone, and generally warding off very unwarranted “you look tired” comments. One such ingredient that revitalizes your complexion is vitamin C.
Aside from being a potent antioxidant, vitamin C has anti-inflammatory properties that stave off discoloration, brown spots, and melasma. The ingredient is also responsible for stimulating collagen production and works well when paired with other finicky ingredients like retinol. Just make sure you’re not using them at the same time — i.e. vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night, as derms recommend — to reduce the risk of irritation.
But don’t take our word for it — Allure editors and board-certified dermatologists alike tout vitamin C for its multitude of benefits. According to Toronto-based, board-certified dermatologist Geeta Yadav, MD, “vitamin C is one of the most effective and efficient skin-care ingredients at our disposal.” The do-it-all-ingredient is a potent antioxidant, prevents excess melanin production to reduce hyperpigmentation, and can also boost the efficacy of your sunscreen, says Dr. Yadav. Speaking of which, you should always follow up vitamin C (and most skin-care actives) with SPF 30 or higher to prevent future sun damage.
Because there are quite a few different forms of vitamin C, choosing the best kind for you can get a tad tricky. Ascorbic acid (also known as L-ascorbic acid) is the most potent of the bunch but it does come with a few qualms — namely, it’s not always well-tolerated, especially by those with sensitive skin, says Dr. Yadav. It’s also notoriously unstable (a.k.a. it’s prone to oxidizing over time, which can affect its efficacy), so choosing formulas that are housed in dark bottles and generally storing them in cool, dark places is key.
If you’re prone to sensitivity but still drawn to the ingredient’s laundry list of benefits, Dr. Yadav recommends seeking out tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, one of the gentlest forms of vitamin C, because it absorbs nicely into the skin while keeping it moisturized, she says.
Sure, an ingredient like vitamin C (like most others) is deserving of a more concentrated formula like a vitamin C serum, but creams are great especially if you’re seeking more intense hydration alongside the other aforementioned benefits. Here are the 13 best vitamin C creams, moisturizers, and oils that’ll help keep your skin looking radiant day in and day out.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil
Although vitamin C is an eternally beloved and hyped ingredient, a lot of products don’t deliver on its magical brightening properties. On the bright side, Sunday Riley’s C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream — similar to its predecessor, C.E.O. Vitamin C Brightening Serum — is a radiance-making standout that makes skin feel practically reborn. After just a few weeks of twice-daily use, this sunshine-yellow jelly made one editor’s skin plumper, more even-toned, and brighter — so much so that she often skips her usual highlighter because her skin glows on its own.
We love it so much we added it to our January 2023 Allure Beauty Box lineup. You can score the Allure Beauty Box here for access to even more editor favorites — for just $23.
The Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil — a Readers’ Choice Award-winning and editor-beloved facial oil from Biossance — nourishes skin like a dream, thanks to a beyond-luxurious base of rose-infused squalane. Florida-based board-certified dermatologist Samantha Fisher, MD, has previously confirmed that squalane can “aid in skin-care problems wherein the skin barrier is disrupted and transepidermal water loss is an issue,” which includes conditions such as eczema, acne, and even psoriasis. With continued use, the luxe oil offers firming benefits and promotes smooth skin texture.
InnBeauty Project 10+10 Moisturizer
Babor Skinovage Complex C Cream
It’s a toss-up between what we love most about InnBeauty Project’s 10+10 Daily Moisturizer: the electric pink tub — a refreshing twist from the typical tangerine-hued packaging we’re used to seeing on vitamin C products — or the insanely velvety formula that manages to hydrate without feeling greasy. You’ll find a fusion of peptides and ceramides alongside vitamin C for smoother, plumper skin and a more even tone.
Besides the intrinsic factors working against your skin (namely, genetics and hormonal shifts), extrinsic factors like environmental conditions and lifestyle can also contribute to the health of your life — as well as how quickly signs of aging (like fine lines) appear. Babor’s Skinovage Complex C Cream accounts for the latter, using vitamins C, E, and F as well as macadamia oil and panthenol to revive tired, stressed skin, deeply condition, and boost cell regeneration. In a nutshell, it’s the perfect cream to slather on after a sleepless night.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate
The three-time Readers’ Choice Award-winning Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has a delectable range of permanent flavors (Hello, Original Berry) as well as specialty, limited-edition flavors (BTS-inspired Butter, anyone?) — all of which are packed with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. The former deeply hydrates while the latter evens out any discoloration on the lips. Not to mention, each of these masks contains coconut oil, shea butter, and murumuru seed butter so lips will be nourished and soft all day and night.
For those with skin of steel that can tolerate a higher percentage of vitamin C, listen up. Wander Beauty’s Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate offers 20 percent vitamin C — which is a relatively high concentration compared to most treatments that fall into the 10 to 15 percent range, per Minnesota-based board-certified dermatologist Jenny Liu, MD — in the form of ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate and kakadu plum. The formula is also packed with a hyaluronic acid complex and squalane to keep skin conditioned and hydrated. Another thing we love: this gold-tinted formula is packed with light-diffusing pearls that make your skin glow — even sans makeup.
Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Vitamin C Gel Moisturizer
Oily skin need not shy away from moisturizers, especially when a formula like Ole Henriksen’s C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème is a real winner. It boasts a gel consistency that’s deliciously lightweight and feels invisible on the skin, ideal for those with acne-prone skin looking to brighten and moisturize without contributing to excess oil or exacerbating existing breakouts. Not to mention, because it delivers all-day hydration (up to 24 hours, according to the brand), it’s equally fit for dryer skin types.
Some would call Dermalogica’s Biolumin-C Vitamin C Gel Moisturizer an overachiever, but we prefer to call it a multitasking workhorse. Not only does this formula effectively brighten the complexion and strengthen the skin barrier via a stable vitamin C complex — which features aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate, a water-soluble derivative of vitamin C — but it also hydrates and smoothes thanks to squalane, plumps as a result of five types of hyaluronic acid, and gently exfoliates with pumpkin enzymes. We told you, workhorse.
Korres Apothecary Wild Rose Brilliant Priming Gel-Moisturizer
Pacifica Beauty Glow Baby Hydrodew Moisture Gel
Glowy skin is always on the agenda, are we right? Clearly, Korres got the memo, too. The Greece-made Wild Rose Brilliant Priming Gel-Moisturizer cuts through dullness à la three sources of vitamin C and rose for instantly radiant skin. It features three forms of vitamin C, including ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, which is “more stable than traditional ascorbic acid in cosmetic formulations,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai in New York City, previously explained. This refreshing, quick-absorbing moisturizer also blurs issues like pores and uneven texture and offers long-lasting hydration no matter where you fall on the dry skin scale.
Pacifica Beauty’s Glow Baby Hydrodew Moisture Gel is a gem for those looking to address discoloration. Vitamin C is its standout ingredient, yes, but it also features niacinamide — two ingredients that go together like bread and butter. While niacinamide works to combat hyperpigmentation, minimize the look of pores, and reduce excess oil production, vitamin C targets discoloration and free radical damage for smoother, more even skin, says Dr. Yadav.
Belif Aqua Bomb Brightening Vitamin C Cream
Mario Badescu Vitamin C Cream
RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Moisturizer
Like gossip in a group chat with your best friends, skin is best when it’s extra juicy — and that’s exactly what you get from Belif’s Aqua Bomb Brightening Vitamin C Cream. It’s loaded with the good stuff, like radiance-boosting vitamin C, moisture-retaining hyaluronic acid, and soothing vitamin E to give you glassier skin that’s bouncy with moisture. What’s more: “vitamin C effectiveness [also] increases when combined with other antioxidants, such as vitamin E,” New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Patricia Wexler, MD, previously explained — essentially doubling the protection against free-radical damage, she adds.
We love it so much we added it to our October 2022 Allure Beauty Box lineup. You can score the Allure Beauty Box here for access to even more editor favorites — for just $23.
We know Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion has earned a permanent spot in your skin-care drawer (and rightfully so), but if you’re looking to keep the “clearer skin” train going, the next logical step is to pick up the brand’s Vitamin C Cream. Featuring 10% vitamin C and a slew of other skin-boosting ingredients (like niacinamide, carrot root extract, and jojoba seed oil), you’ll never have to worry about a dull, lackluster complexion so long as you apply this formula consistently.
RoC is one of those brands that deliver effective, results-driven products at reasonable price ranges. Case in point: the Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Moisturizer rings in at $30 and features a 10-percent concentration of ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) alongside soothing glycerin, peptides, and shea butter for deep yet non-irritating absorption. Best of all, it has a lightweight gel-cream texture that doesn’t feel heavy or greasy in the slightest, so you can wear it during the daytime underneath sunscreen and makeup without batting an eye.