In this article:
Is vitamin C good for skin?
Do you need vitamin C in your skin care routine?
Vitamin C benefits for skin
How does vitamin C work?
Forms of vitamin C in skin care
Vitamin C skin products
Paula's Choice products with vitamin C
When and how to use vitamin C in your skin care routine
What not to use with vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most popular skin care ingredients, but is it worthy of the hype? With an abundance of research backing its impressive benefits for skin, the answer is unequivocally yes (1).
We’ll delve into how this powerful antioxidant works its magic, how to fit it into your routine and which forms of it are most effective in your skin care products.
Is vitamin C good for skin?
One of the reasons vitamin C is so good for skin and works well as part of a routine is because it is a natural component of healthy skin. When we're young, vitamin C levels in skin's primary layers (epidermis, which constitutes the outer layers, and dermis, the middle layer) are abundant, but as we age, these levels naturally deplete and skin becomes less able to store vitamin C from foods and/or supplements. Unprotected sun exposure (UV damage) and pollution accelerate this decline, leading to skin looking and feeling dull, uneven, and less firm than it once was (2).
Luckily, topical vitamin C solutions can help mitigate this damage, so skin looks and feels healthier, not to mention being in a better position to repair visible damage.
Do you need vitamin C in your skin care routine?
If you want to address dull/uneven skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles and lax skin, vitamin C can help meet these needs. Moreover, because it’s such a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C provides a strong defence against environmental stressors (including sun damage), which all of us will see visible signs of at some point in our lives.
Vitamin C benefits for skin
Vitamin C’s benefits for skin are vast, including its ability to even out skin tone and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (3). While this powerhouse ingredient is well-known for its skin-brightening benefits, research also shows it can shield skin from the visible impacts of environmental stressors, including free radical damage (4).
Even more impressive is emerging research demonstrating a connection between vitamin C and longevity (5). Studies find vitamin C can help protect skin’s collagen levels and improve skin thinning (thinning is a common issue with ageing skin) thanks to its ability to improve proliferation (growth and multiplication) of the epidermis, AKA skin’s outermost layer.
This synergy of mitigating problems both before and after they occur makes vitamin C a force to be reckoned with.
How does vitamin C work?
Vitamin C, as mentioned above, is a natural component of skin where it supports important functions. These include helping firm skin’s architecture through the stimulation of skin beneficial substances including collagen, defending skin from oxidative damage caused by sun exposure and regulating melanin production to disrupt factors that trigger the development of dark spots and uneven tone. In fact, it’s the most abundant antioxidant in skin (2)!
Research shows as we age, and as we’re exposed to environmental stressors (such as UV rays and pollution), these high vitamin C levels become depleted. Applying a vitamin C product topically – when it’s formulated and packaged correctly - can help counter some of the visible effects (such as dark spots, wrinkles and loss of firmness) that occur from this depletion.
Forms of vitamin C in skin care
There are many forms of vitamin C for skin, and while they all have antioxidant benefits, they each work slightly differently. Some are more effective than others.
- Ascorbic acid—also known as L-ascorbic acid—has the most skin-related research of any form of vitamin C (6). When properly formulated at a pH of less than 4 (2.6-3.2 is the ideal range) and used in concentrations of 5% or greater, this form helps create younger-looking, firmer-feeling skin while fading signs of uneven skin tone and spots. Ascorbic acid also helps skin’s surface defend itself from free radicals and external stressors, lessening the effects of exposure to the elements.
- 3-O ethyl ascorbic acid is considered a next-gen form of vitamin C that’s highly stabilised and is both water- and oil-soluble. Its research-backed benefits include brightening and evening skin tone, soothing skin and boosting elasticity by neutralising stressors that would otherwise damage skin’s supportive elements (7).
Other beneficial forms that have notable research demonstrating their efficacy:
- Ascorbyl glucoside is a stable, water-soluble form of vitamin C proven to brighten dull tone, inhibit triggers of skin discolouration, and stimulate firmer-feeling skin. It’s considered gentler than some other vitamin C derivatives due to the unique way it converts to pure vitamin C within skin (2).
- Ascorbyl palmitate is an oil-soluble, non-irritating (pH-neutral) vitamin C derivative that’s often combined with more potent forms of vitamin C to promote firmer skin and reduce the appearance of skin discolourations (8). Although, high amounts of this ingredient can lend unpleasant aesthetics to skin care products.
- Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (sometimes referred to as "MAP") promotes deeper hydration in skin but is not as potent of an antioxidant as pure vitamin C (1). Still, it’s considered one of the more stable forms of this antioxidant.
- Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (or SAP, for short) is a form of vitamin C with research showing it can influence factors linked to breakouts, likely due to its skin soothing effect (8,9).
- Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (or THD) is a lipid (fat) soluble form of vitamin C, which is backed by research for its ability to mitigate damaging effects of UV exposure (10). Some researchers theorise it has a greater affinity for skin because its fatty acid component helps aid penetration.
Keep in mind that even the more stable forms of vitamin C will break down over time if routinely exposed to heat, air, and light (5). If you want to get the best possible results from your vitamin C serum or moisturiser, packaging matters: look for opaque, air-restrictive bottles or pump containers to help ensure the ingredients remain stable. A vitamin C cream that comes in a jar, unfortunately, won’t remain effective for long (11).
Vitamin C skin products
Vitamin C skin care products that tackle brightness, uneven tone, signs of ageing and overall skin health come in many different product formats and concentrations.
Even lower concentrations of vitamin C (5% or less) are good for your skin, providing cumulative benefits in leave-on products such as moisturisers, serums and eye creams. In fact, research has shown that concentrations below 1% provide antioxidant and anti-ageing benefits to skin. Lower strengths of vitamin C also help enhance the benefits of other youth-preserving ingredients such as retinol and ceramides.
Moderate to high strengths of vitamin C (5% and higher, with amounts of 10% and up typically found in targeted treatments or serums) are particularly effective and provide a host of benefits for skin.
If your skin looks dull or its tone is uneven, regardless of your skin type, a higher concentration vitamin C product, particularly a treatment or serum, is ideal for layering. If stubborn dark spots are more of your concern, a 25% vitamin C skin treatment works great for discolourations (1,12,13).
Paula's Choice products with vitamin C
Paula's Choice has formulated many products with vitamin C in various concentrations and benefits and in combination with many other skin-beneficial ingredients.
We use lower concentrations of vitamin C with retinol to help stabilise our 1% retinol treatment formula and we use it in more efficacious amounts (5-25%) as a key ingredient in many serums, treatments and moisturisers. Which Paula's Choice vitamin C product you should you depends on your skin type, concerns and how your skin responds to this stellar ingredient. Let’s get into our vitamin C offerings:
- C5 Super Boost Eye Cream: Packed with 3 forms of stabilised vitamin C and a supporting complex of zerumbone and peptides, this targeted eye cream that’s suited for all skin types tackles undereye circles.
- C5 Super Boost Moisturizer: Peptides, acetyl zingerone and stabilised vitamin C combine to create a made-for-all-skin-types lightweight gel that delivers hydration to skin while also tackling dullness and early signs of ageing.
- C15 Super Booster: This water-light liquid contains a higher percentage of vitamin C, 15% pure vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid), and supporting antioxidants ferulic acid and ergothioneine. Together, this treatment complex boosts glow, tackles tone and reduces the look of wrinkles.
- 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum: Our most potent vitamin C treatment, this vitamin C serum targets stubborn discolourations and visibly improves tone, radiance, elasticity and firmness.
- 5% Vitamin C Sheer Moisturizer: This 5% vitamin C tinted base provides environmental protection while also brightening and hydrating, leaving behind a radiant, sheer look for all skin types and tones.
When and how to use vitamin C in your skin care routine
All forms of vitamin C mix well and layer with other skin care ingredients, including exfoliating acids and other vitamins and antioxidants such as retinol and niacinamide (14,15).
Vitamin C skin care products can be used twice daily, both morning and night. After cleansing, toning and exfoliating, apply the rest of your products in order from thinnest to thickest texture (commonly: serum, moisturiser, treatments). During the day, always finish with a moisturiser with SPF.
What not to use with vitamin C
Here’s a myth we love to clear up– there are no skin-beneficial ingredients you cannot use with vitamin C. Despite the belief that other powerhouse ingredients such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and retinol can counteract or nullify the effects of vitamin C, that simply is not the case – in fact, using these ingredients together only enhances their effectiveness.
We will say that there are some ingredients not to use with vitamin C, like fragrance and denatured alcohol, but those are the drying and irritating ingredients that shouldn’t be in any of your skin care products!
Learn more about skin care ingredients.
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References for this information:
1. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, July 2017, pages 14-17
2. Nutrients, August 2017, ePublication
3. Dermatologic Surgery, July 2005, pages 814–817
4. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2021, pages 2,349-2,359
5. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, April 2025, pages 1-14
6. Cosmetics, September 2019, pages 1-8
7. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, September 2021, pages 151-169
8. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, February 2009, pages 41-46
9. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, June 2005, pages 171-176
10. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, April 2019, pages 46-53
11. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, May 2018, pages 253-263
12. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, February 2019, pages 236–241
13. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, July 2019, pages 14–17
14. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, Volume 7 Supplement, July 2008, pages S2-S6
15. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, November 2013, pages 281-288
