Vitamin C Serum: for Day or Night?

Is it the real the riddle of the Sphinx? Maybe it’s just as well, with how many people it confuses on a daily basis. This question has been aired more widely lately, as vitamin C serums continue to be all the rage in the skincare market.

There’s a reason vitamin C serums have become so popular: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant with incredible benefits for skin health. It can boost your circulation, brighten your skin, help heal surface damage, boost collagen production, and even scavenge free radicals to prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The best news is that many dermatologists recommend vitamin C serum for all skin types.

Although a
natural vitamin C serum
could undoubtedly take your skin care routine to the next level, there is some confusion surrounding the correct use of these serums. Specifically, there’s a bit of controversy in the skincare world over whether vitamin C serum should be used in the morning, at night, or both. Let’s discuss when to apply vitamin C serum!

A M

When thinking about when to apply vitamin C serum, is morning the right time? The lightweight texture and fast-absorbing properties of serums make them ideal for layering under moisturizer, makeup, and other products. This, along with the benefits of vitamin C for the skin, is probably why many of us are tempted to use our vitamin C serums during the day.

Generally speaking, when it comes to applying vitamin C serum, these types of serums should be safe and suitable for daytime use. Some
dermatologists recommend
apply a vitamin C serum in the morning to prevent free radical damage that can occur throughout the day. If you choose to use your serum in the morning, you will need to apply a layer of broad-spectrum sunscreen afterwards, with an SPF of 30 or higher.

Now wait a minute –
if you have sensitive skin and wondering when to apply vitamin C serum, you may want to avoid vitamin C serum during the day. In some cases, higher concentrations of vitamin C could make sensitive skin more prone to irritation and sunburn.

If your skin tends to react to products containing retinol and similar ingredients, we recommend using your vitamin C serum as a PM product only.

PM

As for when to apply vitamin C serum, is nighttime the right time? Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, we recommend all skin types use their vitamin C serum before bed. Your body undergoes its natural repair process while you sleep, and vitamin C will have its strongest impact on your skin during this time. It will also be absorbed more effectively by your skin after cleansing and exfoliating it, so it makes sense to apply it during your nighttime routine.

When you use your vitamin C serum overnight, you also avoid the risk of photosensitivity, which can occur in some cases with daytime use.

When you’re looking to take your anti-aging regimen to the next level, there’s no better way to do it than with a powerful, antioxidant-rich face mask.

Our NEW Vitamin C Glow Max Bright Mask packs a punch against aging factors with skin-correcting bakuchiol, CoQ10, vitamin E and other illuminating ingredients to boost radiance and transform skin tone. You’ll notice the instant brightening and softening results from the first use, while reaping the benefits of collagen over time.

As with any concentration of powerful vitamins used at night, it is wise to follow up with SPF before heading out the next morning.

A M and PM

Instructions for when to apply vitamin C serums will tell you to use only one or two drops of the product; that’s because a little vitamin C serum goes a long way. There’s a limit to how much vitamin C your skin can absorb in a day, so any extra product you use will be wasted.

Bottom Line: If you know you’re using a product with a higher concentration of vitamin C and are wondering when to apply the vitamin C serum, a once-daily application is all you need. On the other hand, if you’re using a milder product with a lower concentration of vitamin C, you might see additional benefits by applying it twice a day, morning and night.

Many people wonder when to apply vitamin C serum depending on the seasons. While using vitamin C as part of your skincare regimen is smart year-round, it’s especially important to apply it in the winter.

As we mentioned earlier, higher concentrations of vitamin C during the day could make sensitive skin more prone to irritation and sunburn – and these effects can be amplified when you add hot summer sun. Since vitamin C can act as a photosensitizer, it can make skin more sensitive when exposed to sunlight. So be sure to pair it with an SPF.

Vitamin C serum is also especially important in the winter because of the environmental protection it provides. Vitamin C helps prevent damage to the skin barrier that can occur during harsh winter conditions.

Free radicals can damage the skin’s natural barrier, stripping vital, healthy oils from its surface. Harsh winter weather conditions can contribute to skin being extra dry and dehydrated. It is therefore particularly important to use a vitamin C serum to fight against free radicals and help replenish your skin’s natural barrier during the winter.

We recommend our Vitamin C Serum for day or night use, but it really depends on your skin type and sensitivity level. However, if you wear it during the day, you should wear it under a broad-spectrum SPF. Studies have shown that combining vitamin C with sun protection can actually boost the defense against free radicals!

Our formula includes both vitamin C and the antioxidant vitamin E to help heal and rejuvenate the skin. It also contains alpha-lipoic acid to promote cell regeneration and gently resurface the skin, and green apple to boost the radiance of your complexion.

As for the Vitamin C-only PM Serum, the Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidant Serum is formulated to heal, restore, and renew your skin while you sleep. This is due to a higher percentage of the vitamin and the fact that it is mixed with other light-sensitive ingredients like retinol.

When buying a vitamin C serum, be sure to check the ingredient list on the package to understand the product’s impact on your skin. If the serum contains alpha hydroxy acids or other gentle exfoliants, we recommend relegating it to nighttime use.

If you’re looking for a serum to wear all day under sunscreen or makeup, start with a gentle hydrating serum for sensitive skin. Another daytime option is to opt for a concentrated green tea serum, which will provide free radical neutralizing benefits to protect and fortify the skin from environmental damage.

We recommend beauty lovers to use our Vitamin C Serum after cleansing, exfoliation, masking and/or toning, but always
before moisturizing. All you have to do is apply a few pumps of serum to your clean fingers and gently apply the product evenly to damp skin.

Always let your serum absorb for 60-90 seconds, to make sure it has time to soak into the skin. Then apply a moisturizer to maintain the benefits of your serum and strengthen the protective lipid barrier of your skin.

In order to ensure that you are using your products in the safest way possible, we recommend that you keep an eye on their ingredient lists and percentages. If you’re not sure about the potency of a vitamin’s percentage in your serum, call the company – they’ll tell you). This will help you understand the effect they might have on your skin, especially when exposed to sunlight.

If in doubt about the impact a product may have, we recommend sticking to PM use only! Vitamin C Serum can brighten, revitalize and restore your skin whether used day or night.