The Vitamin C Serums We Can’t Stop Buying
This story first appeared on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
If you’re a regular reader of the Strategist Beauty Brief, you know we’re pretty picky about our products. Yes, we’re always down to try a dupe and test trends. But we’re passionate about our basics, too. This week, we’re sharing our can’t-live-without vitamin C serums.
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I’ve been using this for about three months and have been pleasantly surprised by it. It doesn’t leave my skin sticky like other vitamin C serums I’ve used, and I can easily layer my moisturizer over it without pilling. I’ve noticed my acne scars fade faster with it, too. —Arielle Avila
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I’ve been dealing with hyperpigmentation for the past six months, and I’ve turned to the Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Clearing Serum With Vitamin C to help. It’s moisturizing, which is nice, and I swear it’s helping the hyperpigmentation on my chin. I also like that it uses more stable forms of vitamin C — magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl glucoside, which are also known to be more gentle than L-ascorbic acid. I’m all for gentle formulations, particularly in the winter when my skin is at its most finicky, so I’ve really been enjoying this in my routine. —Tembe Denton-Hurst
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Vitamin C is where I splurge. I have sensitive skin, and vitamin C is one of the most potentially irritating ingredients out there — but it also has so many benefits that it’s worth finding one that works for you. I’ve dabbled with a few, and this is the one I’ve never had a bad reaction to. I feel it blurs my pores and gives me a nice “sleeping well, eating well” glow (even when I’m not). And yes, it’s pricey, but I tend to stock up when it’s on sale (and the bottle is designed so that the product won’t spoil, which is an issue I’ve had with cheaper vitamin Cs in the past). —Rachael Griffiths
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I’ve been using the Opulus device for about a year now. The device comes with a pack of vitamin C concentrate that needs to be mixed with a liquid. You take a cube of the serum, place it in the top of the Opulus with a few drops of liquid (I usually add an essence), then turn it on. It whizzes for about a minute, and then you have a fresh serum. I’ve seen some good brightening results, but I also just think, since vitamin C oxidizes, it’s nice to have it whipped up on demand. —Crystal Martin
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If you, like me, have oily and acne-prone skin, then stay away from Skinceuticals CE Ferulic and go for the Phloretin CF instead. All the skin-brightening benefits, none of the breakouts. —Dominique Pariso
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The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
