The best Vitamin C moisturizers in 2023

Are you in search of a superstar glow? Do you want to look as if you’re glowing from the inside out? A vitamin C moisturizer is one of the best ways to give your skin a radiant boost.

Whether you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation, dark spots, an uneven skin tone or you just want a dewy glow, vitamin C serums and moisturizers have a lot to offer.

But be aware that not all vitamin C products are the same. Different skincare brands use different concentration levels of vitamin C and different varieties of vitamin C. It is important to recognize that all vitamin C options are not the same; each one will produce a different result.

Ready for dazzling skin? Our list of the best vitamin C moisturizers in 2023 will help you find the perfect match for your body and lifestyle.

1. Blu Atlas Vitamin C Serum

Dark spots? Mature skin? Whatever you want to treat, the best vitamin C moisturizer in 2023 can help out. The Vitamin C Serum from Blu Atlas is a product that will delight those who enjoy taking care of their skin.

Blu Atlas’ Vitamin C Serum is a liquid that glides smoothly onto the skin. All it takes is a quick swipe of the fingers to apply the product. The bright blue bottle is small but packs a punch, tackling skin issues efficiently with each drop.

Blu Atlas is a brand that takes the health of skin lovers seriously. The serum is formulated with 97.5% ingredients of natural origins from plants, fruits and minerals. The Vitamin C Serum combines ascorbic acid, aka vitamin C, with mulberry root extract and pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract. Both extracts are naturally rich in antioxidants and support ascorbic acid to nourish and treat the skin.

We can’t recommend the Blu Atlas Vitamin C Serum highly enough. This serum works well for men and women and is an affordable option that fits every budget. Want to save even more money? Blu Atlas has a subscribe-and-save feature that saves skincare lovers 20% on each purchase. More savings, better skin. What’s not to love?

2. The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

Instead of spending all the money in your bank account on a pricey vitamin C moisturizer, try the competitively priced vitamin C suspension from The Ordinary. A brand known for its transparency and quality products, The Ordinary creates skincare and hair-care products for every skin type.

Free from silicone, oil, gluten, alcohol and nuts, this vegan treatment option is ideal for anyone seeking an even skin tone. It’s not a miracle product, but vitamin C has a lot to offer. Working to reduce dull, tired-looking skin, battle signs of aging and encourage collagen production, this skincare product gives skin an extra boost.

While some users have complained about the gritty texture of the suspension, The Ordinary shares with its customers that their vitamin C suspension is supposed to have a gritty, sandy feeling during absorption due to its water-free formula, so don’t let the sandy application dissuade you. The Ordinary’s products work and can help you set up a thorough skincare routine.

3. Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Serum

Are you a super busy person? Orchestrating your work and household 24/7? Supergoop’s Daily Dose Vitamin C is made for busy Americans who just want to find a little extra time each day. Instead of trying to follow a lengthy skincare routine, try this vitamin C serum, which makes things easier by combining multiple steps. The perfect skincare routine with Supergoop involves washing your face, then applying the Daily Dose Vitamin C Serum. It’s as simple as that.

Why do so many skincare gurus love this brand and their products? Supergoop focuses on sunscreen products that put skin protection first. While they have plenty of normal skincare products, their sunscreen and SPF options are a cut above the rest.

Combining ascorbic acid – Supergoop’s vitamin C of choice – hyaluronic acid, marine extract and chemical SPF adds a glow to the skin while protecting it from the sun. The treatment works well for anyone who wants to target dull, tired skin, an uneven skin tone, or dark spots.

Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF is a one-of-a-kind serum and is the best combination of vitamin C and SPF.

4. The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C + EGF Serum

Looking for a lightweight formula that brightens up the skin and reverses the signs of aging? The Inkey List’s 15% Vitamin C + EGF Serum is a straightforward vitamin C serum that provides skin with an intense amount of vitamin C. The serum works overtime to revitalize dull, tired skin and help skin look bright all day long.

Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that provides amazing benefits for the skin. The Inkey List’s Epidermal Growth Factor is an ingredient that promotes healthy skin cell turnover and helps skin appear more youthful.

Lightweight and non-sticky, the lotion is an excellent addition to a morning skincare routine.  Apply the vitamin C serum after washing the face but before you use a facial moisturizer.

5. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

Arm your skin with a luxury vitamin C serum. SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic is a popular vitamin C serum that offers skin a spa treatment at home. Quick-absorbing, the patented serum works well for all skin types, even those with dry or sensitive skin. It targets the skin concerns of men and women and offers incredible benefits for those battling discoloration or dehydration.

With a rich blend of antioxidants, the brand uses 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) and 0.5% ferulic acid to make noticeable changes in the skin. The serum is clinically proven to decrease damage due to free radicals, such as UV, ozone and diesel exhaust.

Formulated for morning use, it’s the first thing users put on their skin in the morning – after washing their face, of course. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum blows the competition out of the water in one category: After application, the serum is effective for more than 72 hours! For comparison, most popular vitamin C serums last a standard cycle of 24 hours.

SkinCeuticals has the best vitamin C moisturizer in 2023 for those who treat their skin with love.

6. Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Vitamin C

Known for their luxurious self-care products, Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Fresh Vitamin C is a high-quality serum that offers more than bright skin. Potent ingredients 0.5% ferulic acid, 1% vitamin E and 15% L-ascorbic acid invigorate the skin while brightening, evening out skin tone and firming. Pumpkin ferment extract also soothes the skin and delivers hydration that helps plump up the skin, which reduces fine lines and wrinkles.

The serum works well as a daytime serum, worn under SPF or sunscreen. Vitamin C protects the skin against environmental stressors like free radicals. While the serum works well and offers many benefits, some skincare lovers are put off by Drunk Elephant’s high price tag. But if you’re ready to splurge, C-Firma Fresh Vitamin C is a perfect choice.

7. Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum

Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C Serum is an award-winning concoction that works wonders for the skin. This vegan, cruelty-free formula uses powerful ingredients that help the skin come alive and replenish essential vitamins and nutrients.

What’s in the gentle blend? Vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate) evens out skin tone, fights signs of aging and gives skin a radiant glow. Ferulic acid uses its natural antioxidants to revitalize skin. Hyaluronic acid is one of the world’s best moisturizers and plumps up dry skin. Grapefruit is a natural exfoliant that strips away dull, sallow skin. Chamomile extract strengthens the skin’s natural barrier while soothing stressed-out skin.

This Vitamin C Serum is a potent moisturizer. Best of all, the formula is free from petrochemicals, SLS, phthalates, GMOs, synthetic fragrances and dyes, animal ingredients and parabens.

8. Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum

Packing a serious punch to bring men and women clear skin, the serum is brimming with exfoliators and nutrient-dense plants and minerals. As well as vitamin C, it contains BHAs and AHAs that help get rid of dark spots, acne spots and other types of scarring.

The serum’s 10% Clarity Acid Complex, with its own blend of BHAs and AHAs, tackles dark spots and acne. Hyaluronic acid, succinic acid and allantoin soothe, hydrate and keep skin refreshed so the exfoliators can work hard without irritating the skin.

If you’re ready to experiment with Glow Recipe products and get the best skin of your life, Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum is a great place to start. It is free from harmful chemicals like phthalates, silicones, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, synthetic dyes and parabens.

9. Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème

A vitamin C moisturizer dedicated to all those black-ringed, tired eyes out there, Ole Henriksen’s Banana Bright Eye Crème is a vegan eye cream for every woman and man who is tired of suffering from dark, puffy eye bags. Ditch the gloom-and-doom look with an eye cream that is sure to brighten up dull, tired skin.

The formula uses real gold flakes, along with other potent materials, to revitalize eye bags that have lost all hope. Three vitamin C complexes work to revive skin and bring it back to life. To get the best results with the eye cream, apply it daily to affected areas.

This is the best vitamin C moisturizer in 2023 for dark, tired eyes.

10. Ursa Major Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum

Dewy skin starts here. A lightweight, luxurious formula that helps skin soak up all the best ingredients, Ursa Major’s Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum has become a major hit among consumers. Ursa Major is known for using skin-safe plants and botanicals to create powerful self-care items.

One pump is all you need to get brighter-looking skin. Rosehip oil, aloe, aspen and edelweiss combine with ascorbic acid polypeptide (vitamin C) to nourish skin from the inside out. The serum acts as an energetic hydrator, balances skin texture, reduces dark spots and blemishes, and fights damage from free radicals.

11. TruSkin Vitamin C Facial Serum

TruSkin Vitamin C Facial Serum will be your skin’s new best friend. Vegan and made for mature skin, the serum is a blast of active ingredients and a wake-up call for dull, tired skin. There are no parabens, sulfates, phthalates or PEGs in this product, so your skin can remain free from harmful or harsh chemicals.

Teaming up with vitamin C are hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil. The high level of active ingredients maximizes the benefits for the skin. Treat discoloration and hyperpigmentation, address dullness, promote collagen production and firmness, improve breakouts, combat dark spots, and minimize signs of aging with this incredibly effective product.

Lightweight and fast-absorbing, the serum is an easy addition to most morning or evening routines. Harness nature’s plant-based materials to get glowing skin.

12. La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum

Fight signs of aging with the La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum. A mixture of 10% pure vitamin C, neurosensine and salicylic acid work together to create glowing, healthy skin. While the ingredients are potent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles, increase radiance, boost skin elasticity and even out skin texture, it’s safe for all skin types, even dehydrated or sensitive skin.

Oil-free and non-comedogenic, it’s an excellent pick for oily or acne-prone skin. Get clearer, brighter skin with one of the best vitamin C moisturizers on the market.

13. Peach & Lily Transparen-C Pro Spot Treatment

Ready to get your glow on? You can do just that with a vitamin C moisturizer formulated specifically to tackle those pesky little spots. Because it’s a spot treatment, each dollop of the liquid contains 20% ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate. Which, if you’re wondering, is a seriously high dosage of vitamin C. Transparen-C Pro Spot Treatment creators chose such a high dose because they wanted their customers to see real results. When men and women apply a drop of this to a problem area, they should see quick changes for problems like red spots, discoloration, scarring and melasma.

We love this product because it’s one of the best vitamin C moisturizers available on the market today.

14. Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

Nourish skin with a rich vitamin C moisturizing oil. The Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil is a rich rose-infused oil that deeply nourishes the skin and gives it a more youthful look. Vitamin C increases skin’s natural glow while fortifying elasticity, which helps skin appear firmer, with fewer lines and wrinkles. This is one of the best vitamin C moisturizers in 2023 and dives deep into the skin to provide many benefits.

15. Versed Doctor’s Visit Instant Resurfacing Mask

Versed Doctor’s Visit Instant Resurfacing Mask is basically a super-intense vitamin C moisturizer. Technically, it’s a face mask that deeply exfoliates the skin in about three minutes, like an at-home facial. The mask uses ingredients like glycolic acid, lactic acid and vitamin C from natural fruit enzymes to clean the face and give you brighter, healthier skin. Use the potent mask once a week to revitalize your skin.

16. CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

Are you tired of wasting money on skincare products that don’t deliver on their promises? CeraVe’s skincare product line is worth every penny, and they deliver on their lofty promises. Even the bottle for the vitamin C serum is practical. It’s shaped to easily squeeze out the product and apply a thin layer to the skin using the pointed tip.

Whoever said being beautiful is expensive was wrong. You get plenty of bang for your buck with CeraVe’s Vitamin C Serum. Stocked full of goodies like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, vitamin B5, glycerin and, the star of the show, 10% L-ascorbic acid. The brand offers skin-loving, skin-boosting, skin-fixing products that work for everyone.

The formula is non-comedogenic, so you don’t have to worry about clogged pores, and you can easily apply makeup after application. It’s also free from fragrance and phthalates, so it works well for those with sensitive or dehydrated skin.

Everything you need to know about vitamin C moisturizer

Want to add vitamin C to your skincare routine, but unsure where to start? In this section, we cover the basics of vitamin C moisturizers and how to shop for your skin.

What does a vitamin C moisturizer do?

This fantastic moisturizer offers unique benefits for the skin. One of its best-known gifts is to boost the skin’s natural radiance and give you a good glow. It tones down hyperpigmentation and evens out the skin tone. Natural antioxidants reduce damage to the skin and protect the skin against environmental stressors and free radicals, which in turn reduces signs of aging. As if that wasn’t enough, vitamin C also encourages collagen production and gives skin a supportive boost.

How to choose a vitamin C serum

Not every vitamin C serum is the perfect fit. Here are a few key factors you should look out for.

Ingredients

As you might have already guessed by the ingredient lists on popular vitamin C moisturizers, there are different types of vitamin C. One of the most pricey yet most effective is L-ascorbic acid. It’s a bit tough on the skin, though, so we don’t recommend it for vitamin C newbies or people with sensitive skin. Other options include magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate and ascorbyl palmitate.

Vitamin C works incredibly well when combined with other antioxidants. Additional antioxidants can stabilize the solution and give better results. Vitamin E and ferulic acid are great support ingredients for vitamin C moisturizers.

Packaging

Vitamin C serums and moisturizers should be packaged in dark, opaque bottles. Vitamin C is not stable and can oxidize when exposed to light, heat or air. We recommend purchasing a moisturizer or serum that is adequately packaged and can keep out air.

Skin Type

Before rushing to your favorite online skincare store, consider your skin type. Men and women with dry, sensitive or dehydrated skin should purchase vitamin C products with lower levels of vitamin C concentration. If you already own a serum or moisturizer and suspect it’s too strong for your skin, dilute it for daily use.

Budget

Like other skincare products, vitamin C products can get pricey. But if you’re ready to add vitamin C to your skincare routine, you’ll need to reevaluate your budget. Face wash, moisturizer, sunscreen and whatever else is necessary for your skin’s happiness should be taken into consideration.

Looking for a budget-friendly buy? We recommend the Blu Atlas Vitamin C Serum or CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum. They are affordable vitamin C options that give users incredible, glowing skin.

How often to apply vitamin C moisturizer

While some experts recommend applying a vitamin C serum or moisturizer twice daily, we recommend applying it once daily. Daily application gives you all of the fantastic benefits vitamin C offers.

For those with sensitive skin, apply every other day or once every three days. If your skin can’t handle this, experiment to see how frequently your skin allows vitamin C serum application.

The best vitamin C skincare routine

The most important aspect of skincare is creating a routine you’ll stick to. Think you can adhere to a morning skincare routine? Or do you enjoy a luxurious bubble bath every night, followed by a 10-step skincare routine? Choose a routine that works for your lifestyle.

Step 1: Before applying any skincare cream or moisturizer, you should always wash your face.

Step 2: Apply a toner or essence to the skin (if you use one). Make sure the toner is free from acids and exfoliants.

Step 3: Apply vitamin C serum to the face, neck, chest and even hands.

Step 4: Use your favorite moisturizer to protect your skin.

Step 5: Don’t forget the sunscreen. Vitamin C can make skin sensitive to sunlight, so don’t skip this step.

Frequently asked questions

Does vitamin C help with acne?

For many people, vitamin C can help reduce the appearance of acne. It may tone down redness, decrease swelling and help heal acne scars. While the effects of vitamin C may not be immediate, over time, it can reduce scars and the unsightly appearance of acne. To treat acne at the source of the problem, though, speak with your doctor about your diet and health so they can help you find a  long-term solution. Please note that many acne lotions, serums, creams and moisturizers have ingredients that you should not mix with vitamin C. Make sure your products work well with vitamin C before applying.

Can I apply vitamin C every day?

Yes, you can. If your skin is not bothered by your vitamin C moisturizer, you can apply it every day. If you notice irritation to the skin, though, it’s better not to apply it every day. If you’ve never used vitamin C before, start with a lower concentration. This ensures your skin gets used to the product over time and decreases the risk of irritation.

Should I apply vitamin C before or after my moisturizer?

Always apply vitamin C before moisturizer or sunscreen. You can apply vitamin C directly after cleansing your face and applying toner if that’s in your skincare routine. The moisture layers on top of the vitamin C product and ensures the product is locked in.

What’s the best vitamin C moisturizer in 2023?

The best vitamin C moisturizer is the Vitamin C Serum from Blu Atlas. With this daily skin superstar, you can brighten your skin while protecting it from environmental stressors. The sleek blue bottle comes with an easy-application dropper. Simply squeeze the top of the dropper to release the desired amount of drops. Smooth product over the skin to treat hyperpigmentation, fine lines, dark spots and uneven skin tone.