9 best vitamin C serums for glowing skin, tested for months by a beauty expert

This is a multipurpose serum with a powerful mix of ingredients. The vitamin C brightens your skin while niacinamide improves discolouration. Collagen peptides reduce fine lines, and lactic acid provides a mild exfoliation and hydration boost. The biggest difference I saw was an improvement in texture after each application of this fast-absorbing milky formula. My complexion was immediately smoother.

It doesn’t take any effort to rub in, has a handy pipette dispenser which makes it easy to distribute onto your hands and face, and it didn’t irritate my sensitive, acne-prone skin. This is an easy introduction to vitamin C if you’re new to the often volatile ingredient.

This serum is part of Boots’ own brand vitamin C-focused range, which features moisturisers, body creams, masks and cleansers. It has a clear gel texture upon first application, with a matte finish that makes an immediate improvement to oily T-zones. Most suitable for oily and combination skin types, it’s smoothing with a very subtle fragrance and fluid consistency.

Despite its budget price, the packaging is frosted glass that stands up next to its luxury competitors, and the bonus hyaluronic acid in the formula keeps skin feeling plump with each use. If you have dry skin, however, you may find this not hydrating enough. I recommend waiting until it's fully absorbed before applying any makeup – it took me a couple of tries before I realised the serum was the culprit for my foundation pilling.

If you have oily combination skin and are looking for a serum that doesn’t leave you feeling sticky, this ticks every box. It contains 12.5 per cent vitamin C to brighten your skin and reduce fine lines and uneven texture. It leaves a matte finish, takes less than five seconds to fully absorb and has an instant skin-blurring effect, making it suitable for applying beneath makeup. It gets added points for the bottle being made with 96 per cent post-recycled plastic and comes in four sizes: 15ml, 50ml, 75ml and 100ml.

This serum is exceptionally good at tackling fine lines. I could see an almost immediate short-term improvement to lines on my forehead and across smile lines, although dry skin types may prefer a less matte option. The only significant drawback is its premium price tag, especially compared to some of the significantly cheaper serums in my roundup.

Few serums work as fast as this. Don’t be put off by the watery texture or potent (though brief) smell. Regular use of this every morning left my skin feeling tighter and brighter within just three weeks. I found that three drops were the ideal amount for my face, and the serum quickly sank into my skin with no laborious massaging needed.

It contains 15 per cent vitamin C and 0.5 per cent ferulic acid, and is one of the most stable vitamin C formulas on the market – hence the hefty price tag. It’s a fast-acting serum that is quick to deliver a glowier, brighter, and even skin tone. The only downside is the price.

This chunky orange bottle holds a creamy lotion featuring a mix of antioxidants, including vitamin C, and is a great option if you don’t like a traditional serum texture. Promising a smoother, brighter complexion, I found that it delivered on both with regular use within a simple skincare routine.

Over time, I saw a subtle improvement in radiance, particularly on my cheeks, with fewer dark spots visible. It layers well too – once absorbed, when I applied my makeup on top in the morning, there was no disruption or pilling, and I found it hydrating enough to skip a morning moisturiser on my oily combination skin. However, it’s not very travel-friendly. The bottle is so large that it’s best kept on your bathroom shelf.

This has a clear, gel-like texture that sinks into skin in seconds and leaves behind no greasiness or stickiness. The formula is a blend of vitamin C and ferulic acid, the latter of which protects skin from environmental aggressors such as pollution. I found this caused no irritation, even when using it alongside retinol in my skincare routine, and it worked well to fade hyperpigmentation marks on my cheek and post-acne marks on my chin after painful cyst breakouts.

My skin was left feeling smoother and softer with a subtle glow. My only complaint? The packaging feels a little cheap, as other, less expensive items on my list have luxurious bottles made from frosted glass.

While vitamin C is typically used in facial products, it is increasingly appearing in body care, too. This body serum has a fluid, clear texture that glides over skin with ease, and a 10-pence amount of product is plenty for your arms and legs.

Both a luxury moisturiser and a fast-absorbing serum that improves dark spots and dryness, especially on your legs after shaving, it’s ideal if you have a lazy approach to bodycare and want something quick and effective. Best of all, it dries down fast, so you can get dressed immediately after using it without any stickiness or transfer.

While described as a serum, I think this is a nice hybrid between a serum and a moisturiser, so it keeps my skin feeling hydrated all day. It's packaged in a streamlined tube pump that travels well – I brought it on a week-long holiday – and doesn’t leak, and it contains the same amount of product as the rest of the serums I tested.

It worked well to balance my oily T-zone, layered under makeup without causing any pilling, and soothed my combination skin type. It didn’t exacerbate any breakouts, nor cause new ones, and kept my cheeks smooth and soothed.

This is a good beginner-friendly vitamin C if you’ve struggled before to find a serum that doesn’t irritate your skin. Containing an l-ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbyl phosphate blend in a gel consistency, I found that two pumps were enough to comfortably cover my whole face and neck.

Not only did it not irritate my tester’s hormonal acne and rosacea, but I saw a reduction in redness altogether over the course of five weeks. My only gripe is the tacky finish after application, which eventually fades, but I recommend leaving ten minutes in between wearing makeup on top.