How to Use Vitamin C So It Actually Works, by Dr Serena Shah on YouTube. 1 min 35 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 35 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Check the label before you buy. Look for L-ascorbic acid at 10 to 20 percent, ideally with vitamin E and ferulic acid, which help keep it stable. Sensitive skin can start with a derivative.
Patch test first. Put a drop on your inner forearm or along your jaw for two or three days and watch for redness, itching or stinging.
Cleanse your face and pat it dry. Wait a minute so your skin is dry rather than damp, since water makes L-ascorbic acid less stable and more likely to sting.
Apply three to five drops to your face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Pat it in gently instead of rubbing.
Wait one to two minutes for the serum to absorb before the next product.
Follow with moisturiser to seal it in and reduce dryness or flaking.
Finish with sunscreen in the morning. Vitamin C supports your skin but does not replace sun protection.
Use it once a day in the morning. If your skin stings, drop to every other day and build up slowly.
Keep strong acids and retinol out of the same layer. Use glycolic or salicylic acid and retinol at a different time of day. Niacinamide is fine alongside it.
Give it eight to twelve weeks before judging results, and take a photo in the same light on day one so you can compare.
Tips and common mistakes
Store the bottle somewhere cool and dark, and throw it out if the liquid turns deep orange or brown.
More is not better. A 20 percent serum is not twice as effective as a 10 percent one, it just irritates more.
Skip vitamin C on broken or freshly exfoliated skin, and stop if you get lasting redness.
Dark spots fade slowly, so protect your progress with daily sunscreen or the pigment will come back.
Questions
Should I use vitamin C serum in the morning or at night?
Morning is the usual choice, because it sits under your sunscreen and works alongside it through the day. If it irritates your skin in the sun, night use is fine too.
Can I use vitamin C with niacinamide or retinol?
Yes with niacinamide, which layers well with it. Use retinol at night and vitamin C in the morning so the two do not compete in the same layer.
How long until I see a difference?
Expect eight to twelve weeks for dark spots and uneven tone. Brightness and smoothness often show up sooner, but only if you use it consistently.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
