Whether you are a skincare enthusiast or someone remotely interested in skincare, you have likely heard about the undying craze for vitamin C serums. And we are here to add fuel to this fire with our handpicked recommendations of the best drugstore vitamin C serums.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant with multiple benefits for human health. For many years, cosmetic formulators and scientists have been studying its efficacy as a topical treatment. While consuming vitamin C can help your skin repair from within, its topical application, particularly in the form of serums, has garnered attention too. You only need to invest in one good vitamin C serum to combat a whole load of skin issues. It prevents oxidative stress, protects against photodamage, promotes collagen production, reduces hyperpigmentation, soothes inflammation, enhances cell renewal, and fades fine lines and wrinkles (1). No wonder it is recommended by dermatologists as a must-have in your skincare routine.

From budget-friendly to high-end, the market is flooded with vitamin C serums. So, we took it upon ourselves to find the top-rated drugstore vitamin C serums for you that bring all the benefits without burning a hole in your wallet. Read more to know more!

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  Most Versatile

  NEOGEN DERMALOGY REAL VITA C SERUM

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Experience a radiant transformation with NEOGEN DERMALOGY’S Real Serum Collection. This Korean skincare marvel combines potent ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin C, retinol, and bakuchiol to combat acne, pigmentation, wrinkles, dryness, and dullness. Each serum is a powerhouse designed to brighten your skin, unveiling a luminous, youthful complexion. Dive into the realm of K-beauty, where science meets luxury, and let your skin glow with vitality. Elevate your skincare routine with these serums that whisper the secrets of vibrant, glowing skin.

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TruSkin Vitamin C Facial Serum

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For supple and hydrated skin that glows like a light bulb, get your hands on the best drugstore vitamin C serum with hyaluronic acid from TruSkin. Its formula is infused with the star ingredient, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, a gentle yet effective form of vitamin C. It also consists of other key ingredients, including aloe vera, witch hazel, vitamin E, amino acids, jojoba oil, and botanical hyaluronic acid, which soothe the skin and strengthen the skin barrier. Our team discovered through using this product that it is quite effective on dark circles and under-eye bags.

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BEST FOR BRIGHTENING

MARIO BADESCU VITAMIN C SERUM

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MARIO BADESCU’s Vitamin C Serum is a beacon of radiance, infusing your skin with the power of vitamin C and sodium hyaluronate. This lightweight serum is tailored to suit all skin types, seamlessly integrating into your routine and visibly reducing the signs of aging while illuminating your complexion. Experience the magic of a brighter, more youthful skin tone as the serum effortlessly diminishes dark spots and enhances your natural glow. Elevate your skincare regimen with this potent formula, embracing the transformative journey to luminous, radiant skin.

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CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

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Finding the ideal skincare products for sensitive skin is a tough task, but you can trust this immensely popular vitamin C serum from CeraVe. It is formulated with 10% L-ascorbic acid which visibly makes your skin soft, supple, smooth, and glowing. That's not all, it also comprises three types of ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which strengthen the skin barrier and help retain moisture, making it the best drugstore vitamin C serum for sensitive skin. After putting it to the test, we observed that it repairs damaged skin with regular use.

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Best for Brightening

Tree of Life Vitamin C Serum

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Try out the best drugstore vitamin C serum from Tree of Life without burning a hole in your wallet. It will be a game changer in your skincare routine whether or not you are a vitamin C novice. It shows remarkable transformation with consistent use. The lightening of hyperpigmentation and overall brightening of skin becomes apparent within the first few uses. Based on our firsthand experience, this serum has several anti-aging benefits and acts as a shield against free radical damage.

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Best Overall

SeoulCeuticals Day Glow Serum

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Take home some K-beauty secrets with this vitamin C serum from SeoulCeuticals for healthier and younger-looking skin. It is a powerhouse of antioxidants with active ingredients like sodium ascorbyl phosphate, Centella Asiatica, vitamin E, aloe vera, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid, and arginine, to name a few. This serum will not only protect your skin against environmental stressors but also the potential damage caused by blue light, making it the best drugstore serum with vitamin C. When we trialed this product, we found it felt a little sticky initially but the feeling dissipated, especially when followed by a moisturizer.

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Best Anti-aging

InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum

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Investing in an anti-aging serum makes sense when you are in your 20s. So, here we are with the best budget vitamin C serum that will take care of all your anti-aging needs. With antioxidant-rich ingredients including sodium ascorbyl phosphate, hyaluronic acid, ferulic acid, sea buckthorn oil, licorice, and Centella Asiatica, to name a few, this serum will leave you with rejuvenated skin. After conducting experiments with it, we discovered that it is highly effective in fading out the pesky brown patches left due to melasma.

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Best Dermatologist Recommended

Vichy Laboratories LiftActiv Supreme Vitamin C Serum

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This vitamin C serum from Vichy Laboratories is one of a kind with its incredible formulation. It has active vitamin C in the form of 15% L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and pine polyphenols, which work together to shield your skin against the environmental stressors that it might face daily. This amber-colored lightweight serum is the best drugstore vitamin C serum dermatologist recommended. Our investigation demonstrated that it has a watery consistency that is easy to apply, but it may not be for sensitive skin types.

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Best for Acne-prone Skin

La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Serum

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When we talk about drugstore vitamin C serums, we cannot help but talk about the cult favorite La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Serum. It comes packed with the goodness of 10 percent vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic acid along with salicylic acid, and neurosensine, which is an amino acid found in our skin. It effectively fights off the free radical damage to give you soft, supple, and younger-looking skin. As indicated by our tests, it will brighten your complexion without breaking you out.

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Best for Beginners

Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop

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Get compliments for your glowing complexion wherever you go only with this drugstore vitamin C serum from Dear Klairs, a K-beauty marvel. It is formulated with 5% L-ascorbic acid, which may not feel a lot, but trust us, it is not so. While this serum is quite gentle on the skin, making it appropriate for beginners, it has quite some compelling results. Through our practical knowledge, we suggest using it consistently in your AM skincare routine for optimal results.

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Best Splurge

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair 20% Vitamin C Serum

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You don't need 5 different serums but only one good drugstore vitamin C serum to get the skin of your dreams. The Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Serum is true to its name and results in a brighter and smoother complexion within the first week of its use. This serum is one-of-a-kind and comes in the form of capsules. Each capsule contains the exact amount of serum you will need for a one-time application. Our findings show that it is a super lightweight serum that gets absorbed quickly into the skin.

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Best for Oily Skin

RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Daily Serum

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Tighten and brighten your facial skin with the best drugstore vitamin C serum for oily skin from RoC. This is a multi-tasking serum formulated with 10% ethyl ascorbic acid, which is a highly stable form of vitamin C. That's not all. It is an incredible blend of many antioxidant-rich and hydrating ingredients with some skin-loving peptides, which enhance the efficacy of this serum. We have found from using this product that it is a wonderful anti-aging serum that reduces fine lines and restores the elasticity of the skin with regular use.

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artnaturals Vitamin C Serum

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Sometimes the secrets behind a flawless complexion come from nature. That's what this top rated drugstore vitamin C serum from artnaturals does. It is a powerhouse of antioxidants that come mostly from the botanical extracts used in its formulation. The key ingredients include vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, jojoba oil, horsetail, dandelion, and geranium. This serum restores the skin’s health and reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation, imparting a youthful glow. Our research indicates that it works rather effectively on age spots and crow’s feet.

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Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum

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When it is said the more the merrier, Mad Hippie took it very seriously and implemented it in this drugstore vitamin C serum for skin. With an impressive blend of antioxidant-rich ingredients, such as vitamin E, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid, konjac root, clary sage, aloe vera, and grapefruit, this award-winning serum takes care of all your skin needs. It features sodium ascorbyl phosphate, a stable form of vitamin C which is quite effective on discoloration. After trying out this product, we found it to be ideal for beginners.

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DERMA-E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum

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Improve your skin's texture with this budget friendly vitamin C serum from DERMA-E. The key ingredients in this serum include sodium ascorbyl phosphate, hyaluronic acid, and probiotics, which help strengthen the skin barrier and promote overall skin health. Other star ingredients include aloe vera, green tea extracts, vitamin E, fatty acids, and panthenol, known for their skin-soothing properties. Based on our observations, this affordable vitamin C serum essentially protects against free radical damage and is a must-have in your morning skin routine.

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Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum

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Suffering from acne can put a toll on your confidence but it doesn't have to put a toll on your wallet. Get your hands on the best drugstore vitamin C serum for acne prone skin from Naturium which is gentle on your skin but tough on the acne. With potent ingredients like vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, it goes a long way to give a hydrated radiance to your skin. Formulated with micro-encapsulated L-ascorbic acid, it penetrates the deeper layers to give effective results. Drawing from our experience, it improves the appearance of dull skin with consistent use.

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Serumtologie Anti-ageing C Serum °22

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Here's a one-stop solution for you, if you are interested in beginning your anti-aging regime. This serum is a blend of powerful antioxidants that help prevent oxidative stress and fight against UV damage, making it the best drugstore face serum. It comes packed with the goodness of 22% sodium ascorbyl phosphate, botanical hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, MSM, and ferulic acid to provide you with an all-around daily dose of antioxidant protection. The amino acids improve the overall skin health and make the skin surface smoother. We determined through our tests that it makes skin clear and smoother with consistent application.

Finding the right vitamin C serum for your skin type and concerns may leave you feeling overwhelmed. This is why you must go through our comprehensive guide to make your shopping experience stress-free. Here are some important aspects that you must consider when purchasing a drugstore vitamin C serum:

Skin Type:

The very first step is to consider your skin type, whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin type. You must also consider if you have sensitive skin or are acne-prone. This is because different skin types have different requirements. Age also plays a huge role. A person with mature skin will need a strong yet soothing formula to make it work for their skin.

Check the Form

Vitamin C is available in many forms, such as L-ascorbic acid, ethyl ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and ascorbyl glucoside, to name a few. They have different levels of potency and stability. For instance, the Ordinary vitamin C serum comes in two different variants, L-ascorbic acid and ascorbyl glucoside. This means each of these forms will perform differently against your skin. You must opt for the type of vitamin C that suits your skin type and skin concerns in the best manner and is the least irritating for your skin.

Concentration

It is important to ascertain what concentration of vitamin C will be ideal for your skin. It is advisable to start low and slow. It means you must start using a drugstore vitamin C serum with the lowest concentration possible and gradually move to higher concentrations depending on your skin's tolerance.

Ingredients

Examine the product label of the vitamin C products for the ingredient list and ensure that it doesn't contain anything that may cause you allergies or irritation. Look for skin-soothing and antioxidant-rich natural ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin E, vitamin B5, vitamin B3 aka niacinamide, calendula, amino acids, arginine, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid, probiotics, jojoba oil, Centella Asiatica, fatty acids, and licorice root, to name a few. 

Packaging 

Choose a vitamin C serum that comes packaged in a dark or opaque bottle to protect against oxidation. A pump or a dropper packaging is preferable as it keeps light and air away.

Sample

Try to get samples for the drugstore vitamin C serum you like and perform a patch test before going all in.

Read User Reviews

Don't forget to read customer reviews and feedback to gain some valuable insights into the real-world experiences of people with the same skin type and issues as you.

Consult a Dermatologist:

If you have sensitive skin or suffer from serious skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or melasma, you must consult a board-certified dermatologist before trying out a new serum. They will be able to give you personalized recommendations on which vitamin C derivatives at what concentration will suit you best.

The world can be full of the best drugstore vitamin C serums but the serum that is truly best for you is the one that hydrates, smoothes, brightens, and protects, without causing any irritation. Considering the different preferences and requirements, we have curated this selection with a wide variety of vitamin C forms and concentrations. From packaging to performance, these formulas are worth every penny. Whether you are looking for something that fades your acne scars, minimizes fine lines, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, or simply hydrates and plumps your skin, there is a drugstore vitamin C serum for you. You just have to look! These serums will help you achieve a healthy and happy glow while also reducing the need for excessive skincare products.