Wouldn't it be great if we could snap our fingers and have clear, bright complexions [1] whenever we want? (Aka all the time.) Sadly, that sorcery [2] hasn't yet become a reality, and attaining and maintaining glowy, healthy skin [3] is both a journey and a destination. But look on the bright side: we've gathered Sephora's top-rated vitamin C serums to clear a path to those smooth skin results and give you a jump start.
Products with vitamin C (in its various forms) [4] help tackle acne scars, fade dark spots, reduce redness, fill in fine lines [5], and really just work to make skin that's uneven in tone and/or texture look smoother and brighter overall. While there are creams that are great at illuminating the undereye area [6] in particular, these serums address those issues elsewhere on your face.
Check out Sephora's top-rated vitamin C serums ahead. They can easily become the bright(ening) spot in your skincare routine.
Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Brightening Serum
Racking up more than 1,000 reviews and nearly 50,000 loves from other Sephora shoppers, the Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Brightening Serum [7] ($49) gets some of its vitamin C from brightness-boosting pineapple juice. The serum also contains pure vitamin C — aka ascorbic acid — which offers extra antioxidant protection and works with AHAs to retexturize a complexion into smooth, glassy skin.
Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum
This top-rated Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum [8] ($45) not only tackles the uneven skin tone that comes from hyperpigmentation, it also works to reduce any visible signs of ageing and help fight those that can't yet be seen. The serum also includes collagen, so skin's left softer and smoother.
The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%
The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% [9] ($13) tackles hyperpigmentation and acne scars with its 12-percent concentration of the water-soluble vitamin C derivative, ascorbyl glucoside. That ingredient is gentler on sensitive skin (versus pure vitamin C), yet still helps with overall skin brightening and even tackles redness and scarring.
Cover FX Brightening Booster Drops
The Cover FX Brightening Booster Drops [10] ($32, originally $45) are a lightweight serum that increases radiance, improves skin's tone, and has earned 4.7 stars from other Sephora shoppers. And while there's usually a specific time to apply vitamin C [11], this product can go on under, over, or even be mixed with makeup to clarify and brighten, while included porcelain flower extract keeps skin hydrated as well.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Anti Dark-Spot Serum
There are more than 2,000 reviews and 73,000 loves for this oil-free Caudalie Vinoperfect Anti Dark-Spot Serum [12] ($79) that fights hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and other dark spots. While this serum doesn't technically include vitamin C, it's still a glow-inducing heavy lifter thanks to grape vine sap, which is 62 times more effective at brightening than the trusty vitamin.
Olehenriksen Truth Serum
There are more than 3,000 five-star reviews (and 200,000 loves) for this Olehenriksen Truth Serum [13] ($24-$74), which includes a vitamin C complex (to brighten) along with collagen (to boost elasticity) and aloe juice (to soften). Other Sephora shoppers rave about how well it works to reduce the appearance of all sorts of dark spots, from age spots to acne scars.
Yves Saint Laurent Pure Shots Light Up Brightening Serum
The Yves Saint Laurent Pure Shots Light Up Brightening Serum [14] ($88) features a stable, water-soluble vitamin C that easily seeps into the skin and works to improve its overall tone, plus targets dark spots in particular. This new serum also includes marshmallow flower, which fights free radicals and further soothes visible signs of irritation — and it's already earned a 4.4-star rating from other Sephora shoppers.
First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Resurfacing Liquid 10% AHA
This First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Resurfacing Liquid 10% AHA [15] ($55) has a stable form of vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate [16]) that works with AHAs and extracts from lemon peel and licorice root to bright dark spots and improve skin's overall look and texture. The lightweight serum has also earned an average 4.4-star rating from other Sephora shoppers.
Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Dew Facial Serum
This top-rated Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Dew Facial Serum [17] ($45) is not just meant to add moisture to your face, though aloe vera and hyaluronic acid help with that. There's also vitamin C inside to smooth out your complexion and bring back a glow to dull or uneven skin.
Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA
The Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA [18] ($88) has more than 1,200 reviews and 77,000 loves at Sephora. If that's not enough to convince you, perhaps the fact that it has both a high concentration of vitamin C and an AHA blend [19] of seven different fruits to exfoliate away debris and dead skin cells, both to brighten and smooth skin, will.
Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C Serum
This Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C Serum [20] ($64) packs two kinds of vitamin C to take on your dull skin and dark spots. There's also squalane to make sure skin stays moisturised and peptides to keep it firm. The serum has a 4.6-star rating from other Sephora shoppers . . . and a rave review from one of our own beauty editors [21], too.
Sephora Collection Ultra Glow Serum: Glow + Strengthen Vitamin C Serum
The Sephora Collection Ultra Glow Serum: Glow + Strengthen Vitamin C Serum [22] ($20) can make skin bright — and keep it that way. With more than 33,000 loves at Sephora and 97-percent-natural ingredients, the vitamin C serum adds things like marine algae to tighten skin and vitamin E to block free radicals.
Eve Lom White Advanced Brightening Serum
Eve Lom White Advanced Brightening Serum [23] ($150) not only brightens skin, but also helps with dryness thanks to its peptide complex. There's also acne-fighting niacinamide and microalgae extract to stimulate cell turnover in this top-rated serum, along with vitamin C to combat pigmentation or redness issues and to smooth out any otherwise uneven skin tones and textures.
The Inkey List Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum
The Inkey List Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum [24] ($11) not only has 10-percent fruit acids for exfoliation, it also has a water-soluble form of vitamin C that breaks down into ascorbic acid when absorbed into skin. That means dead skin cells are eliminated from the surface, while skin gets brighter and smoother from within. (If you're not convinced, 95 percent of the Sephora shoppers who reviewed this would recommend it to others, too.)
Drunk Elephant Rise + Glow Brightening Duo
This top-rated Drunk Elephant Rise + Glow Brightening Duo [25] ($23) actually includes a vitamin C serum along with a vitamin B one to add glow and hydration to your face. The active ingredients in the C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum (including 15-percent l-ascorbic acid and one-percent vitamin E) minimize signs of photo-ageing like dark spots, rough texture, and wrinkles. Then the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum locks in moisture and improves skin's barrier function.
Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-Day System With Pure Vitamin C
This top-rated Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-Day System With Pure Vitamin C [26] ($28) also includes two products to work together, but it's a treatment meant to be used every day for a week. First, there's the powder cleanser with pure vitamin C to wash your face, and then there's a daily booster serum with a 10-percent concentration of vitamin C that can be added to your existing moisturiser to work on brightening and smoothing your skin all day (and night) long.
Kora Organics Noni Bright Vitamin C Serum
Kora Organics Noni Bright Vitamin C Serum [27] ($68) packs a whole superfruit complex, including orange and lemon peels alongside other vitamin-C-rich fruits like noni and acerola cherry. Naturally, the serum also packs a punch of antioxidants to protect against environmental ageing; and with more than 14,000 loves and a 4.4-star rating from other Sephora shoppers, it's safe to call it a winner.
Algenist Genius Ultimate Antiageing Vitamin C+ Serum
This Algenist Genius Ultimate Antiageing Vitamin C+ Serum [28] ($118) uses microalgae oil and a potent vitamin C derivative to reduce skin's discoloration and boost its radiance. The top-rated serum can also tackle fine lines as alguronic acid firms skin and plant-based collagen adds necessary moisture to plump it back up.
Dermalogica BioLumin-C Vitamin C Serum
The top-rated Dermalogica BioLumin-C Vitamin C Serum [29] ($89) adds moisturising lactic acid to its vitamin C, ingredients that help clear up skin's uneven tone and fight fine lines at the same time. Several reviews mention how lightweight and nonsticky it is, with 94 percent of these shoppers ready to recommend it to you, too.
Josie Maran Argan Bright Skin Vitamin C Serum
In the case of the Josie Maran Argan Bright Skin Vitamin C Serum [30] ($65), the vitamin C is part of an argan-oil-based serum, which means this brightening product glides on easily and quickly absorbs into your skin. The vitamin E in argan oil works to stabilise the vitamin C, which helps it last longer and prevent free radicals from wreaking havoc [31] for months to come. (Plus, 92 percent of the shoppers who've reviewed this serum would recommend it to others.)