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Looking for the best Korean Vitamin C serum? Given the many benefits of this holy grail skincare product, we don’t blame you.
Vitamin C is one of the most popular skincare ingredients around. It has many benefits backed by science, so you don’t have to worry about this being a fad!
Korean skincare routines have been popular for a while now, and serums are essential in this routine.
While it’s lightweight, it packs a punch regarding ingredient concentration. So, if you’re looking to incorporate Vitamin C into your routine, serums are the way to go.
You have a wide array of K-beauty choices to pick from when it comes to Vitamin C serums. With the many formulations and concentrations, getting the right one for you can be overwhelming.
We’re here to help! Check out some of the best Kbeauty vitamin c serums on the market and find the one that’ll fit your needs!
- Lightweight formula
- Easily absorbed by the Skin
- Added ingredients keep skin hydrated
- 15% pure Vitamin C
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial ingredients
- Reduces skin irritation and redness
- High concentration
- Effective in evening skin tone and texture
- Incredibly stable formulation
Table of Contents
The Pros and Cons of Vitamin C Serums
If you want to practice Korean skincare with Vitamin C serums, you must first know what you’re getting into.
It’s a potent ingredient filled with benefits, but it has several drawbacks if misused. Before checking out some of the best serums available, learn about Vitamin C’s pros and cons.
Pros:
Potent Antioxidant
Many studies have proven that Vitamin C helps slow skin aging. As an antioxidant, it blocks reactive oxygen species (ROS) – the stuff that makes your collagen break down faster.
It also boosts collagen production, helping your skin stay elastic, supple, and strong.
Helps With Acne
Vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory ingredient, so it can help reduce the redness and irritation that comes with acne breakouts.
Sun Damage Protection
Did you know Vitamin C works well with sunscreen? It minimizes the redness and skin damage your skin can get from the sun’s UV rays.
Using this before putting on sunscreen maximizes your UV protection throughout the day.
Evens Out Pigmentation
It’s widely known that Vitamin C helps eliminate annoying dark spots. It busts down the potency of unnecessary melanin production, helping improve your skin tone.
Related: How To Use Vitamin C Serum In Your Skincare Routine
Cons:
Unstable
You may notice vials of Vitamin C are sold in tinted vials. That’s because high temperature and light can cause it to oxidize.
When Vitamin C oxidizes, it becomes useless. Also, depending on how it was formulated, oxidized Vitamin C can stain or irritate your skin.
Reactive: Vitamin C can react to other skincare ingredients negatively. Instead of helping your skin, it can irritate it.
Because of this, it’s highly recommended to be used in the morning before applying sunscreen.
Top Korean Vitamin C Serums Worth the Buy
Hundreds of brands in South Korea have their version of the holy grail Vitamin C serum. But don’t fret; we’ve narrowed it down to the 9 best available ones you can buy now!
Vitamin C Serums for Normal, Combination, and Oily Skin
We love this lightweight yet potent product because it ensures you can get as many skin benefits as you can from using Vitamin C.
Helps slow skin aging; evens skin tone; tones down skin acne redness and irritation.
Features:
- Has Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate,
- Comes with Acerola-plex actives
- Great for the majority of skin types, except dry skin and sensitive skin
A very potent formulation for a vitamin c serum, but it’s lightweight and highly effective!
Looking for a potent vit-c serum? Neogenlab heard you loud and clear!
This product has the strength that you need to reap its skin benefits. Many women have used this to achieve the bright and glowing skin they have dreamed of.
The Dermalogy Real Vita C Serum product uses Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (10% concentration), a derivative of Vitamin C, as its primary ingredient, making it a more stable serum than many Korean Vitamin C serums find.
It also comes with Acerola-plex (12%) and several other active ingredients, bumping the concentration to 22%.
It has a water-based formula, perfect for people with normal, oily, combination, and acne-prone skin.
However, since it’s very potent, it’s not friendly for beginners or those with sensitive skin. It’s also pricier compared to other products, so only buy this when you’re sure your skin can handle it.
We love this serum because it contains many antioxidants. You can easily tell this product aims to help skin aging by helping boost the skin’s collagen production.
Reduces wrinkles and fine lines, boosts collagen production, skin brightening, and hydrating.
Features:
- Highly potent, with 20% Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate,
- Formulated with added antioxidants
- Has Hyaluronic acid to help with skin hydration.
Highly potent and hydrating, SeoulCeuticals’ Day Glow Serum helps you attain that radiant glow!
What’s not to love about SeoulCeuticals Day Glow Serum?
With a 20% concentration of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, this serum is a highly potent antioxidant, helping protect your skin from ROS and boosting collagen production.
On top of that, it’ll help keep your skin young with extra antioxidants, making the formula tailor-fit to fight signs of aging. Added Hyaluronic acid also keeps the skin hydrated.
If you need strength in both brightening and hydrating properties, check this one out.
If you have sensitive skin, however, do note that this product’s Vitamin C concentration is on the higher end, so it might irritate your skin.
We love this highly potent serum as it has added ingredients that help in keeping your skin hydrated and protected.
Brightens skin; anti-aging, anti-inflammatory; hydrating.
Features:
- High pure Vitamin C concentration (21.5%),
- Has added hydrating ingredients
- Paraben-free and fragrance-free
Not for the faint of heart, By Wishtrend’s Vitamin C serum is for anyone seeking awesome results!
If you’re looking for a stronger formulation, Wishtrend’s Vitamin C serum race entry is the one to get.
People with normal, combination, or oily skin can easily see the positive effects of Vitamin C when they use this serum.
However, this serum is not for beginners. Since it uses Ascorbic acid, it is more unstable and has a shorter shelf life than other entries in this list.
Also, if you have sensitive skin, this serum may irritate your skin instead of helping it.
But if you’re a gal (or guy) looking for a potent Vitamin C punch, this serum will suit you just fine!
We love this Korean Vitamin C serum as it ensures your skin stays smooth and blemish-free.
Smoothes skin, evens skin tone, protects from sun damage, helps treat acne scars.
Features:
- 15% pure Vitamin C concentration,
- It contains anti-inflammatory ingredients
- Budget-friendly
Experiencing the benefits of Vitamin C doesn’t have to break the bank, thanks to Cos de Baha’s amazing vit-c serum!
Great skincare items don’t have to cost an arm and a leg!
Cos de Baha’s product is formulated with pure Vitamin C at a 15% concentration.
While it’s not as high as a couple of entries in this list, it sits at the sweet spot where your skin can receive maximum benefits.
Apart from Vitamin C, it also features several ingredients that are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.
This helps in soothing your skin from irritation and inflammation caused by acne.
Vitamin C Serums for All Skin Types
We love this K-beauty serum because it delivers the beneficial properties of Vitamin C at a lower concentration.
Evens out hyperpigmentation and brightens the skin; can be used to treat acne irritation and scars; minimizes pores
Features:
- Low vit-c concentration (5%),
- Lightweight, non-comedogenic formula
- Fragrance-free
A gentle Vitamin C serum perfect for sensitive skin!
People with sensitive skin don’t have to miss out on the benefits of Vitamin C in their skincare routine.
Dear Klairs’s vit-c serum uses a 5% concentration of Vitamin C, making it gentle enough for sensitive skin but potent enough to provide noticeable benefits to its users.
On top of that, it has a non-comedogenic formula, so you don’t have to worry about any breakouts.
It is also fragrance-free, so it won’t irritate the skin of those sensitive to fragrances.
We love this Korean Vitamin C serum because it's a two-in-one product that brightens and hydrates your skin.
Brightens skin and evens skin tone; keeps skin supple and hydrated.
Features:
- Uses pure Vitamin C,
- Has added Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E
- Uses Aloe Vera as its base
Keep your skin feeling young and hydrated with Dr. Song Vitamin C Serum!
Do you need extra hydration for your skin? You can reap the benefits of vitamin c without compromising skin moisture using Dr. Song’s Vitamin C serum.
Apart from brightening your skin tone and protecting it from damage, this product has ingredients like Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E, and Aloe Vera that add hydration and lock in moisture.
We love this serum since it’s gentle on the skin yet potent enough to provide most of Vitamin C’s benefits.
Anti-aging, erases blemishes, skin brightening.
Features:
- Suitable for all skin types,
- Targets blemishes and large pores
- Lightweight formula and easily absorbed by the skin
Sitting at the sweet spot between strength and gentleness, It’s SKIN’s Vitamin C serum works for all skin types!
Finding vit-c serum that has a higher potency but is still suitable for all skin types is hard to find.
Enter, It’s SKIN’s serum – a Vitamin C serum that can work for every skin type.
This plant-based serum aims to tackle signs of aging, visible skin blemishes, and large pores, on top of many other benefits.
When you use it, you can feel that it’s easily absorbed by the skin. It also has glycerin, which helps in keeping your skin hydrated.
We love this product because it’s the perfect choice if you’re just starting to dabble with Vitamin C skin care.
Brightens skin, minimizes skin pigmentation, anti-aging, helps treat acne scars.
Features:
- Beginner-friendly 3% vit-c concentration,
- Has added ingredients like Pitera and Niacinamides
- Minimal irritants.
Start your K-beauty vitamin C journey with Some By Mi’s beginner-friendly serum!
With only a 3% concentration of Vitamin C, this should be your go-to product if you’re just starting. It’s low enough for your skin to get used to its effects.
Extra ingredients like Pitera and Niacinamide also have benefits that work well with vit-c. It also promises to have minimal irritants.
You don’t have to be intimidated by Vitamin C; experience the benefits for yourself by getting Some By Mi’s serum!
Vitamin C Serum for Sensitive and Dry
We love this Vitamin C serum because it has the perfect formulation for tackling skin aging and hyperpigmentation that’s mild on sensitive skin.
Evens out skin tone; reduces blemishes and skin inflammation; tightens and hydrates skin.
Features:
- Uses 5% pure Vitamin C as its star ingredient,
- Has a high concentration (89%) of Sodium Hyaluronate for hydration
- Lightweight texture
Keep your skin supple and hydrated with Purito’s Pure Vitamin C serum!
You don’t have to sacrifice potency just to avoid getting your skin irritated. Purito’s serum might be using pure Vitamin C, but its concentration (5%) won’t cause any irritation to your skin.
It even contains an 89% concentration of Sodium Hyaluronate, providing added protection and hydration for your skin.
This serum even promises to be hypoallergenic, keeping any irritants to a minimum
The best part? It’s lightweight and sinks into the skin easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do I Need to Consider When Choosing a Vitamin C Serum?
When looking for the right serum, consider your skin type. Based on this, you may need to watch out for the concentration and type of Vitamin C used in the serum.
Concentrations higher than 10% tend to irritate sensitive skin.
Is There a Way to Prolong the Shelf Life of My Vitamin C Serum?
Yes. As previously mentioned, Vitamin C can lose effectiveness and even irritate your skin once it oxidizes. It mainly reacts to high temperature, light, and Ph.
You can help prolong your serum’s shelf life by storing it in a refrigerator.
Why Do Some Serums Use Vitamin C Derivatives Instead of Pure Vitamin C?
Derivatives are known to be more stable than pure Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid). They are also gentler on the skin.
When Is the Best Time to Use Vitamin C Serums?
You should use Vitamin C serums in your morning routine right before you put on your sunscreen.
Vitamin C has properties that help protect your skin from sun damage while amplifying the benefits you get from sunscreen.
You can use this type of serum at night but do so with caution.
Vitamin C can react to other skincare ingredients, like chemical peels. Avoid using them together since it can diminish vitamin c benefits or worse: irritate your skin.
Vitamin C is Your Friend
When you hear about how strong Vitamin C can be, you might be intimidated by it. Don’t be!
It provides your skin with many benefits you’ll appreciate in the long run. All you need to do is to make sure you use it the right way.
Given that you’re already here researching this K-beauty staple, it seems you’re on the right track.
Hopefully, this list has provided you with enough information to choose the right serum for your needs. Start using Vitamin C serums and see the benefits for yourself!
