In brief
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It helps your skin cope with UV and pollution, slows down the production of pigment, and your skin needs it to make collagen.
- Use it in the morning, after cleansing and before your cream, with sun protection on top. Retinol belongs in the evening.
- It goes well with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Better not to use it at the same time as retinol or strong acids.
- Light and air break vitamin C down. If your serum turns dark yellow or brown, it has had its best days.
- At home a serum keeps your complexion bright. In the salon the Vitamin C treatment goes further, for €85.00.
Written by Nilay, owner and beauty therapist at Moons BeautyUpdated on
What does vitamin C do for your skin?
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. During the day your skin is exposed to UV and pollution, and that creates particles that damage your skin cells. An antioxidant catches those particles. That is why you often find vitamin C in daytime products.
Vitamin C also slows down the production of pigment. As a result, light marks soften and your complexion looks more even. Your own skin colour does not change. And your skin needs vitamin C to make collagen, the protein that keeps it firm.
What you notice: after a few weeks of daily use your skin looks fresher and more awake. Marks need more time, often a few months, and only if you apply sun protection every day.
Morning or night: when do you use it?
In the morning. Vitamin C helps your skin during the day in particular, when the sun and pollution are around. With your sun protection on top, the two work together: the sunscreen blocks UV, and vitamin C helps your skin with what gets through anyway.
You can use it in the evening too, but that is often the moment for retinol or acids. In that case, use vitamin C in the morning and the other active ingredients in the evening. That way each has its own moment and you irritate your skin less. In the morning it looks like this:
- Cleanse gently, or just rinse with lukewarm water
- Apply a few drops of vitamin C serum to your dry skin
- Let it sink in for a moment and put on your day cream
- Finish with sun protection, even when it is cloudy
Combining vitamin C with other active ingredients.
You don't need to follow a complicated schedule. Here is what goes well together, and what you are better off using at different times of day.
| Topic | Together? | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Sun protection | Always | Vitamin C underneath, sun protection as the last step |
| Niacinamide | Yes | They can go in the same routine. With very sensitive skin, start with one at a time |
| Hyaluronic acid | Yes | Hyaluronic acid fits in with every step and gives your skin moisture |
| Retinol | Not at the same time | Vitamin C in the morning, retinol in the evening |
| Acids (AHA and BHA) | Not at the same time | Both are acidic and can sting. Use the acids in the evening or on a different day |
More about the active ingredients themselves is in active ingredients explained.
Which vitamin C should you choose?
On a label, vitamin C does not always go by that name. These are the forms you come across most often.
| Topic | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Ascorbic acid | The pure form. Works most strongly, is the most fragile and can sting briefly | Skin that already tolerates active ingredients well |
| Sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl glucoside | Water-soluble derivatives. Your skin converts them into vitamin C itself. Milder and more stable | Sensitive skin, or if you are using vitamin C for the first time |
| Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate | An oil-soluble derivative. Mild, and often found in creams and oils | Dry or sensitive skin |
A higher percentage is not always better. It stings sooner, and your skin can only absorb so much. Better to choose a form your skin tolerates and use it every day.
How do you store vitamin C serum?
Light, air and heat break vitamin C down. Close your bottle tightly after use and keep it somewhere cool and dark, so preferably not in a warm, damp bathroom. A dark bottle or a pump helps, because less light and air get to the serum.
You can tell from the colour when the serum is past its best. When fresh, it is clear or pale yellow. If it turns dark yellow, orange or brown, the vitamin C has broken down and it no longer does much. That is why it is better to buy a small bottle that you finish in a few months than a large bottle that stays open for a long time.
Does vitamin C sting, and what if your skin reacts?
Ascorbic acid can tingle briefly when you apply it. If that fades quickly, it is nothing to worry about. If it keeps burning, or you turn red and get itching or little bumps, rinse it off and stop using it for a while.
If you still want to keep using it, try a milder form and start every other day. Sensitive skin often tolerates a derivative better. If the reaction does not go away, have it looked at by your GP.
Serum or treatment: which does more?
A serum works a little every day. That keeps your complexion bright and protects your skin during the day. A treatment in the salon goes a step further, because we first cleanse and exfoliate your skin thoroughly. After that it absorbs the active ingredients better.
In the Vitamin C treatment we work with the serum, the gel mask and the powder mask with vitamin C by Yellow Rose, and a short massage gets the circulation going. After one session your complexion looks more awake. For light marks we plan four to six treatments, every two to four weeks.
If the pigment sits deeper or is stubborn, microneedling Brightning brings vitamin C and other brightening active ingredients right to the pigment. That goes deeper, and your skin is red for one to two days afterwards.
What does a vitamin C treatment cost?
These are our prices, as they currently appear on our price list.
| Topic | Price at Moons | Duration | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C treatment | €85.00 | 60 minutes | A dull complexion and light marks. You can get on with your day straight away |
| Brightning (microneedling) | €89.00 | 50 minutes | More stubborn pigmentation. Red for one to two days |
| Glow peel 23% | €79.00 | 50 minutes | Rough, uneven skin that is already used to something |
You pay per session, afterwards in the salon. All prices are on the prices page.
Good to know about vitamin C.
It works better on clean skin
Make-up, sunscreen and sebum block active ingredients. That is why you apply vitamin C to skin that has just been cleansed and feels dry.
The effect builds up
You see a fresher complexion after a few weeks. Marks soften over a few months, if you use it every day and apply sun protection.
Usually fine during your pregnancy
Vitamin C is not one of the active ingredients you set aside then, such as retinol. If you are unsure, ask your midwife or GP. See also skincare during your pregnancy.
In a mask too
Vitamin C is not only found in serums. The Hyaluronic Face Gel Mask from our shop combines it with hyaluronic acid, for skin that needs moisture and freshness.
When to see your GP first.
If a mark changes in shape, colour or size, has an irregular edge, or if a spot itches or bleeds, have it looked at by your GP first. That also applies to a new dark mark with no clear cause. A serum or treatment only helps with marks that are known to be harmless.
Frequently asked questions about vitamin C serum
What does vitamin C serum do for your skin?
It protects your skin against outside influences, such as UV and pollution, slows down the production of pigment and helps your skin make collagen. As a result your complexion looks fresher and more even.
Should you use vitamin C serum in the morning or at night?
In the morning, after cleansing and before your cream, with sun protection as the last step. That way it helps your skin at exactly the moment the sun shines on it. The evening is often the moment for retinol or acids.
Can you combine vitamin C with retinol?
Not at the same time. Together they cause irritation more often than effect. Use vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening.
Does vitamin C go with niacinamide?
Yes, they go well together. Both are well tolerated. If you have very sensitive skin, add them one at a time, so you know what your skin is reacting to.
Can you use vitamin C every day?
Yes, once a day in the morning is enough. If your skin is sensitive, start every other day and build it up slowly.
How long does it take to see results?
You usually see a fresher complexion after a few weeks of daily use. Light marks soften over a few months, and only if you apply sun protection every day.
Does vitamin C help with pigmentation?
With light marks and an uneven complexion, yes. Vitamin C slows down the production of new pigment. Deeper or more stubborn pigment calls for a treatment that reaches further, such as microneedling Brightning. More on each type of mark is under pigmentation.
Why is my vitamin C serum turning orange?
Light and air break the vitamin C down, and then the serum changes colour to dark yellow, orange or brown. By then it no longer does much. Keep your bottle cool, dark and tightly closed.
Is it normal for vitamin C to sting?
A brief tingling feeling with the pure form, ascorbic acid, can happen. If it keeps burning or you turn red, rinse it off and later try a milder form, such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate or ascorbyl glucoside.
Can you use vitamin C when you are pregnant?
Usually, yes. Vitamin C is not one of the active ingredients you set aside during pregnancy, such as retinol. If you are unsure, ask your midwife or GP.
Is vitamin C suitable for sensitive skin?
Often, yes, if you choose a mild form and start slowly. Derivatives sting less than pure ascorbic acid. With the Vitamin C treatment, we like to hear about it if your skin reacts quickly.
What is the difference between a vitamin C serum and a treatment?
You use a serum every day, and it keeps your complexion bright. In a treatment we first cleanse and exfoliate your skin thoroughly, so it absorbs the active ingredients better. After one session your skin looks more awake, and a course softens light marks.
What does a vitamin C treatment cost?
At Moons in Enschede the Vitamin C treatment costs €85.00 and takes sixty minutes. You pay afterwards in the salon, by card or in cash.
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