Vitamin C is one of the most researched ingredients in skincare and one of the most misunderstood in practice. Morning or night? Before or after moisturiser? Does it really cancel out other actives? Here are straight answers, plus how to fit it into a routine you will actually keep.
What vitamin C actually does for skin
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Its main job is helping to neutralise free radicals — the everyday environmental stress from sun, pollution and city life that leaves skin looking dull and tired. It also helps brighten the look of uneven tone, which is why skin often looks fresher and more radiant with consistent use. It is a brightening ingredient rather than a bleaching one: it helps skin look its healthiest, not a different colour.
Morning or night?
Both work. Because vitamin C is an antioxidant, morning use pairs logically with the day ahead — antioxidants and sunscreen complement each other, and no, vitamin C does not replace SPF. Evening use is equally valid and some people prefer it. The more useful rule: pick the time you will actually remember, and be consistent. Twice daily is fine with a gentle formula like our Luxurious Glow Serum.
Where it goes in your routine
Serum goes on clean skin, before anything heavier. The general principle is thinnest to thickest: cleanse, then serum, then moisturiser, then SPF in the daytime. Applying a serum after a rich moisturiser means it has to fight through that layer — so serum first, always. Press it in rather than rubbing, and give it a moment to absorb before the next step.
Not all vitamin C is the same
This is where most confusion starts. L-ascorbic acid is the pure form — highly effective but unstable, low pH, and a common cause of tingling or irritation. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which we use, is a stable derivative that is gentler on skin and does not need the acidic formulation, which is why it suits more people and is comfortable to use morning and night. Neither is universally better; they trade potency against tolerability.
What pairs well with it
Vitamin C works particularly well alongside ferulic acid, which supports and stabilises it, and vitamin E — a combination our serum uses. Hyaluronic acid is a natural partner too, adding hydration alongside the brightening. The old warnings about vitamin C clashing with everything are largely overstated for gentle derivatives; if you use strong actives like retinoids or acids, simply alternate them to different times of day.
Will it irritate sensitive skin?
It depends entirely on the form. Low-pH L-ascorbic acid serums are the ones most likely to sting. A stable derivative alongside soothing botanicals is far gentler. As with any active, patch test first, and introduce it gradually rather than all at once.
How long until you see anything?
Skin often looks fresher and more hydrated quite quickly, but brightening is gradual — think weeks of consistent use, not days. This is an ingredient that rewards routine over intensity. Store it away from direct light and heat, and use it within the period-after-opening marked on the pack.
The simplest way to start
One serum, pressed into clean skin, followed by moisturiser and SPF. Once that is habit, layering the rest is easy — see the three-step glow ritual for how face, body and lips fit together, or start with the Fresh Face Duo. Curious what everything on the label does? Our ingredients glossary explains it in plain English.