Does Everyone Need Vitamin C in Their Skincare Routine?

Let’s be honest. The skincare space is noisy. Overwhelming in fact. However, I'm not just talking about the skincare isle in boots or Selfridges, I’m talking about social media.

Scroll for more than ten seconds and someone is shouting about “must-have” ingredients. Suddenly, everyone should be using vitamin C, slugging their faces in Vaseline, or whipping up a DIY peel in their kitchen. But here’s the question I always want to ask: who is telling you this?

Is it someone who’s touched 1,000 real faces, or someone who’s touched 1,000 PR boxes?

I hate to say it, but there’s a big difference.

As someone who sees skin every single day and I mean real skin, up close, under magnification, in all its glorious moods, I can tell you that skincare should never be one-size-fits-all. That includes vitamin C.

What Does Vitamin C Actually Do?

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. In skincare, it’s mostly used to:

• Brighten the complexion

• Support collagen production

• Protect against environmental stress like pollution and UV exposure

• Help fade pigmentation over time

It’s one of the most researched skincare ingredients out there, and when it’s well formulated, it can be fantastic. But that last bit is key. Well formulated.

A lot of vitamin C products oxidise before they even reach your bathroom shelf, or worse, they irritate your barrier, leaving you red and sensitised for no good reason.

Should You Use It Though?

That depends.

If you’re concerned about dull skin, uneven tone, early signs of ageing, or spend a lot of time outdoors or in polluted environments, vitamin C might be a brilliant addition to your routine. But if your skin is currently stressed, reactive, or you’re still building up your barrier health, it might not be the best time to introduce it. Vitamin C can be quite active to a sensitised skin barrier.

There are other ways to get that antioxidant support without going straight for the big guns.

Products I Recommend (Because I Know What’s In Them and I’ve Seen Them Work)

If you’re going to invest in vitamin C, please don’t go for the sticky, orange-smelling serum that someone applied to their hand in a TikTok. These are products I use in clinic, recommend to clients, and know have proven delivery systems and results:

1. SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced

An absolute gold standard. This isn’t your average vitamin C serum. It’s a complex antioxidant formula with 19 different antioxidants (including 2 forms of vitamin C) that targets visible redness, dullness and free radical damage. Ideal for anyone serious about skin health and results. Click here to order.

2. Nimue Anti-Ageing Serum

This one is brilliant if your skin is used to actives. It combines vitamin C with alpha lipoic acid and peptides to target signs of ageing while also brightening and firming the skin. I’ve used this on clients with sun damage, post-inflammatory pigmentation and general skin fatigue and seen great results. Click here to order.

3. Emmaline Tsui Skincare Vitamin C Serum

It's a classic right? This is such an incredibly popular serum and also great for holidays too. Yes it contains a gentle and stable form of vitamin C. This is great as an antioxidant to help protect the skin from free radical damage (especially from the sun!). It also contains aloe vera to help soothe the skin (great if you get a little sun burn) and glycerine and hyaluronic acid to really hydrate the skin too. Not to mention the skin lighteners to help fade dark marks. It's a no brainer really!

The Vitamin C Serum

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4. Skinade

I know, not technically a serum. But Skinade delivers vitamin C from the inside, along with hydrolysed marine collagen and essential co-factors to support your skin from the inside out. Ideal if you’re travelling, struggling with skin recovery, or want that healthy glow without adding another step to your routine.

Skinade

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If there’s one piece of advice I want to leave you with, it’s this. Before you decide to use something because it’s trending, look at your own skin. Better still, let someone who sees skin daily look at it for you.

If you’re unsure what your skin needs, book in for an online skin check-in. I’ll help you build a routine that suits your skin, your lifestyle and your goals. Vitamin C optional.

Thank you so much for reading,

Emmaline x