12 Brightening Vitamin C Serums for Seriously Luminous Skin

Packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin C is a holy grail for improving skin tone, texture and hydration. For any beauty or skincare enthusiast, it's an essential ingredient to look out for. Vitamin C not only helps reduce signs of aging and protects you from the harmful free radicals of UV rays, but it also penetrates the skin work to lighten dark spots caused by hyperpigmentation and acne scars, resulting in a glowing complexion that would rival JLo.

Vitamin C is found in countless skin care products (like moisturizers, eye creams, and face masks), but you'll get the best results when you use it in a serum. That's because serums often contain a much more concentrated version of the ingredient, allowing it to work harder and penetrate the skin better. When it comes to vitamin C, a small amount goes a long way—even low-level serums (below 1 percent) still provide antioxidant protection and skin benefits.

However, not all vitamin C serums are created equal. Vitamin C is an unstable molecule that breaks down and loses its potency when exposed to light and oxygen. So if you're looking around, you should be looking for a serum that comes packaged in an opaque bottle. Bonus points if the packaging comes in an airtight pump dispenser. Options that contain extra antioxidants, like vitamin E and ferulic acid, should also be kept in mind as they help stabilize the vitamin C and are loaded with additional skin benefits. Finally, note the type of vitamin C in each serum. There are several versions (including sodium ascorbyl phosphate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), but the most potent version is L-ascorbic acid.

To help you weed out the endless possibilities, keep scrolling for our pick of the 12 best vitamin C serums that will take your complexion to a new level of luminosity.

By: 12 Brightening Vitamin C Serums for Seriously Luminous Skin