Vitamin C for skin: Benefits, uses, and how to add it to your routine

Vitamin C is a popular skincare ingredient used to help support brighter-looking skin, healthy-looking radiance, and a more even-looking complexion. It's commonly found in serums and other skincare products because of its antioxidant benefits. ^{1, 4, 5}

 Vitamin C is one of the most widely used skincare ingredients and comes in different forms, including ascorbic acid and Vitamin C derivatives such as Vitamin Cg (ascorbyl glucoside). Whether you're looking to boost your glow or support healthier-looking skin overall, Vitamin C or Vitamin Cg can be a valuable addition to your daily skincare routine. ^{1, 4, 5, 10, 11}

Vitamin C helps support skin in three important ways: by helping nourish the skin, improve the look of skin dullness, and visibly smooth the look of skin. ^{1, 5, 6, 8, 10}

Helps defend skin from everyday stressors

Every day, your skin is exposed to pollution and other environmental stressors. Vitamin C helps support the skin's natural defenses with antioxidant benefits, helping keep skin looking healthy, bright, and radiant. ^{1, 4, 5, 6, 8}

Helps reveal brighter-looking skin

If your complexion is looking dull or uneven, Vitamin C can help improve the look of overall radiance and support a more even-looking skin tone over time. ^{4, 5, 8, 9}

Helps maintain smoother, healthier-looking skin

As part of a consistent skincare routine, it can help skin maintain a smoother, firmer appearance. ^{1, 5, 7, 9}

Vitamin C can be a great addition to many skincare routines, especially if you're looking to boost radiance. ^{4, 5, 7, 8}

Because it addresses several common concerns at once, Vitamin C is often considered a skincare staple. You may want to consider adding Vitamin C to your routine if you're looking to:

• Brighten dull-looking skin ^{4, 7, 8}

• Improve the appearance of uneven tone ^{4, 5, 9}

• Reduce the look of dark spots ^{5, 8, 9}

• Support smoother-looking skin ^{5, 8, 10}

• Maintain healthy-looking skin over time ^{3, 4, 5, 7}

If you have sensitive skin, the form of Vitamin C you choose can make a difference.

Vitamin C is known for helping brighten skin and support healthy-looking radiance. However, not all Vitamin C skincare products use the same form of Vitamin C. Traditional Vitamin C serums often use ascorbic acid, while other products use Vitamin C derivatives designed to offer Vitamin C benefits in a more stable form. ¹¹

One example is Vitamin Cg (ascorbyl glucoside), a stabilized Vitamin C derivative. Vitamin Cg gradually converts to Vitamin C on the skin's surface, helping provide antioxidant and brightening benefits while remaining stable in skincare formulations. Because it can be formulated at a less acidic pH than traditional Vitamin C, Vitamin Cg is often a good option for normal to dry, sensitive skin. ^11,12

Aveeno® Positively Radiant® Vitamin C Serum is formulated with Vitamin Cg and designed for normal to dry, sensitive skin. The lightweight, non-greasy formula is fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, making it easy to incorporate into your daily skincare routine. The formula is proven to deliver greater antioxidant properties than 15% pure Vitamin C* and helps deliver glowing skin in as little as 1 week, even for sensitive skin.

*Based on SOD data on finished product