Vitamin C Serum: Before or After Moisturizer?
Every step of your skincare ritual must fall into its perfect place, much like the jigsaw puzzle. Even a single piece out of place can disrupt the whole rhythm, and the same holds for the vitamin C serum routine.
In this busy world, using vitamin C serum in skincare will brighten your skin with its radiant energy and paint it with hues of youthfulness. But the question stays: vitamin C serum before or after moisturizer, who should take the lead in this radiant ritual?
Vitamin C serum and moisturizer combo, a blend of light and hydration, impacts your skin uniquely. But the seemingly simple task of layering vitamin C serum with moisturizer can leave you pause in indecision.
So let’s unfold this puzzle: apply vitamin C serum first or moisturizer to ensure every product finds its due place for maximum effectiveness.
Understanding Vitamin C Serum Benefits
Before addressing the issue of whether to apply vitamin C serum before or after moisturizer, let us quickly shed some light on using vitamin C serum in skin care.
The vitamin C serum and moisturizer order will be crucial only if you already have Vitamin C serum in your skincare routine. If not, the following primary 5 benefits of Vitamin C serum will surely grab your attention:
1. Prevent Premature Aging
The antioxidant in Vitamin C serum acts as a reliable shield against damaging UV rays, a significant factor causing signs of premature aging. By neutralizing the free radicals, Vitamin C reduces the effect of environmental damage and sun exposure.
2. Skin Brightening
Vitamin C brightens the skin complexion and treats hyperpigmentation and dark spots. Its ability to control melanin production promotes even skin tone and enhances skin radiance.
3. Collagen Production
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that depletes over time, leading to wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamin C promotes collagen production, improving skin elasticity and firmness. That’s why you find its presence in various anti-aging products to maintain a youthful appearance and resilient skin.
4. Treats Dark Circles Under The Eyes
The skin surrounding the eyes is the thinnest and most sensitive area and requires specialized treatment. Products like Hydrating Eye Recovery Serum and Ultra-Correct Eye Roller always contain a brightening agent to fade the appearance of dark circles. Vitamin C is an effective solution to address concerns relevant to this under-eye area, including dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness.
5. Wound Healing
The topical application of Vitamin C accelerates the task of wound healing. Its anti-inflammatory properties also treat acne by controlling clogged pores. It also soothes your skin by reducing acne symptoms like redness and swelling. Vitamin C serums also treat acne scars by increasing cell turnover and promoting the healing process of damaged skin.
Combining Vitamin C Serum and Moisturizer
Even the minimal skincare routine necessitates three products – cleanser, moisturizer, and sunblock. Moisturizer is the key to healthy and hydrated skin and helps facilitate the absorption of other skincare products.
Looking at the benefits of using this serum in skincare, every individual seizes the opportunity by layering it with moisturizer.
Vitamin C Serum Before or After Moisturizer?
The correct order is to start with Vitamin C after cleansing your face with face wash. Once it gets completely absorbed, follow with a moisturizer. The serum benefits before moisturizer ensure plenty of benefits.
Layering serum with moisturizer
The general rule of thumb for layering skincare products is thinnest to thickest consistency, allowing the product to absorb fully before applying the next. And the same principle applies when layering serum with moisturizer.
Vitamin C is a lightweight formulation in contrast to the thicker consistency of most moisturizers. By applying vitamin C first, you have cracked the deal to extract ultimate benefits for your skin from a few droplets by maximizing its contact with the skin.
Benefits of serum and moisturizer combo
A serum is a concentrated ingredient that battles various skincare concerns by quickly delivering the active ingredients to the skin. After applying Vitamin C, the moisturizer on the top creates a protective barrier to lock in the moisture for healthy-looking and glowing skin.
Vitamin C Serum Routine
Serum benefits before moisturizer are evident, and there is a growing desire to harness these benefits at home. While it’s perfectly fine to incorporate it in both morning and night skincare routines, the optimal time will be when the sun is shining bright.
Vitamin C serum for morning routine
The fame of serum stems from its antioxidant properties, protecting against UV rays and environmental stress. These factors are at their peak once you step outside in the morning.
Therefore, the preferable thing is layering serum with moisturizer and following with your favorite product from Vince’s Sun Care Range. It will create a spot for other beneficial serums for nighttime routines, like the gold standard for antiaging Retinol or hydration booster Hyaluronic acid serum.
You can use this serum with sunblock in the morning. It will act as an additional defense against the fiery UV rays and comes in handy in case sunblock lets some rays penetrate further.
How to Use Vitamin C Serum in Skincare?
Although this serum is generally suitable for all skin types, performing a patch test is a proactive and wise approach. There is always a slight chance of your skin reacting to a product, and a patch test will help you eliminate all such doubts.
Patch test for vitamin C:
- Apply a few drops of serum to a discrete area of your body, like the forearm.
- Let it stay there for approximately 24 hours and observe any reaction.
- Immediately discontinue its usage on experiencing symptoms like redness, irritation, or a rash. If your skin well-tolerates the ingredients, it’s a thumbs up for using this serum in skin care.
Combining Vitamin C Serum & Moisturizer With Other Skincare Products
Now it’s time to explore how other skincare products fit the bigger picture with a vitamin C serum and moisturizer combo.
- Always begin by cleansing your face with a face wash catering to your unique skin care needs. For example, you can use Vince’s Vitamin C Face Wash for glowing skin or Lemon Face Wash for eliminating dark spots. Remember, no product can work effectively and do wonders on a face with impurities.
- You can follow it with Aloe Vera & Cucumber Pore Tightening Toner, expertly formulated to complement your cleanser.
- Next, apply 4-5 drops and gently spread it evenly across your freshly cleansed face. Give it 1-2 minutes, and then a moisturizer to lock in hydration.
- If you are heading out with the probability of facing the sun, add a layer of sunblock for UV ray protection.
By pampering your skin in the best possible way, be ready to face the world with a confident front.
Conclusion
The application order of multiple skincare products is crucial, as a compromised sequence won’t let you fully maximize their benefits. When deciding whether to apply vitamin C serum before or after moisturizer, always remember serum goes first. Allow the serum 1-2 minutes before applying moisturizer on the top to absorb deeply in the skin.
It is a lightweight formulation, and taking the lead in your routine allows it to deliver its antioxidant magic effectively. Following with moisturizer will provide essential hydration and create a protective barrier, sealing in the serum’s benefits.
So, layering it with moisturizer in this sequence ensures both products are working at their full potential to achieve radiant and healthy skin.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Should I apply vitamin C serum before or after moisturizer?
Vitamin C always takes the lead in Vitamin C serum and moisturizer combo. Applying the serum first gives it maximum opportunity to penetrate the skin deeper and deliver its antioxidant benefits. Layering it with moisture will provide a protective barrier to retain moisture and lock the serum’s active ingredients for maximum benefits.
Q2. Why is it important to use vitamin C serum before moisturizing?
Vitamin C serums are lighter than moisturizers, and when applied first, they penetrate deeper and fully unlock their antioxidant benefits. Applying moisturizer on top also facilitates sealing all the benefits, providing a protective barrier and additional hydration.
Q3. Can I use vitamin C serum with other skincare products?
Many skincare products complement the vitamin C serum routine and enhance its benefits, like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, peptides, and ferulic acid. However, the application of products including AHA, BHA, and Retinol in conjugation with Vitamin C hinders the benefits of both involved products, limiting their effectiveness.
Q4. How long should I wait after applying vitamin C serum before using moisturizer?
It usually takes 1-2 minutes to get fully absorbed in your skin. This waiting period will ensure that Vitamin C delves into your skin before you apply moisturizer on the top to seal in hydration and further enhance the serum’s effectiveness.
Q5. Can I use vitamin C serum both in the morning and at night?
If sensitive skin isn’t an issue and you want to maximize the benefits of Vitamin C serum, it’s perfectly fine to use it twice a day. But if you choose to use it once, then morning is the preferable time when it protects your skin against UV rays and environmental damage.
