What are Vitamin C Serums?
How to Prepare Your Skin for Nighttime Vitamin C Serum?
Step-by-Step Guide to Applying Vitamin C Serum at Night
Complementing Your Vitamin C Serum
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Vitamin C Serum
FAQs
What are Vitamin C Serums?
Known for their hydrating, brightening and protective qualities, vitamin C serums are considered by dermatologists as a go-to product for good skin health. So, what makes them so powerful? First of all, when applied topically, vitamin C works to defend the skin against free radical damage in the environment and reduce oxidative stress. Without this protection, free radicals can cause damage to the skin leading to concerns such as premature ageing signs and a lack of radiance.
Vitamin C serums have many other benefits too which is why they come so highly recommended. One of the most noticeable benefits to skin health is that the skin will be able to retain moisture more effectively and the skin barrier will be strengthened. Vitamin C serums are recommended to be applied in the morning so they can protect your skin against natural aggressors you experience in your day, such as UV and pollution. However, there are some vitamin C’s designed to applied at the evening.
How to Prepare Your Skin for a Nighttime Vitamin C Serum?
To optimise the absorption and efficacy of your vitamin C serum, there are some steps you can follow to prepare your skin. Firstly, it is important to thoroughly cleanse your face to remove any dirt, oil or makeup. Gently massage your cleanser around your face and neck, before removing the product with warm water. Next, you can use a toner to balance the skin and remove any remaining impurities. Always ensure to use a cleanser and toner that are formulated for your skin’s needs and skin type. This careful preparation of your skin ensures the highest level of absorption and effectiveness as you apply your vitamin C Serum specifically formulated for use in the evening.
Step-by-Step Guide to Applying Vitamin C Serum at Night
Soothing Cleanser
Calming cleansing foam to dissolve impurities while soothing compromised skin.
Blemish + Age Cleanser 240ml
Decongests and refines pores, minimises blemishes, and brightens the skin.
Step 1: Cleanse
The first step in your night-time routine should be to gently cleanse the skin. This will remove makeup, skincare and sunscreen from your face and neck, in addition to pollution, debris and sebum from the pores. You should choose a cleanser suited to your skin type and concerns such as SkinCeuticals Soothing Cleanser or Blemish + Age Cleanser. Take a pea-sized amount and gently massage it around your face and neck before removing it with tepid water.
Equalizing Toner
Balances and refreshes the skin while exfoliating dead skin cells for a softer skin.
Blemish + Age Toner
Helps improve the appearance of ageing while decongesting pores. Refines surface texture and promotes even skin tone.
Step 2: Tone
Next, you can use a toner to balance the skin and remove any remaining dirt, oil or makeup. Moreover, toning will help minimise the appearance of pores and even your skin’s complexion. Discover our Equalizing Toner formulated for all skin types, to help balance, refresh, and restore the skin’s protective PH barrier. Or, if you have skin prone to imperfections, try our low pH Blemish + Age Toner, to efficiently remove excess residue and surface skin cells to help decongest pores.
Resveratrol B E Night Serum For Ageing Skin
Nightime Antioxidant Serum For Dry & Normal Skin Types
Blemish + Age Toner
Helps improve the appearance of ageing while decongesting pores. Refines surface texture and promotes even skin tone.
Step 3: Apply Nighttime Vitamin C Serum
Once you’ve cleansed the skin, you’ll be left with a clean base for your nighttime vitamin C serum. SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E Night Serum is specifically formulated for use before bed with a potent combination comprising baicalin, pure vitamin E and pure stable resveratrol. Together these ingredients help to neutralise free radicals, improve radiance, and reduce visible ageing signs. Take two to three pumps of the serum and pat gently on the face and neck.
AOX+ Eye Gel 15ml
Helps prevent free radical damage and reduces the appearance of visible signs of ageing around the eye.
Step 4: Apply Eye Serum
Once your serum has absorbed into the skin, follow it with a dedicated eye serum. SkinCeuticals AOX + Eye Gel uses phloretin, l-ascorbic acid, and ferulic acid to improve areas of photo damage and reinforce the skin’s free radical defence. Dab two to three pumps beneath the eyes, to the outer corners, and brow bone while keeping a distance of three millimetres from the mucous membranes surrounding the eyes.
Triple Lipid Restore For Ageing Skin
Anti Ageing Lipid moisturiser cream for Dry Skin
Step 5: Moisturise
For best results, end your evening routine with a hydrating moisturiser such as SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2. This will help to restore essential lipids to the skin, strengthen the skin barrier and improve skin texture and radiance. Apply it to the face, taking care to also include the neck and chest.
Complementing Your Nighttime Vitamin C Serum
For enhanced environmental protection, you can use an antioxidant in the daytime. SkinCeuticals has three hero products within its antioxidant range, each suitable for a different skin type and concern.
C E Ferulic is suitable for normal, dry and combination skin and combines 15% Pure Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) with 1% Pure Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. It’s most effective at treating visible ageing signs and a loss of firmness in the skin.
Phloretin CF helps with the appearance of discolouration and an uneven skin tone with 2% Phloretin, 10% Pure Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. Its light texture works well with oily and combination skin types and helps to refine the complexion.
Silymarin CF for oily, blemish-prone skin uses 0.5% Silymarin, 15% Pure Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid), 0.5% Ferulic Acid and 0.5% Salicylic Acid (Beta Hydroxy Acid). This formulation works to reduce sebum and oil oxidation in the skin and improve the look of ageing signs. Discover more about our best serum for oily skin.
Each serum should be followed by a gentle moisturiser and a broad-spectrum sunscreen, such as SkinCeuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defense SPF 50, when applied in the daytime. This will ensure your skin has complete protection against UV rays and environmental damage.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Vitamin C Serum
When using vitamin C, there are a few things to bear in mind and common mistakes to avoid.
Not Storing Vitamin C Correctly
One of the most common mistakes people make when using vitamin C is storing it incorrectly. Your serum should be stored in a cool, dry place as heat and ultraviolet light can all degrade the l-ascorbic acid within your serum. Dark coloured bottles, like the ones used by SkinCeuticals, also help to protect the precious contents inside.
Using an Expired Product
Ensure to use your Vitamin C serum when at its most potent. After this time, they can oxidise, and the formula may not be as effective on the skin. All SkinCeuticals antioxidant formulations have been tested in final packaging and have been confirmed to remain stable and effective for 36 months, and up to 6 months after opening. L-ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) is known to change colour with time, however oxidation is minimal in SkinCeuticals antioxidants and the formulation is proven to remain effective.
Only Using a Vitamin C in the Morning
While vitamin C serums are essential in a morning routine, their role is often underestimated at night. Wearing a vitamin C serum on your skin in the daytime helps to defend it against free radicals in the environment, but it can also help the skin to heal itself from any associated damage when applied before bed. What’s more, it can aid the natural regenerative process that happens overnight while strengthening the skin barrier.
FAQs
Discover SkinCeuticals’ night time vitamin C formulation Resveratrol B E Night Serum, or learn more about vitamin c skincare.
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Blemish + Age Cleanser 240ml
Decongests and refines pores, minimises blemishes, and brightens the skin.