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Winter is just round the corner and one of the best ways to protect your skin from the harsh weather is by adding Vitamin C to your skincare routine. Vitamin C is an amazing skincare hero that has the ability to protect your skin from these environmental factors as well as pollutants and nasty free radicals (no not the band). Some other Vitamin C benefits are that it can boost skin’s collagen production, reduce pigmentation, even skin tone and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and pores. That sounds amazing! Have you added Vitamin C to your skincare routine yet?

While it sounds good to start slapping on all the skincare it’s actually best to wait until your skin needs certain ingredients. It’s recommended that vit C is best incorporated into your skincare regime from your mid 20s. One thing that should always be part of your skincare regime at all ages is sunscreen! Put it on in the spring, summer, autumn and winter. Wear it all the time guys, your skin will thank you. (This is one of my favourite sunscreens, it’s non-greasy provides broad spectrum and is under a tenner).

 

 

When to Apply Vitamin C in Your Skincare Routine

 

Vitamin C is an amazing antioxidant that protects against environmental damage such as pollution and sun damage (but is is not an effective sunscreen). For that reason the best time to apply your vitamin c skincare products are in the morning, before sunscreen, so you give your skin an extra layer of protection. Plus vitamin c is great at revitalising the skin, giving a nice boost of freshness when I definitely need it in the morning!

 

Vitamin C Skincare Products for All Budgets

 

I did previously write about vitamin c from The Body Shop but sadly they’ve stopped some of the range, which I’m really not happy about! It’s still a brilliant range though, and definitely one of my favourites from The Body Shop. I have been using their Vitamin C Skin Reviver daily for a few weeks now and it’s one of The Body Shop’s star products for me (and it’s one of their best sellers).

I was slightly hesitant to use it initially because it has quite a lot of silicones high up in the ingredient list. However after the initial slip this vitamin c radiance booster actually goes matte and you can’t feel it on your skin. One of the good things about putting vitamin c in silicone is that it gives it a nice smooth suspension to apply to your face.

Vitamin c can be quite grainy if not mixed with ingredients to ease application. The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver Instant Smoother instantly brightens the skin, leaving a fresh feeling. It brightens dull, tired skin and over time will help reduce uneven skin tone and pigmentation. So if you have any scarring, sun damage or pigmentation from pregnancy for example this product can help reduce the appearance over time.

You apply The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver Instant Smoother like a primer- after skincare but before makeup. It actually feels quite a lot like a primer and acts as a really good brightening primer. It smooths the skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and pores. Unless I find a better similar product this The Body Shop vitamin C skincare product is staying firmly part of my morning routine.

 

 

As part of their vitamin C range The Body Shop used to have little individual vitamin C capsules. They were ace and I wish they’d add the back to their range. But! Beauty Pie have similar vitamin c capsules, I think Beauty Pie’s contain a higher lever of vitamin C though. If you have sensitive skin it’s best to introduce these vitamin c capsules slowly or you’ll feel irritation.

These tiny capsules really pack a vitamin C punch. The silky feeling serum glides easily across your face and one really is enough coverage. While the little capsules are novel to use the also provide extra protection for vitamin C. Vitamin C is an unstable molecule so the packaging actually protects it from degradation.

If you are a Beauty Pie member I also recommend giving Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Daily Vitamin C Defense Serum is one of the best serums I’ve ever tried. It instantly brightens, smooth and boosts collagen production. Your skin will love it!

 

 

Finally, is my budget pick that’s almost always sold out on the Superdrug website, it’s the Superdrug Vitamin C Booster Serum. Every now and again Superdrug release a product that’s so cheap yet amazingly effective it’s almost impossible to buy. Another product like this from Superdrug is their Simply Pure Hydrating Serum.

I finally managed to pick up the Vitamin C Booster serum around 2 months ago. This serum is a brilliant budget addition to your skincare routine. It’s also perfect if you do have sensitive skin. The Superdrug Vitamin C serum doesn’t feel as strong on the skin as Beauty Pie’s, it feels more like The Body Shop’s vitamin C serum.

Handily, it comes in a little dropper so you can build up the amount you apply to your face slowly. The Superdrug serum doesn’t have as much of that silicone slip as the previous two and does just feel more like a serum. It absorbs easily leaving a soft, hydrated and radiant base.

What I especially like about Vitamin C skin products is that you can see the results relatively quickly and around 6-8 weeks in you will see a noticeable difference. I’ve had a few flare ups of hormonal acne thanks to the perimenopause plus I had a reaction to some skin care which also gave me spots. Vitamin C helped clear them up faster and soothed my skin. You can find out more about my evening skin care routine here. This is due for an update which I’ll do soon!

 

PIN FOR LATER!

 

Are you already using Vitamin C in your routine? Any other products for me to try?

 

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Tags: beauty, skincare, vitamin c