Besides the intrinsic factors working against your skin (namely, genetics and hormonal shifts), extrinsic factors like environmental conditions and lifestyle can also contribute to the health of your life — as well as how quickly signs of aging (like fine lines) appear. Babor’s Skinovage Complex C Cream accounts for the latter, using vitamins C, E, and F as well as macadamia oil and panthenol to revive tired, stressed skin, deeply condition, and boost cell regeneration. In a nutshell, it’s the perfect cream to slather on after a sleepless night.
The three-time Readers’ Choice Award-winning Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has a delectable range of permanent flavors (Hello, Original Berry) as well as specialty, limited-edition flavors (BTS-inspired Butter, anyone?) — all of which are packed with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. The former deeply hydrates while the latter evens out any discoloration on the lips. Not to mention, each of these masks contains coconut oil, shea butter, and murumuru seed butter so lips will be nourished and soft all day and night.
For those with skin of steel that can tolerate a higher percentage of vitamin C, listen up. Wander Beauty’s Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate offers 20 percent vitamin C — which is a relatively high concentration compared to most treatments that fall into the 10 to 15 percent range, per Minnesota-based board-certified dermatologist Jenny Liu, MD — in the form of ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate and kakadu plum. The formula is also packed with a hyaluronic acid complex and squalane to keep skin conditioned and hydrated. Another thing we love: this gold-tinted formula is packed with light-diffusing pearls that make your skin glow — even sans makeup.
Oily skin need not shy away from moisturizers, especially when a formula like Ole Henriksen’s C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème is a real winner. It boasts a gel consistency that’s deliciously lightweight and feels invisible on the skin, ideal for those with acne-prone skin looking to brighten and moisturize without contributing to excess oil or exacerbating existing breakouts. Not to mention, because it delivers all-day hydration (up to 24 hours, according to the brand), it’s equally fit for dryer skin types.
Some would call Dermalogica’s Biolumin-C Vitamin C Gel Moisturizer an overachiever, but we prefer to call it a multitasking workhorse. Not only does this formula effectively brighten the complexion and strengthen the skin barrier via a stable vitamin C complex — which features aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate, a water-soluble derivative of vitamin C — but it also hydrates and smoothes thanks to squalane, plumps as a result of five types of hyaluronic acid, and gently exfoliates with pumpkin enzymes. We told you, workhorse.
Glowy skin is always on the agenda, are we right? Clearly, Korres got the memo, too. The Greece-made Wild Rose Brilliant Priming Gel-Moisturizer cuts through dullness à la three sources of vitamin C and rose for instantly radiant skin. It features three forms of vitamin C, including ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, which is “more stable than traditional ascorbic acid in cosmetic formulations,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai in New York City, previously explained. This refreshing, quick-absorbing moisturizer also blurs issues like pores and uneven texture and offers long-lasting hydration no matter where you fall on the dry skin scale.