If your body needs Vitamin C, so too your skin! And the best way to do it, aside from eating tons of vegetables and fruits, is to apply it directly to your skin.

Vitamin C is getting its popularity in the K Beauty world, because of its proven effectiveness in brightening skin! It fades down brown spots caused by sun damage and or acne scars, as well as it protects your skin from outside stress preventing your skin from further damage and slowing down skin aging.

But, it is also important to note that, in order for your Vitamin C to be effective, it should contain 2 to 20% Vitamin C concentrates! If your skin is too sensitive, do not fret you can start with a low percentage of Vitamin C containing 5% from Klairs Freshly Juiced Drop Vitamin C Serum. And if you think your skin can handle a higher concentration, try the C20 Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum. Both Serums are great for sensitive skin, you just need to know how to use them properly and incorporate them in your daily skincare routine.

So, here's how:

For Normal to Combi Skin

1. After cleansing, apply half to full drop of Vitamin C Serum directly to your skin.

   TIP:

   a. Vitamin C is a form of chemical active which exfoliates skin. Many K Beauty gurus are emphasizing that in order for Vitamin C to reach its maximum strength into your skin, the skin needs to be brought into a low pH level after cleansing. If you are already using a low pH cleanser like Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash or COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, then you are ready to go.

   b. So, what if your cleanser is not a low pH? Either you wait around 20 minutes risking your skin to dry like a paper or you can opt using pH reducing toners like Mizon AHA/BHA Daily Clean Toner or COSRX AHA BHA Clarifying Toner, then proceed to your Vitamin C.

2.  Now, let your Vitamin C work into your skin. Wait 20-30 minutes before applying your next skincare product.

   But, are the above tips really necessary? The above tips are great to get the full benefits of Vitamin C, and to see the results faster. This doesn't mean, that Vitamin C is then ineffective, it is still effective just that the results are a little bit slower. If you think your skin can handle it without the pH reducing toners, just go ahead. Like I always tell you, your skin will tell you what it needs! 

For Normal to Very Sensitive Skin

1. Apply Vitamin C Serum to your skin, wait 5 minutes and rinse it off with water. Proceed with your skincare routine

2. Or after cleansing and toning, apply few drops of Vitamin C to your skin. Wait 20-30 minutes or proceed immediately with your skincare routine.

3. Or mix a few drops of Vitamin C to your moisturizer like Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream, to a serum or an essence. This way Vitamin C is diluted which makes it less irritating to most sensitive skin. Or if you just want Vitamin C as an additional boost to your favorite skincare product, this is the most convenient way to do it daily.

FAQ'S and Other Tips

1. How often to use Vitamin C?

You can use Vitamin C in the morning and or in evening depending on your skin needs. If you are using a full drop in the evening, maybe just a few drops in the morning? Or few drops in the morning combined with your moisturizer. Or use different kinds of Vitamin C, the C20 in the evening and the Klairs in the morning. You can use it daily or every other day according to your skin needs.

Tip: always use a sunscreen when using Vitamin C, since it is an exfoliator which makes your skin a lot sensitive to sunrays

2. Can I use Vitamin C with other chemical actives like AHA and or BHA?

AHA and BHA are other forms of exfoliators like that of Vitamin C. Remember that too much exfoliating would end up bad for your skin, but there are ways to prevent this.

Like mentioned above, it is advisable to wait 20-30 minutes after applying Vitamin C to proceed to your next skincare product. When you are using it with BHA and AHA, the 20-30 minute wait is a MUST!! (no more cheating here!)  So, say you apply Vitamin C (which by the way is recommended by many K Beauty Gurus to start first), wait 20-30 minutes, then apply your BHA, another 20-30  wait, then comes your AHA! Yes! Your evening my dear, would be a lot of waiting!

If you have patience, feel free to do this, but if you don't have enough patience like me, be smart to just schedule your actives. This way, you are not only preventing your skin from too much exfoliation, but also saving yourself much time. You can even assess the progress of your skin much better by knowing which active made your skin better or worst. So what you can do is, alternate the actives! Everyday a different active or say every evenings of M-W-F AHA, evenings of  T-Th-Sa BHA, and every morning of M-W-F Vitamin C. Or whichever day you prefer. And Sunday? Maybe a time off from chemical actives and use a mechanical exfoliator instead,  like Skinfood Black Sugar Wash Off Mask followed by a Sheetmask? Ahh...there are many ways to do it! I am just giving you an example on how you can practically add your chemical actives to your skincare routine. 

3. How to store Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is a sensitive active that oxides easily. With Klairs Freshly Juiced Drop Vitamin C Serum, you don't have to worry much about oxidizing because it is extra formulated with hybrid Stabilization Technology. This is why you find the Klairs in a clear bottle not in a dark bottle like C20 Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum. But nevertheless, it is much recommended to store your Vitamin C in a cool dark place like your fridge.

4. Any other other recommendations

If you think you are not ready to jump into Vitamin C, why not try Vitamin C in the mildest form like Innisfree Whitening Pore Synergy Serum. This is made from a freshly squeezed juice of bio tangerine. Also reach in Vitamin C, mild, smells heavenly from tangerines, absorbs quickly and fades your dark spots. Makes skin look radiant and bright when you wake up in the morning. Promise!

Conclusion

Your Vitamin C is your best friend when it comes to fading dark spots making your skin  radiant and brighter! Like all other skincare products take your time and go slow. Remember the most important tip of all, when using Vitamin C: use your sunscreen!

See you next time!