Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid)
An antioxidant that brightens, evens tone, and supports collagen, with the strongest evidence behind pure L-ascorbic acid at 10–20% and a low pH. Powerful but temperamental: it oxidizes in light and air, so packaging and formula stability matter as much as the percentage on the label.
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Vitamin C by the numbers.
The DermFND database tracks 416 products formulated with vitamin c, most often in serums (153 products) but also across moisturizers and sunscreens. Those products average a 72/100 formulation score — above the catalog norm — topping out with L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum at 88/100.
74 formulas containing vitamin c clear our 80/100 standout threshold. Its most frequent formulation partners are Hyaluronic Acid (141 shared formulas) and Niacinamide (115 shared formulas). The median price of a vitamin c product here is $42.
