Vitamin C serum: morning or evening?

Morning or evening: with a vitamin C serum, the product decides, not a fixed rule. Here you can see for six products from our shop when they go on the skin, and what changes as soon as retinol is added.

The key points in brief

• In the morning, before sun protection: this is what is stated for four of the six vitamin C products here.
• Two you use morning and evening: 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating, if you use it on its own, and Brightalive Skin Brightener.
• If retinol is added, a vitamin C serum belongs in the morning and the retinol in the evening.
• After the vitamin C, sun protection with at least SPF 30 goes on the skin in the morning.

What speaks for the morning

Vitamin C neutralises free radicals. These are aggressive particles that form in the skin through UV light. You can read more about this in our guide Vitamin C: what it does for your skin in the morning. For the time of day, one thing matters above all: during the day, light hits your skin, at night it does not.

In a study in humans, a solution with vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid was applied to small areas of skin for four days. Other areas received the same solution without the active ingredient. Afterwards, all areas were exposed to artificial sunlight. The areas with vitamin C showed less redness and fewer signs of sunburn.

The researchers see this as a complement to sun protection, not a replacement. Vitamin C works in a different way and does not filter UV light itself.

In a laboratory test on pig skin, researchers observed: after three days of daily application, the skin was saturated with vitamin C. After that, the content in the skin halved in about four days.

Which product goes on the skin when

Here is what the directions for use of our vitamin C products say:

• 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating from ZO Skin Health: used on its own, morning and evening; together with a retinol, only in the morning.
• Brightalive Skin Brightener from ZO Skin Health: morning and evening. Besides vitamin C, the cream also contains a small amount of retinyl palmitate. This is a vitamin A compound, but not retinol.
• Illuminating AOX Serum from ZO Skin Health: only in the morning, as the last step before sun protection. It also contains a small amount of retinyl palmitate.
• GeneXC Serum from iS Clinical: in the morning, 3 to 5 drops before sun protection.
• Super Serum Advance+ from iS Clinical: in the morning, before moisturiser and sun protection.
• AOX Ferulic from mesoestetic: in the morning, before sun protection. It also contains ferulic acid.

For GeneXC Serum and AOX Ferulic, the warning reads: "This product contains vitamin C and can make the skin more sensitive to light." For Super Serum Advance+, it reads the same, only with arbutin as a second substance. For Brightalive Skin Brightener and Illuminating AOX Serum, the following applies during pregnancy and breastfeeding: please consult your doctor.

When retinol is added

Retinol belongs in the evening, vitamin C then moves entirely to the morning. The product information for 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating and GeneXC Serum advises against applying both at the same time. Separated by time of day, you use both, as in our routines with retinol and vitamin C. The exception is Brightalive Skin Brightener: the cream stays in the morning and evening, and in the evening the Retinol Skin Brightener follows it.

An example with ZO Skin Health, if you already use 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating:

1. Morning: cleansing, then 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating as the last serum, then sun protection.
2. Evening: cleansing, then your retinol from ZO Skin Health as the last step, for example Retinol Skin Brightener.

Which retinol from ZO Skin Health suits you depends on your skin type. Our free AI skin analysis shows you this, and the treatment plans from ZO Skin Health go with it. We recommend applying the retinol every evening from the start, but starting slowly works too.

Redness and flaking in the first weeks are expected with retinol and are not an allergy. On such days, you can add a soothing cream from ZO Skin Health, such as Hydrating Crème. On pregnancy and breastfeeding, the warning reads: "Use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 12 years is not recommended." More on this in the retinol guide.

How to apply your vitamin C in the morning

Using 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating as an example:

1. Cleanse your face and let the skin dry.
2. Take a small amount and spread it over your face and neck.
3. Massage it in gently and let it absorb.
4. Finally, apply sun protection with at least SPF 30.

If you use the product without retinol, repeat steps 1 to 3 in the evening. With other products, the routine differs: Super Serum Advance+ goes before the moisturiser, Illuminating AOX Serum is the last step before sun protection.

In our shop

You can find a selection with vitamin C in our Vitamin C collection. These four have clear information on the time of day:

• 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating from ZO Skin Health: for you if you want to stay flexible, on its own morning and evening or in the morning alongside your retinol.
• Brightalive Skin Brightener from ZO Skin Health: cream without retinol for morning and evening, for an even-looking complexion.
• GeneXC Serum from iS Clinical: serum for the morning with vitamin C and green tea, for every skin type.
• Even Up Clinical Pigment Perfector SPF 50 from Colorescience: tinted mineral sun protection with vitamin C, as the last step in the morning with any of our brands.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Murray JC, Burch JA, Streilein RD et al. (2008): A topical antioxidant solution containing vitamins C and E stabilized by ferulic acid provides protection for human skin against damage caused by ultraviolet irradiation. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 59(3):418-425. DOI 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.05.004, PMID 18603326.
2. Pinnell SR, Yang H, Omar M et al. (2001): Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies. Dermatologic Surgery 27(2):137-142. DOI 10.1046/j.1524-4725.2001.00264.x, PMID 11207686.