15 best vitamin C serums I tested to safely brighten and smooth skin

If you ask virtually any dermatologist or skin expert out there about powerhouse skin ingredients, we’d bet the big bucks that one of the best vitamin C serums would make the cut. In fact, the dermatologist we consulted said it’s the “OG of antioxidants.” The ultra-powerful nutrient, impressively, is incorporated into many types of skincare and, like an Oreo, is the “good stuff” in the middle (following your best cleanser and preceding your creamy moisturizer, of course). “Serums are great because they are vehicles for the actives that you use on your skin for intentional skincare — the practice of using a product to make a change in your skin,” board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, Purvisha Patel, MD, told the New York Post. Best known for its natural brightening ef