The Best Vitamin C Serums You Can Buy for Less Than $50

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum ($21)

Dubbed “youth in a bottle” by reviewers, this potent serum is formulated with a gold and L-ascorbic acid vitamin C complex plus hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, showing proven improvement in fine lines and wrinkles in just four weeks.

BUY ON ULTA - $21

BUY ON TARGET - $26

Live Tinted Superbright 15% Vitamin C Serum Stick ($38)

This solid balm-to-serum formula is a must for jet-setters. It combines a potent blend of vitamin C, ferulic acid, alpha arbutin and vitamin E to seriously lighten dark spots and brighten skin over time.

BUY ON ULTA - $38

BUY ON AMAZON - $38

Provence Beauty Glow Up Luminescent Facial Serum ($25)

This French-bred serum offers immediate and long-term results. Sea buckthorn and three types of vitamin C work to reverse dullness and fade dark spots, while mica provides an instant radiance boost.

BUY NOW - $25

Kinship Brightwave Face Serum ($45)

Clinically formulated with vitamin C and peptides, this serum helps brighten, fade dark spots, firm and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in just two weeks.

BUY ON CREDO BEAUTY - $45

BUY ON ULTA - $45

Good Molecules Vitamin C Serum with Oryzanol ($14)

This supercharged serum combines two types of vitamin C with kojic acid and oryzanol. Users say it "helps reduce the appearance of acne scars" and leaves skin "brighter and hydrated."

BUY ON ULTA - $14

BUY ON AMAZON - $14

iNNBEAUTY Green Machine Serum ($38)

This rich, green-hued serum is powered by vitamin C, tranexamic acid, niacinamide and 15 superfoods. It brightens skin, adds radiance and minimizes congestion all at once.

BUY ON INNBEAUTY - $38

BUY ON AMAZON - $38

Prequel Lucent-C ($23)

This dermatologist-created serum combines 15% vitamin C with ferulic acid and niacinamide to brighten and firm over time, and it works. In four weeks of use, 90 percent of test subjects agreed their skin looked less dull.

BUY NOW - $23

Bubble Day Dream ($17)

Tackling both uneven tone and texture, this best-selling vitamin C and niacinamide serum has more than 1,300 five-star reviews for delivering a “healthy glow” and keeping “skin smooth.”

BUY ON BUBBLE - $17

BUY ON AMAZON - $15

Maelove Glow Maker ($33)

With over 11,000 bottles purchased in the last 30 days, this brightening serum is clearly a winner. It blends 15 percent vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), vitamin E and ferulic acid in a best-selling formula under $40.

BUY NOW - $33

Innisfree Green Tea Enzyme Vitamin C Brightening Serum ($32)

This multitasking serum brightens and hydrates in one step. It's packed with vitamins C and E, ferulic acid, a green tea–derived enzyme, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, panthenol and squalane.

BUY NOW - $32

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum ($45)

Powered by five forms of vitamin C, guava and tranexamic and ferulic acids, this serum fades dark spots and boosts radiance noticeably before you finish the bottle.

BUY ON GLOW RECIPE - $45

BUY ON SEPHORA - $45

Typology L32 Radiance Serum ($43)

Made in France, this 99-percent naturally derived serum features 11 percent vitamin C. Its waterlight, non-greasy texture sinks right into the skin without any noticeable fragrance.

BUY NOW - $43

Beekman 1802 Golden Booster Amla Berry Vitamin C Brightening Serum ($44)

Amla berry, containing 20 times more vitamin C than an orange, powers this vegan brightening formula that’s safe for sensitive skin types that can't tolerate traditional vitamin C formulas.

BUY NOW - $44