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CeraVe’s £12 vitamin C serum rivals expensive alternatives

The brightening skincare hero is one of the best affordable vitamin C serums I’ve tried

I’ve been using the skin-renewing vitamin C serum twice daily, alongside my existing skincare products (The Independent)

Vitamin C serums are hugely popular regardless of skin type. However, often, these brightening pocket-rocket serums come with a hefty price tag.

Naturally, this meant I was thrilled to find out about the launch of CeraVe’s latest development: its affordable skin renewing vitamin C serum (£12.22, Amazon.co.uk).

If you’re a fan of CeraVe, you’ll be familiar with the brand’s incredible roster of affordable skincare, from the hydrating cleanser (£12.50, Lookfantastic.com), which beauty editor Lucy Partington loved, to the miracle-working advanced repair ointment (£14, Lookfantastic.com), which our Louise Whitbread swears by.

Now, the brand has added a shiny new vitamin C serum to its hall of fame. And to help you decide if it’s worth your money, I put the serum to the test. I wanted to see if it lived up to the lofty expectations the brand’s previous skincare heroes have left in their wake. Keep scrolling to find out how I got on.

How I tested

The serum was light and sank into my skin easily (The Independent/Lucy Smith)

I’ve been using the skin renewing vitamin C serum twice daily (once in the morning, once at night) alongside my existing skincare products. I applied the serum after my toner and before my moisturiser or night cream, allowing time for it to sink in before proceeding to the next step.

For context, I have oily skin that doesn’t take well to thick, gloopy-type products, so looked to see if the serum would affect my make-up application and wear. But also considered whether it made a noticeable difference to the overall appearance of my skin, and if I felt it layered well with my existing products.

CeraVe skin renewing vitamin C serum

Size 30ml
Key ingredients Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B5, three types of ceramides
Packaging type Tube with tapered straw-style dispenser
Fragranced No
Why we love it
- Lightweight
- Leaves a nice glow on bare skin
- Evens out redness

The dispenser makes it easy to squeeze out a small portion, and a little certainly goes a long way. Bonus points have been awarded to the packaging for being a biodegradable bioplastic.

After applying a pea-sized amount of serum, I patted the product onto my skin and it absorbed within seconds. While it doesn’t fit the vitamin C trope of smelling like oranges, I’m rather relieved to find a product in my routine that doesn’t add to my conflicting haul of rose creams and chamomile cleansers – my senses are confused enough at this point.

As you can see on my hand, the CeraVe vitamin C serum leaves an immediate satin sheen on the skin. It feels weightless and non-greasy. As I do have oily skin, I was nervous at the sight of ceramides on the ingredients list – often, these can lead me to break out or cause my face to look shiny – however, I was pleasantly surprised to find the opposite was true of this serum.

The verdict: CeraVe vitamin C serum

This serum has honestly blown me away. While I’ll continue to test it over a longer period of time, the initial results are impressive. Blemishes seem to have disappeared (which I hadn’t even set out for the serum to do), my redness has settled down significantly, and I found there to be absolutely no issues with my oily skin and excess shine. Importantly, my skin appeared brighter and even more youthful. Will I repurchase? 100 per cent.

Want more inspiration? The Ordinary’s launched a new hyaluronic acid serum – and we’re impressed