VITAMIN C BOOSTS

Quench skin’s thirst with, er, orange juice

The Hero Project Vit C-30 Ultra Brightening Serum, £39

Oxygen is vitamin C’s biggest enemy, draining it of its superpowers on contact. It’s a good job, then, that this is a water-free formula (water being a carrier of oxygen), and the vitamin C is kept safe in a protective coating. With such a high dose of the good stuff, it’s no surprise my skin looked glowy and airbrushed after just a week’s use.

Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, £49.50

This hydrating serum sits on the skin a little longer than its contenders, so is best suited to drier complexions. More importantly, it’s waterfree, so the purer (and therefore more vulnerable) of the two vitamin Cs isn’t jeopardised.

Vichy Liftactiv 15% Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector, £28

If you’re big on easy application, you’ll love this fast-absorbing formula. It’s meant to be used in 10 days to make up for vitamin-C-in-water degrading so fast. But can added antioxidants and ‘controlled PH level’ keep it stable for even 10 days without any oxygen-proofing? Vichy says yes. I’m not taking the risk.

Sunday Riley CEO Rapid Flash Brightening Serum, £70

Containing 15% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (try saying that after a large wine), which is basically vitamin C minus the oxygen-sensitive part of the molecule, so it’s nice and stable. But because the molecule is modified, you still end up with only a small percentage of pure and active vitamin C – shame. The upshot? It won’t sting on application, so a good one for those not willing to suffer for their beauty.

The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone, £5.80

A high hit of ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C), kept safe in a silicone base. There’s no water, so it’s seriously stable. The thick texture isn’t for everyone, and it will sting as your skin absorbs it. So why bother? Because you get a mega-dose of collagen-boosting vitamin C at an amazing price.