Do you use vitamin c in your skincare routine? I started using a vitamin c serum in my skincare routine in my late 20s after I noticed how dull my skin was beginning to look (stress and an unbalanced diet, among other things, will do that to your skin). In addition to glowing skin, adding vitamin c to your skincare routine promotes collagen production, which improves your overall skin cell renewal turnover, and lessens the look of fine lines. It also helps with lightening acne scarring and brown spots, otherwise known as hyperpigmentation.

With the exception of the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, I apply my vitamin c serums in the morning after cleansing and toning my face, and before moisturizer and sunscreen. If I’m using a vitamin c oil, I’ll apply it after cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, but before sunscreen. If you’re going to use vitamin c in your skincare routine, you should definitely wear sunscreen.

Are you thinking of adding a vitamin c serum to your skincare serum, but don’t know where to start? Here are my favorite vitamin c serums under $100.

Out of all the vitamin c serums I’ve tried, OleHenriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum is my favorite! This one noticeably brightened my skin after the first use and it kept getting better over time. The only downfall is that the strength of the serum weakened near the end of the bottle. I’ve had the same issue with other vitamin c serums, so I don’t think the issue is specific to this product only.

One of my go-to Sephora skincare advisors introduced me to the Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Vitamin C Power Serum a few years ago, and my life has never been the same. This vitamin c serum is strong (hence “Potent-C”), and I saw a visible glow after the first use. It also smells so good (like pumpkins!). Unlike the OleHenrikesen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum, the strength of this formula lasted throughout the entire bottle.

I just finished a bottle of the Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C Serum a few days ago, and I liked it a lot. The strength of this formula was weaker than some of the other serums on this list, but that’s not a bad thing. This might just be the perfect product for people who are new to using a vitamin c serum.

I love this Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, and I use it only when I’m out of my other vitamin c serums. This lightweight oil is just as good as the more potent stuff, plus it’s part of Sephora’s “Clean at Sephora” program. Like I mentioned above, when I use this product, I use it after my cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, but before sunscreen. I would say this is also a great pick for beginners.