Fall is in the air, and we’re turning over a new leaf in every area of our routines. When humidity begins to drop during this time of year, skin can feel tight, dry and more sensitive, but there’s one ingredient that dermatologists say can help: Vitamin C.
“Summer leaves a calling card: more UV exposure, oxidative stress, dullness and often more visible dark spots or uneven tone,” warns dermatologist and TODAY contributor Dr. Michelle Henry. “Think of vitamin C as the cleanup crew after summer and the protection plan heading into fall ... The key here is to brighten, protect and hydrate for this time of year.”
So, whether you’re in the market for a quick mask or an all-over body cream, there’s no better time to incorporate the powerhouse ingredient into your routine than right now. Henry stopped by Studio 1A to break down what vitamin C does for your skin and shares a few favorite products that leverage the skin care superstar.
What is vitamin C?
“Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps defend against environmental free radicals, supports collagen and can help improve the appearance of uneven pigmentation,” Henry explains.
It can help brighten and hydrate skin when used in tandem with other products in your skin care routine, but Henry notes that you’ll want to be more wary of sun exposure when you’re using the ingredient. “Vitamin C is the sidekick to sunscreen — not the substitute. SPF is still essential every single day.”
Vitamin C products seen on TODAY
Henry calls this the “powerhouse serum” of the group, naming it your best bet for a post-summer brightening reset. It contains 16% pure L-ascorbic acid, the active form of vitamin C, which Henry says is suited for someone who wants to focus on radiance, uneven tone and “visible signs of photoaging after summer.”
“Vichy pairs the vitamin C with vitamin E, which gives you extra antioxidant support. Vitamin C and vitamin E are particularly complementary antioxidants,” Henry explains. “It also contains carnosine, a peptide used to help support smoother-looking skin.”
Not everyone tolerates a strong acidic vitamin C serum, so Henry also recommends this pick, which she says is best for sensitive skin or vitamin C beginners. She also notes that the formula was specifically developed with sensitive skin in mind, as it’s fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic.
“Cetaphil uses 3-O-ethyl Asorbic acid, a vitamin C derivative, alongside niacinamide,” Henry says, breaking down the product’s key ingredients. “Niacinamide is fantastic during seasonal transitions because it helps support the skin barrier while also improving uneven tone. It also contains glycerin, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and sunflower seed oil, for hydration and conditioning.”
According to Henry, sometimes the smartest seasonal change is simply swapping your lightweight summer moisturizer for one that does more, like this option that L’Oréal claims gives you up to 72 hours of hydration.
“It combines three ingredients I love for fall: A vitamin C derivative (ascorbyl glucoside), for antioxidant and brightening benefits, niacinamide, which helps improve tone while supporting the barrier, and ceramides, lipids that are important for keeping moisture in the skin,” Henry lists. “The formula also has glycerin, squalane and shea butter, making this much more about brightening plus moisture retention than vitamin C alone.”
Henry says this body cream is perfect for tackling the summer-to-fall reset below the neck. Henry calls out the formula’s stable, oil-soluble vitamin C derivative that helps brighten dull-looking skin, plus fruit AHAs and willow bark, which help improve the appearance of bumps, and moisturizing oils and butters that boost hydration.
“Think about what happens during summer: shaving, self-tanner, sweat, sun and exposed arms and legs can leave us with rough texture, uneven tone or those little follicular bumps people call strawberry skin,” Henry shares. “This combines vitamin C with gentle exfoliation, so we’re brightening while also polishing away some of that rough summer texture.”
Henry names this your “one-minute vitamin boost” for convenience and hydration. Unlike traditional sheet masks, which typically have you committing to wearing one for 15 or 20 minutes, these are designed to work in just 60 seconds.
“It contains a combination of vitamin C, niacinamide, acetyl glucosamine, antioxidant-rich sea buckthorn and hydrating ingredients like glycerin and hydroxyethyl urea, panthenol and allantoin for additional skin-conditioning benefits,” Henry lists. “Pro tip: I love this before makeup because hydrating skin reflects light better and makeup generally sits better on hydrated skin.”
More vitamin C products to shop
Grace & Stella’s eye masks have been loved by the Shop TODAY team for years, and this new launch from the brand is infused with vitamin C. Perfect for travel and on-the-go pick-me-ups, the juicy, orange-hued patches are individually wrapped, so you can throw a pair in your bag.
This award-winning drugstore favorite was just crowned “best vitamin C serum.” Social media video producer Anita Chomenko vouches that she loves its lightweight feel, adding that it “blended and absorbed easily and didn’t leave my skin feeling greasy. I loved adding it to my routine.”
A winner in our 2025 Beauty Awards, this affordable serum rivals the formulation of much more expensive options. Vitamin C and E combine with ferulic acid for a potent serum that brightens, reduces the appearance of dark spots and absorbs easily into the skin.
In our 2026 Beauty Awards, this cream earned accolades for its hydrating and brightening powers. We recommend this option for those who prefer their skin care products to sink in quickly and seek to streamline their routine, since it offers multiple benefits in one step.
As an added bonus, you can infuse your daily cleanse with the benefits of vitamin C. This option from La Roche-Posay lathers easily and claims to boost radiance.
Yes, vitamin C hair care is a thing. This leave-in treatment combines the ingredient of the hour with hyaluronic acid and peptides and is said to help protect your hair from heat damage, UV rays and pollution.
This brightening oil from Sunday Riley has a cult following, and our editors understand why. A little goes a long way with this treatment, and because it’s more of an oil than a serum, it’s extra hydrating.
“As the weather becomes cooler and drier, you can move your vitamin C into a richer, more cushioning vehicle,” Henry tells us. “This is best suited to someone whose skin feels dry, tight or less comfortable as the seasons change.”
One area I always want to target with brightening products is the under-eye area, where a combination of dark circles, bags and fine lines can lend my face a rather dull look. This eye cream is like a wake-up call for your eye area, leveraging a vitamin C complex to combat all those unwanted cosmetic concerns.
Why limit your vitamin C use to your face? The ingredient gets to work boosting radiance in this serum designed to be used all over your body, helping reverse the appearance of dull skin from the neck down.
Meet the experts
Our team features a range of qualified experts and contributors in our broadcast segments to reveal the latest in trends, remarkable sale events and all things shopping across a variety of categories. Products were independently chosen by members of the Shop TODAY team, along with Dr. Michelle Henry.
- Dr. Michelle Henry, MD, is a TODAY contributor and dermatologist as well as the founder and CEO of Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan. She is also a clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College.
- Shop TODAY is a team of shopping editors and writers who spend hours every day finding the best new products, tried-and-true favorites and more finds available on Amazon that are worth shopping, according to our high standards.
How we chose
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews and even use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.
