Outside of sunscreen, an antioxidant serum is the single best thing you can apply to your face in the morning. This is because they’re full of protective ingredients that save our skin from the environment, while working to brighten, firm, and give us that much-desired glow.
But it’s a tricky product to nail — ingredients like vitamin C are known to be unstable and often irritating — which is why we’re stocking up on some of the latest launches hitting shelves this month. From a local hero from Go-To skincare, to the much-anticipated Skinceuticals formula, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best new antioxidant serums designed to transform your skin.
Go-To’s Much Brighter Skin is a triple-threat. With a formula containing stable vitamin C, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, the serum works to treat every skin concern in one fell swoop — from hydration to brightening and all-round glow. The milky consistency is delightful to wear, and it’s a great all-in-one option for those who want to simplify their morning routine.
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic is lauded as one of the most iconic (and effective) antioxidants on the market, so naturally skincare enthusiasts were very excited at the launch of Silymarin CF. It contains L-ascorbic acid and ferulic acid like CE Ferulic, but also the addition of silymarin — a derivative of milk thistle — and salicylic acid to target oily, blemish-prone skin. It essentially works to reduce oil oxidation, firm and brighten for a smoother, clearer complexion.
If you want an antioxidant that brightens and nourishes simultaneously, the Biossance Dark Spot Serum is for you. Made with shiitake mushroom, vitamin C, squalane, and hyaluronic acid, it’s effective at treating dark spots, while replenishing lost moisture that comes with ageing. The luminous, milky consistency will give you an immediate glow, too.
iS Clinical is known for its highly effective formulations, and White Lightening Serum is no exception. It packs a punch with alpha-arbutin, willow bark extract, mushroom-derived kojic acid, and glycolic acid from sugar cane to prevent melanin over-production, age spots, melasma, and pigmentation. Think of it as a more gentle version of the brand’s cult-loved White Lightening Complex.
This blend of l-ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and vitamin E is designed to be mixed just prior to use, so you get the best out of every ingredient. While the antioxidant components will protect, firm, and brighten, there’s also enzymes in there to gently resurface.
Peptides, kakadu plum, and vitamin C come together to create this potent serum, designed to protect the skin from environmental agressors (like pollution, free radicals, and blue light) while peptides firm and promote healing. It’s also fragrance-free.
This story originally appeared on GRAZIA International.