If you deal with discolouration or hyperpigmentation, you know the struggle of finding the right skin care routine to help even out your complexion. The best vitamin C cleansers can come in handy for this — most are packed with brightening antioxidants and fruit enzymes to gently slough away dull, dead skin and protect it from free radicals. What you’ll be left with? A brighter, more radiant complexion with less noticeable dark spots.
“Including vitamin C cleanser in your regimen is certainly a very smart way to multitask and streamline since most people are inclined to at least wash their face every day,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology in NYC. To help you find the best option for your skin, we spoke with dermatologists and polled GLAMOUR testers for their very favourite vitamin C cleansers. Our top overall pick was the Naturium Vitamin C Complex Cleanser because of its efficacy, price point, and potent blend of two forms of vitamin C plus fruit antioxidants — it managed to instantly brighten our skin after just one wash. We also found more best cleansers we loved for mature and sensitive skin types.
The best vitamin C cleansers, at a glance
- Best Overall: Naturium Vitamin C Complex Cleanser, £20
- Best for Impurities: Coco & Eve Fruit Enzyme Cleanser, £19
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Murad Essential C Gel Cleanser With Vitamin C, £36
- Best for Mature Skin: Dr Dennis Gross Vitamin C Lactic Creamy Cleansing Oil, WAS £40 NOW £29.40
- Best for Hyperpigmentation: Youth to the People Superfruit Facial Cleanser, £38
How we tested vitamin C cleansers
We tested vitamin C cleansers by taking a look at their ingredients, texture, the experience of washing our faces with them and their efficacy. The best ones had a blend of vitamin C plus fruit enzymes and antioxidants that worked together to help combat discolouration and minimise the appearance of dark spots.
The best cleansers were pleasant to use, and all of them nicely lathered on our skin and made us feel refreshed and energised post-wash. Our favorites were also highly effective and made our skin look more even-toned and bright after a week of use.
Best Overall: Naturium Vitamin C Complex Cleanser
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- Pros: Affordable; easy to use; you can even wear it as a face mask for five minutes and wash it off
- Cons: Doesn’t have the best scent
This affordable vitamin C cleanser made it to the top of our list because we found that it clarified and added radiance to our skin just as well as the more expensive cleansers on this list. It has a lightweight gel formula that creates a gentle lather and is packed with two forms of vitamin C, phytic acid, and orange fruit water to help nourish skin and reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone.
“I was extremely impressed with this cleanser the first few times I tried it,” says US Glamour commerce writer, Alanna Martine Kilkeary. “It’s quite lightweight and easy to lather on the skin—a little goes a long way— and it does a great job at removing makeup, excess oil, and dirt. All it took was one wash to see a noticeable difference in my skin,” she says.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Murad Essential-C Cleanser
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- Pros: Gives skin radiance without making it look slick or greasy; suitable for daily use
- Cons: Pricey; will need to double cleanse for heavy makeup
Another favourite of Dr. Nazarian, this rich cleanser is a must-try if you have oily or acne-prone skin. “This cleanser combines vitamin C with two other antioxidants — vitamin A and vitamin E for added protection and hydration. It also has a slight foaming effect, and I’d generally recommend it for normal to oily skin types to remove impurities,” she says.
“This cleanser is so gentle and doesn’t leave my skin dry or tight after washing. If you have extremely dry or sensitive skin this will keep your barrier hydrated. But I wish there was more suds from lathering. I would also recommend using a separate makeup remover for eye makeup. I finished off with micellar water to get rid of my eye shadow,” says US Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle.
Best for Hyperpigmentation: Youth to the People Superfruit Facial Cleanser
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- Pros: Provides an energising wash; effectively brightens and evens out skin tone
- Cons: Glass bottle is a little clunky
Stubborn dark spots and uneven skin patches have nothing on this energising cleanser that has AHA, BHA, papaya enzymes, and ginger root to help even tone and minimise large pores. It helps boost skin radiance and also has yerba mate to help wake up and invigorate skin.
“I’m obsessed with this cleanser for when my skin is feeling particularly dull, especially after I’ve had a long night out. It instantly wakes me up, smells heavenly, and does a great job of soothing and ridding the areas of redness and darkness on my face, particularly around my nose and under my eye area. After using it for about a month, it’s extremely hard to go back to anything else–my skin is super clarified and bright,” says US Glamour’s Kilkeary.
Best for Oily Skin: RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Gel Facial Cleanser
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- Pros: Gives skin a glowy finish post-wash; affordable at only $10
- Cons: May not be suitable for dry, sensitive skin
Get noticeably glowing skin with this gel cleanser that combines vitamin C and glycolic acid to visibly brighten skin and slough off dead cells. It also contains glycerin to help ensure that skin won’t feel stripped after use, and will leave you with a softer, more radiant complexion.
“It’s great at removing makeup daily and gives off a lot of suds, which I appreciate in a cleanser,” says US Glamour’s Calle. “You just need a few pumps to get a fresh wash, and it even removes most of my eye makeup. I still use a bit of micellar water for the leftover mascara, but I really like this for my oily, combination skin because it doesn’t dry it out and I feel squeaky clean.”
Best for Uneven Texture: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Cherry Dub Pore Purify’r Gel Cleanser
- Pros: Reduces excess oil; evens out skin texture; has a luxurious feel
- Cons: Has fragrance, which might be irritating to some
With uneven skin tone often comes uneven texture, which is why this cleansing gel is a favourite. It has a blend of vitamin C-rich Barbados cherry, niacinamide and aloe vera juice to hydrate the skin and improve the look of large pores and acne scars.
“This is by far one of the most enjoyable cleansers I’ve ever tried,” says US Glamour’s Kilkeary. “Not only does it smell absolutely heavenly, it also lathers really well and makes your skin feel super refreshed (especially if you apply it in circular motions). After using it for about two weeks, I noticed a difference in my usually textured areas, particularly on my chin where I have a lot of acne scars. My skin looks and feels a lot softer, and overall, my pores have shrunken quite a bit. This one is such a treat, and it lives up to its claims!”
Best for Impurities:
- Pros: Melts away makeup, sunscreen and excess oil for a clean, radiant finish.
- Cons: No notes.
This water-based enzyme cleanser is the ultimate second step in your double-cleansing routine – powered by fruit enzymes to sweep away lingering grime and boost radiance.
It dissolves makeup, sunscreen, and excess oil for a fresh, luminous complexion, while detoxifying and refining pores for a clearer look. Gentle exfoliants like PHAs, papaya enzymes, and salicylic acid smooth and soften without stripping.
Naturally rich in Vitamin C from dragonfruit seed oil, it brightens skin and defends against dullness, while antioxidant-packed coconut, banana, and vitamin E deeply nourish. The added prebiotics also help support your skin’s microbiome and barrier for a healthy, balanced finish.
Best Drugstore: La Roche Posay Brightening Facial Cleanser
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- Pros: Removes makeup and dirt; noncomedogenic, making it great for combination skin and breakouts
- Cons: Might dry out skin a bit
Dr. Nazarian is a massive fan of this anti-ageing face wash because it’s incredibly effective at an affordable price point. “This cleanser combines vitamin C with vitamin B3, which is one of my favorite hydrating vitamins because it improves skin tone and helps strengthen the skin barrier, so together, they make a great combination,” she says.
“The Vitamin C really does its job in bringing out a natural glow,” says US Glamour senior analyst Loneeja Talukdar. “My face feels smooth, refreshed, and visibly brighter after each use. Plus, it didn’t irritate my skin or trigger any breakouts, which is always a concern for me with active ingredients. Overall, this cleanser is a great option if you’re looking for something that not only helps with dullness and uneven texture but also supports acne-prone skin without being harsh. I’d highly recommend it if you want a glow boost in your daily routine.”
Best for Mature Skin: Dr Dennis Gross Vitamin C Lactic Creamy Cleansing Oil
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- Pros: Effectively removes makeup and sunscreen; has a creamy jelly-oil texture
- Cons: Pricey for the size
If you religiously use a cleansing oil, you’ll love this makeup-removing vitamin C-packed pick by Dr. Dennis Gross. It has a combination of castor oil and sunflower and apricot oils to remove makeup and SPF, plus two forms of vitamin C and colloidal oatmeal to soothe the skin, help eliminate redness, and hydrate dry skin.
“This cleansing oil is very gentle and hydrating on the skin, and has a really soft texture that picks up makeup and dirt. I felt that it left my skin glowy and bright after use and generally more refreshed,” says Condé Nast executive account director Carolyn Frazier.
Frequently asked questions:
Is a vitamin C cleanser more or less effective than a vitamin C serum?
Vitamin C serums may be more effective than vitamin C cleansers, according to Howard Sobel, MD, cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital, simply because they stay on the skin longer and have more time to be absorbed. This doesn’t necessarily mean that cleansers are not effective at all though. A cleanser or cleansing balm formulated with vitamin C is great for brightening the skin, fading dark spots, and evening skin tone if used daily.
Who should use a vitamin C cleanser?
“Anyone and all skin types can use cleansers formulated with vitamin C. For patients with sensitive skin, I always recommend they introduce it slowly into their routine to ensure their skin reacts well to it,” says Dr. Sobel.
What should you look for when shopping for a vitamin C cleanser?
When shopping for a vitamin C cleanser, the dermatologists we spoke with recommend looking out for ingredients that will best tailor to your skin type as well. “If you have dry and sensitive skin, look for products that combine vitamin C with moisturising ingredients (like hyaluronic acid or ceramides) or aren’t overly foaming,” says Dr. Nazarian. Oily skin types can benefit from vitamin C cleansers that have exfoliating AHAs and BHAs to help reduce excess shine and large pores.
Meet the experts
- Rachel Nazarian, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology in NYC
- Howard Sobel, MD, cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital
This story originally appeared on GLAMOUR US.
