What is CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum?

A vitamin C face serum from CeraVe designed to brighten and renew skin, formulated with ceramides to support the skin barrier.

Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 12 of the 16 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 3 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 70%.

What is CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum's Guru Score?

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum holds a Guru Score of 70%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 16 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum best for?

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum is generally suited to dry skin, normal skin and sensitive skin.

What is CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum is good for skin barrier support (3 experts), dark spots and post-acne marks (1 expert), rosacea (1 expert), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert) and dull skin (1 expert).

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum: a Guru Score of 70%

Q: Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum good for skin barrier support?

3 experts who reviewed CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum say it is. The Budget Dermatologist put it this way: “The other key ingredients in this product are ceramides which help reinforce that skin barrier and the other great thing about this is it's a lot more affordable.”

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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Dr. Daniel Sugai

723k subs

~Yay

"So instead of buying one of my favorite serums like Skinceuticals C E Ferulic or Timeless Vitamin C, which costs over $160, you might want to try out the vitamin C serum by CeraVe first to see if you like vitamin C. For a 10% l-ascorbic acid serum at $15.95, this is a great deal. It has the three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5 or panthenol, which is one of my favorite ingredients that helps with moisturizing, hydrating, and supporting the skin barrier."

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"It's pretty affordable in the $25 to $30 range, and I'd have to say that it is a very good option to start off with. My critique would be that it does oxidize pretty quickly. So you need to use this within the first three months. Otherwise it turns into a dark syrupy color and it's not very pleasant to apply to your face. Sometimes that dark syrupy color doesn't blend in well into the skin anymore and it kind of pills with your sunscreen."

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"Other affordable options you can consider would be Timeless Vitamin C and CeraVe, uh, 10% ascorbic acid. Also nice affordable option you can start off with."

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"I also love their vitamin C serum that's affordable, has 10% ascorbic acid."

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"CeraVe vitamin C serums are about 20 bucks that's a great start with 10 ascorbic acid."

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"It's like twenty to twenty-five bucks and it's one fluid ounce which is pretty standard but very affordable. But the only critique I have to say with this one is that you have to use it within two to four months otherwise it will oxidize pretty quickly. It becomes like this dark syrupy orange, which you don't want to put on your face. It's not dangerous to use but I'm sure the potency goes down quite a bit."

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"CeraVe makes a vitamin C serum that's like 20 something bucks that one's very affordable. If you have sensitive skin, if you have rosacea, you want to try to take it easy and maybe start with something very affordable like that one. It's 10% ascorbic acid."

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"CeraVe makes a 10% ascorbic acid serum that you can consider. It's a good start as well and it's like 25 bucks as well at your local store or online."

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"If you are unsure if you can tolerate ascorbic acid, this is 10% pure vitamin C or ascorbic acid. You got panthenol which is a vitamin B5 and that has moisturizing and hydrating benefits as well as hyaluronic acid and the three essential ceramides. This is a nice start, but I feel like you got to use it in like three to four months because it oxidizes and changes color quite readily. That's my critique for vitamin C is that you're spending all this money on it, you got to use it right."

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"CeraVe's vitamin C serum is 10% ascorbic acid. If you have sensitive skin or rosacea, [...] you can consider [...] just a basic intro to the vitamin C world. [...] Start with CeraVe's $23 intro vitamin C serum and see if you can tolerate the ascorbic acid itself. You definitely have to keep it in a cool area. Some people keep it in their skincare fridge which is fine but not necessary."

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"If you want to go for an intro vitamin C serum that's quite affordable and about 25 bucks, CeraVe's vitamin C serum has 10% ascorbic acid. When you look at ascorbic acid, I'd say about 10 to 20% is usually where people want to shoot for. 15% I think is a great compromise. I think 20% can be a little irritating for my patients, and so 15% is nice. Just use [...] a few drops in the morning and then go ahead and put your moisturizer on and your sunscreen."

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"It's a nice introductory vitamin C serum with hyaluronic acid and your three essential ceramides. It's about $22 to $25 depending where you get it. The critique I have though is if you don't use this within 2 to 4 months, this can oxidize quite quickly and it turns from a nice yellow color to a darker orange to even a brown syrupy color. If you don't use this up quickly, you can keep it in a cool place, maybe even in your skincare fridge, but a cool place will suffice."

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Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

~Yay

"You don't necessarily have to splurge to get a good vitamin C serum backed by science. [...] There are great ones over the counter, and CeraVe's vitamin C is one of them, it's great for brightening and supporting collagen."

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"The CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum is one of the more affordable options that exist."

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"I recommend this one for a few reasons: number one, it does contain a lower concentration but still an effective concentration of ascorbic acid, so it's going to be less irritating than some of the higher concentrations like 15% or 20%. Two, it's formulated in a rich, creamier serum that is not watery, so it's less acidic and therefore usually less irritating and causes less burning sensation on the skin."

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"For all of my sensitive skin friends and followers THD ascorbate is one that I probably recommend more over pure vitamin C"

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"It contains 5% THD ascorbate, a lipid soluble vitamin C that is more stable than traditional pure ascorbic acid but also has been proven to work effectively as an antioxidant and helps with brightening benefits and collagen support. This one is a great option for those who have more sensitive skin as well for those that may be more sensitive to pure vitamin C. THD ascorbate is actually my go-to vitamin C derivative that I recommend that has been well studied."

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Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

~Nay

"We lack ceramides for skin of color, so I love that CeraVe is going to use ceramides, that's what I love about the brand. The negatives, unfortunately, is this has got 10% L-ascorbic acid, which I don't love for us to be using every morning, it's too much, and it's not in an airless pump. And the sixth ingredient they've put in here is denatured alcohol. I really expected better from you, CeraVe. I'm sorry, this one's a definite no."

Dr. Sam Ellis

902k subs

~Yay

"Aside from that ascorbic acid, it also has those skin barrier supporting ceramides that CeraVe is super well known for. And I would have to say this is one of my absolute favorite budget friendly vitamin C serums. It's very fairly priced. It's good for travel. It still has the most proven form of vitamin C, ascorbic acid, at a slightly lower concentration. So if someone does have slightly sensitive skin, but still wants to be using the most proven form of vitamin C, excellent option."

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"I often get asked about the L'Oreal Revitalift vitamin C serum as well as the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum, and I think these are nice formulations. I've used them before. They're a little bit thicker and a little bit more oily, but I do feel like some people prefer that texture with their vitamin C. [...] They're made by very reputable companies, so I would trust that type of vitamin C, but my personal preference is the water-based vitamin C's."

208SkinDoc

2.11M subs

~Yay

"CeraVe also, with ascorbyl glucoside, has a great vitamin C. This is one of the entry-level ones that I would recommend."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Nay

"CeraVe is great for cleansing or moisturizer. I don't really like a lot of their other actives and things like that. Like CeraVe's vitamin C serum, I don't love. I didn't find it to be elegant feeling or anything like that."

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"I don't know how they call this a serum it is thick it's grainy it does not have any of the same properties as the geek and gorgeous. [...] It's just thick and it's expensive and it just is not nearly as elegant or effective as the geek and gorgeous in my opinion."

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"I didn't love the texture of the CeraVe Vitamin C Serum and it's not really a serum, it's more of a lotion. It kind of irritated my skin a little bit, but it seems to work well for a lot of other people."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Yay

"Even though I don't get along with [...] vitamin C serums because they tend to irritate my skin, I did like the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum. [...] They're an L'Oreal brand with lots of R&D. [...] They also threw in some caffeine, so caffeine in a serum is an interesting ingredient [...] because a subset of people who have puffiness [...] get a good depuffing effect from topical caffeine, especially coupled with a cold temperature like a chilled moisturizer or a cold applicator."

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"CeraVe, a L'Oreal brand, their ascorbic acid is in a tube, which I think helps minimize air and light exposure even further with ongoing use. I reviewed this for you guys a while ago, but that would be another option."

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"This CeraVe one is an alternative to the expensive Skinceuticals CE Ferulic serum. It has ascorbic acid, which is the evidence-based form of vitamin C [...] for improving the signs of skin aging. [...] In terms of how it stacks up with the other one, there are no head-to-head studies, but it's a more affordable option."

Dr. Mamina

283k subs

~Yay

"In terms of drugstore vitamin C serums, one of my favorites is the Vichy vitamin C serum as well as the CeraVe vitamin C serum. If you have vitamin C, I always tell patients to store it in a cool dark place. You want to keep it potent. You don't want it to be exposed to sunlight."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

~Nay

"On paper there's absolutely no reason for this to be my least favorite because the vitamin C concentration I think is reasonable and the packaging is opaque, but I find that this vitamin C oxidizes ridiculously fast and it's exploded all over multiple of my backpacks and it's just a mess. [...] Aesthetically it's okay, it's not like a win in any category. So I think if you're new to a vitamin C, the CeraVe vitamin C is a reasonable starting point, but I wouldn't stay there for long."

The Budget Dermatologist

725k subs

~Yay

"This has 10% pure vitamin C serum. I [...] really like this product. I'm loving this package because it is opaque so it will protect it against the light breakdown of it. It's an airtight container that also can protect it from air getting to it to break it down. [...] The vitamin C ingredient is really obviously the hero ingredient here."

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"Save makes products that are formulated with ceramides and other technology that really helps nourish the skin and protect your skin barrier, which is so important when you have vitamin C because that ingredient in and of itself can be irritating. One of the best drugstore picks, 10% is a great concentration. You don't need to go crazy."

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"The other key ingredients in this product are ceramides which help reinforce that skin barrier and the other great thing about this is it's a lot more affordable. This one is actually $29.99 so quite a bit more savings. [...] I really love this one for sensitive skin people it's not crazy expensive. [...] I've used this a lot personally in the past feels very nice this is definitely a must."

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"I have been using this for years. [...] It has 10% L-ascorbic acid in it. I recommend this for somebody who's ready to start a vitamin C serum, they've never tried it, they don't know if it's going to work for their skin, maybe they have a little bit of sensitive skin. [...] This is such a great product to get your foot in the door and see if this vitamin C category is right for your skin. I love this one because this formulation has ceramides in it, so it's also nourishing to the skin."

April Basi

72k subs

~Yay

"The product I recommend for dry skin is CeraVe's 10% Vitamin C Serum. It's lovely for dry skin because it has three ceramides, ceramide NP, AP, and EOP, which are naturally found in the skin, so the product having these ingredients is very complementary because your skin instantly recognizes it and it really helps to start repairing that skin barrier."

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"This one contains 10% vitamin C, which is amazing because it's not going to irritate the skin, especially if you're older. It also has three essential ceramides that are actually found in the skin naturally, ceramide NP, EOP and AP. This product containing these three essential ceramides will really help boost the skin's barrier and help nourish it, especially if you're noticing a lot more dryness as we get older, since our skin does lose elasticity."

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"If you have drier skin and your issue is working on that skin barrier, a damaged skin barrier, I recommend the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum, because this one has all three of the ceramides I talked about, ceramide NP, AP, and EOP, which help to really repair that skin barrier."

Dr. Aanchal MD

3.50M subs

~Yay

"You can use a vitamin C serum like this one by CeraVe. This is very lightweight, non-sticky, does not cause acne, and it feels very moisturizing on the skin. So just two to three drops on the whole face should be good."

Hyram

4.33M subs

~Yay

"If you want a similar vitamin C serum without citrus extracts, the CeraVe vitamin C serum is a really good one, especially for addressing hyperpigmentation. I've used that one a lot in the past."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

~Yay

"CeraVe has their Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum which is $27. It's 10 percent ascorbic acid with panthenol, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. It is a white milky sort of serum. It still has a smell, but this is CeraVe's vitamin C serum that you guys all love."

Dr Alexis Stephens

582k subs

~Yay

"This is the CeraVe Vitamin C Serum. Most importantly is the packaging. It's 10% L-ascorbic acid, but this packaging will hold up with different light and as oxygen and air gets exposed to it as you're using it. This is actually the same kind of packaging that a lot of medication comes in, so I really like the stability of this packaging."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

~Mixed

"But there are other vitamin C formulas that pair ascorbic acid with vitamin E and ferulic acid or have more established stability data. [...] Alcohol denat. is high on the ingredient list, and [...] people with very dry or sensitive skin might not like it. Personally I didn't love the texture. It's good, and if you like it and see results, [...] stick with it."