What can vitamin C do for your skin? After all, it’s a potent antioxidant with multiple benefits. For example, the best vitamin C masks even out skin tone and fade dark spots. Since they stimulate collagen production, they help erase fine lines.
Not only do they aid in repairing the skin, but they also defend against sun damage, dehydration, and environmental pollution. Also, a vitamin C mask is good for acne-prone complexions because it can reduce redness and inflammation.
Which is the best vitamin C mask?
The best vitamin C mask for your needs might be different from someone else’s. For instance, people with oily skin, blackheads, or acne could benefit from a mask that controls oil and exfoliates. Then, someone with dry, sensitive skin would be smart to try a moisturizing mask that doesn’t contain artificial fragrances.
Moreover, different types of vitamin C go by different names. Some examples include magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl palmitate. However, research shows that L-ascorbic acid is the most potent and easiest for the skin to absorb. In any case, vitamin C is sensitive to air and sunlight, so keep your mask stored in a cool, dark place (1).
Check out the highlights below to help you find the best face mask with vitamin C:
| The best vitamin C masks | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| Image Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Masque |
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| Gleamin Turmeric Vitamin C Clay Mask |
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| Face Mask Gel by Olay, Overnight Facial Moisturizer with Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid |
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| Mario Badescu Brightening Mask with Vitamin C |
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| Tatcha The Violet-C Radiance Mask |
|
| Obagi Medical Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask |
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| ANAIRUI Turmeric Vitamin C Face Mask |
|
| Garnier SkinActive Glow Boost Fresh-Mix Sheet Mask with Vitamin C |
|
Best Vitamin C Masks in 2024
Image Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Masque
Let’s begin with a brightening vitamin C mask. It’s also a deep moisturizer for dry skin. While it’s especially helpful for mature faces, anyone who wants glowing skin can enjoy it.
It smells like pineapple and papaya, but that’s not an artificial fragrance. It literally contains fruit enzymes that exfoliate and nourish the skin. The formula also features two types of vitamin C: L-ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbyl phosphate. This ensures that the skin gets maximum results from this essential nutrient.
The mask only takes 10 to 20 minutes to revitalize a dull complexion, but we’ve heard that some people leave it on overnight for extra hydration. Thankfully, it’s paraben-free.
Pros:
- Made with real fruit and two types of vitamin C
- Exfoliates and deeply moisturizes dry skin
- Leaves the complexion radiant and even-toned
- No parabens or artificial fragrance
Cons:
- Don’t apply the mask too close to the eyes
Gleamin Turmeric Vitamin C Clay Mask
If you have oily skin, give this exfoliating vitamin C mask a try. It fades dark spots like those caused by acne and sun damage, and it helps prevent new blemishes from forming.
What’s it like? Well, it’s a creamy clay mask that smells like lemons. Some reviewers say that it tingles as it dries. It’s easy to apply with the included applicator brush, but you may want to rinse it off in the shower because it’s less messy that way.
The formula exfoliates with yellow kaolin clay from Australia. Plus, it’s packed with nutrients that are cold-press extracted from aloe, sweet almond, grapeseed, and citrus oils. One of the key ingredients is turmeric, a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-acne ingredient that brightens the complexion. (Check out other turmeric skincare products if you’d like to manage acne naturally).
Happily, it’s vegan and free of artificial fragrances and parabens.
Pros:
- Exfoliating clay mask with kaolin, turmeric, and botanicals
- Brightens the complexion and fades dark spots, helps prevent new blemishes
- Vegan formula is paraben-free and has a natural citrus fragrance
- Comes with an applicator brush
Cons:
- Suggested for all skin types, but too drying to use more than once a week unless you have oily skin
Face Mask Gel by Olay with Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid
Here’s a vitamin C face mask that you can wear overnight without rinsing. Think of it as a rich moisturizer that lets you wake up with a radiant, firmer complexion. It absorbs slowly to keep hydrating the skin for up to twenty-four hours.
Besides the vitamin C complex and hyaluronic acid, it has vitamin B3, also known as niacinamide. This ingredient reduces redness and discoloration to even out skin tone. Furthermore, it helps cells retain moisture.
The mask is non-comedogenic, but it’s lightly scented with an artificial fragrance. Worse, it has parabens. However, it happens to be one of the most affordable drugstore vitamin C masks.
Pros:
- Affordable sleeping mask that plumps the skin and brightens the complexion
- Fades discoloration
- Pleasant, light fragrance
Cons:
- Contains an artificial fragrance and parabens, so do a patch test if you have sensitive skin.
Mario Badescu Brightening Mask With Vitamin C
If you feel like your skin is dull and showing its age, turn back time with this rejuvenating mask. It tingles just like a vitamin C serum, but it only takes ten minutes to work. Feel free to use it up to three times per week.
After cleansing, smooth on a thin layer (except around your eyes) and prepared to be amazed. It dries chalky like most clay masks, but it’s straightforward to rinse with warm water.
The mask feels almost like glue, probably because it has wheat starch and oat flour to feed the skin protein and antioxidants. But it’s the tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate – also known as vitamin C – that does the heavy lifting. Then, the slightly abrasive texture comes from kaolin clay to remove dead skin and impurities.
Although there is an artificial fragrance, there are no parabens.
Pros:
- Exfoliating clay mask that brightens the skin
- Leaves the face radiant after only ten minutes
- Paraben-free
Cons:
- It’s perfumed which could irritate sensitive skin
- Avoid if you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease
- Might dehydrate dry skin if used too frequently
Tatcha The Violet-C Radiance Mask
Clay masks like the one above are kind of like scrubs. They physically remove dead skin by scraping it off. If that sounds too harsh, we agree with you. We like to exfoliate with alpha-hydroxy acids like the ones in this creamy vitamin C mask.
The acids inside are derived from seven fruits. They do the job in a much gentler fashion than scrubbing can. Dissolving the bonds between the dead cells, they allow the dead skin to be swept away without harming the surface. As a result, they don’t cause microtears or strip all the moisture from the skin.
Cosmetologists and regular folks alike love this premium vitamin C mask. They say it’s the best moisturizer they’ve ever used, and it leaves the skin glowing. While you wear it, it provides an intense dose of antioxidants and nutrients from superfoods like green tea, algae, and Japanese beauty berry. At the same time, it prevents post-acne scarring with Japanese Angelica root that disperses excess melanin.
What’s more, the manufacturer donates a portion of profits to support education equality around the world. You won’t be just pampering yourself, but also helping support a brighter future for children.
Pros:
- Intensely hydrating mask with a creamy texture and subtle fragrance
- Features alpha hydroxy acids derived from seven different fruits
- Nourishes the skin with superfoods
- Treats and prevents hyperpigmentation
Cons:
- None
Obagi Medical Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask
Here’s possibly the best vitamin C mask for dark spots. It’s often used and recommended by professionals because it leaves the skin noticeably smoother and brighter immediately after only one treatment. Repeated weekly treatments will gradually even out skin tone and erase trouble spots.
It combines the power of vitamin C with ultra-fine crystals to sweep away debris and leave the skin radiant. In fact, it has an intensely high 30% concentration of L-ascorbic acid which makes it tingle like crazy. Be careful to not get it too close to your eyes.
Although it has an artificial fragrance, it’s the last ingredient.
Pros:
- Best vitamin C mask for dark spots
- Used and recommended by professionals
- 30% concentration of L-ascorbic acid with ultra-fine crystals for effective exfoliation
Cons:
- Premium price, but the product tends to last for a while
- Has an artificial fragrance
ANAIRUI Turmeric Vitamin C Face Mask
If you’re hesitating to try a clay mask because you have dry skin, here’s a good place to start. It’s suitable for any face, whether you have mature skin or an acne-prone complexion. While it cleanses pores with kaolin to make them less noticeable, it calms redness and fades discoloration.
The restorative formula leaves the skin supple and smooth, with more even skin tone and natural radiance. The magic comes from antioxidants like vitamins C and E, plus botanicals. It relies on turmeric, aloe, chamomile, and Centella asiatica to help the skin heal.
Moreover, it’s cruelty-free and hypoallergenic. The manufacturer even offers a sixty-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Exfoliating clay mask with anti-inflammatory power thanks to antioxidants and turmeric
- Fades hyperpigmentation and brightens skin tone
- Alleviates and prevents acne
- Formulated for all skin types, moisturizing, pH-balanced, and soothing
- Has no artificial fragrance or parabens
Cons:
- Don’t forget to moisturize after using the mask
Garnier SkinActive Glow Boost Fresh-Mix Sheet Mask with Vitamin C
Wouldn’t you agree that fresh is better? It might be a little extra work to use this mask, but you’ll get to prepare it yourself.
It’s a sheet mask that comes with the serum packaged separately. This keeps the serum potent without the need for scary preservatives. It’s also because the tissue of the sheet mask is infused with algae and starts to take on a jelly-like texture once it meets the serum.
The instructions include pictures, but the gist is this: you’ll need to fold the package and squeeze it to break the seal. Then swish things around until the tissue sheet is saturated. Pull it out, spread it on your face, and give it fifteen minutes to work. (What’s nice is that the eye, nose, and mouth openings are structured for Western faces, unlike most Asian sheet masks).
The serum is of 95% natural origin, with no parabens or mineral oil. Like other products from this brand, it’s certified cruelty-free. The only downer is the artificial fragrance which is always a warning sign for sensitive skin, but it smells nice.
Pros:
- Innovative sheet mask infused with algae
- The tissue becomes gel-like when infused with the vitamin-C rich serum
- Moisturizes and leaves the skin glowing with health in only fifteen minutes
- Free of parabens and mineral oil; cruelty-free
Cons:
- Not instantly ready to use – requires a little mixing before application
- Has an artificial fragrance
Conclusion
Vitamin C masks are good for leaving dull skin radiant. They moisturize and fade discoloration to perfect the complexion.
We hope the reviews helped you find your new favorite beauty mask today. If you’re pleased with it, feel free to tell us more about it in the comments below.
Source:
1. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/ss/slideshow-benefits-of-vitamin-c-for-skin Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS on November 03, 2020, accessed October 1, 2021
