My DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe & Skincare Routine

This early post with my DIY vitamin C serum recipe is one of my most visited and linked to posts of all time!

When I first started making my DIY vitamin C serum recipe I was only making the 10% concentration. Now I make my DIY vitamin C serum recipe in smaller batches of two stronger concentrations… 15% and 20%.

My gravestone will probably say, ‘it’s not how old you are, it’s how old you look.’ And I invest heavily in looking younger than my age.

At forty, I’ve got one barely discernible forehead line, and not a trace of crows feet.  I don’t think I can credit good genes. Instead, I credit staying out of the sun, wearing sunglasses year round, drinking lots of tea for the antioxidants, monthly fruit acid facials, and following a strict skincare program.

I love reading other people’s skincare routines, so in the spirit of sharing, here’s mine…

My Morning Skincare Routine

• Exfoliate with 2% Salicylic Acid (not on days following Retin-A night)
• Wash with Dove Soap
• DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe 20% (on a damp face)
• Boots Perfect and Protect Intense Eye Cream
• Boots Perfect and Protect Intense Serum
• Olay Complete Care SPF 15 Day Fluid (warm weather)
• Boots Perfect and Protect Intense Day Cream with SPF 15 (cold weather)
• Carole Maggio’s Ultimate Facercise

Scandinavian winters are hard on my skin because of the wind and artificial heat, so the Olay moisturizer is a bit too light in those months, which is why I switch to a heavier day cream.

My Nighttime Skincare Routine I

• Wash with Dove Soap (same as above)
• Boots Perfect and Protect Intense Serum (same as above)
• Boots Perfect and Protect Intense Eye Cream (same as above)
• Olay Firm & Lift Night Cream
• Baby Quasar MD Plus (three minutes per area)
• Carole Maggio’s Ultimate Facercise (same as above)

My Nighttime Skincare Routine II

• Wash with Dove Soap (same as above)
• Baby Quasar MD Plus(same as above, three minutes per area)
• Retin-A
• Boots Perfect and Protect Intense Eye Cream (same as above)
• L’Oreal Extraordinary Facial Oil
• Carole Maggio Facercise (same as above)

My skin can’t tolerate Retin-A on consecutive days, so I use it every other day, alternating between Nighttime Skincare I & II. The emu oil helps to prevent any irritation.

Facial Exercise

Facercise is meant to be done twice a day… ideally, I split it up between morning and night, but that doesn’t always happen.  It takes eleven minutes so sometimes I do my first run-through, then the LightStim, then my second run-through. If I’m really pressed for time, I’ll skip one of the workouts, but I do at least one most days.

I also have a Facial Flex, but I’m just getting into that, so I don’t have any impressions. It only takes 2 minutes, so there isn’t much to lose, but it doesn’t do much for my upper face.

A lot of people think facial exercise is quackery, but I see results, so I’m happy to be a quack ; -)

DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe 15%

For a 15% solution, combine the following in a blue or amber bottle:

• 3/8 t l-ascorbic acid
• 2 t distilled water

Shake it vigorously for a few minutes until the powder dissolves, then add:

• 1/8 t propylene glycol (or glycerine if you have very dry skin)

And shake it a bit more.

DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe 20%

For a 20% solution, combine the following in a blue or amber bottle:

• 1/4 t l-ascorbic acid (same as above)
• 3/4 t distilled water

Shake it vigorously for a few minutes until the powder dissolves, then add:

• 1/4 t propylene glycol (or glycerine if you have very dry skin – same as above)

And shake it a bit more.

Introducing DIY Vitamin C Serum To Your Skin

If you’re just starting out with Vitamin C serum, start out with my original DIY vitamin C serum recipe in the 10% strength and gradually work up to the higher concentrations.

Use it every day for one or two weeks, if your skin isn’t stinging or burning, move up to the 15% DIY vitamin C serum recipe, then up to the 20% DIY vitamin C serum recipe.

If the serum irritates your skin, try using it every other day, then work up to every day.

How To Use DIY Vitamin C Serum

I use my DIY Vitamin C serum in the morning because it protects my skin from free radicals caused by UV exposure and because I use Retin-A every other night, which means that the serum doesn’t fit into my evening program.

I store my DIY Vitamin C serum in the fridge and mix up a fresh batch every week because it’s unstable and degrades quickly. The serum is usually clear, if it’s started to degrade it will turn color, at which point you should definitely pitch it and mix a fresh batch.

I used to make it in a dropper bottle, but I’ve traded the dropper top for a spray top and now I just give my face a quick mist, and let it dry before I use my eye cream, day cream, and make-up.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means that (at no cost to you) I’ll earn a small commission for any order placed through one of the links in this post.