10 Best Tried and True Japanese Vitamin C Serums in 2023 (Beauty Expert-Reviewed)

Astalift White Essence Infilt by Fujifilm is a medicated whitening beauty essence that includes nano-sized moisturizing ingredients.

A key factor that made this product stand out during our evaluation was its moisturizing abilities. The skin moisture content increased by 95% after use, even two hours after application. The slightly thicker texture allowed the product to sink deeply into the crevices of the skin and made the skin moist and plump.

A decent amount of magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (a vitamin C ingredient) is included in this product as an active ingredient. Abundant amounts of conditioning ingredients like collagen tripeptide F and astaxanthin solution are also included, making it a good product for skin conditioning purposes, too.

Not only is this product a good vitamin C serum, but it's also a great skin conditioning product. If you're looking for a well-rounded product, this is the one for you!

Etvos' Acne VC Cream Gel I is a vitamin C serum that helps with dryness, skin whitening, and rough skin.

A high amount of the vitamin C ingredient ascorbyl tetra-2-hexyldecanoate is included in this product as an active ingredient. The product is gentle and showed good results with regard to skin whitening and skin conditioning.

Our testers noted that it had a "cream-like feel" and that it "stretched onto the skin nicely and gave the skin a tight feel." The moisture that came with using this product was highly evaluated. For those with normal skin, this product likely has the perfect amount of moisture.

This product is great for anyone who is looking for a vitamin C serum that also includes whitening and conditioning effects.

This serum is a whitening essence that also helps to prevent rough skin and acne.

Skin moisture content increased by 94% with this product, even two hours post-application. This product can also be expected to prevent rough skin due to dryness. One tester noted that the product lacked in providing a "plump" feel; however, looking at skin moisture content, it's evident that this product is great at providing and retaining moisture.

As skin conditioning ingredients, the vitamin C ingredients L-ascorbic acid dl-α-tocopherol phosphoric acid diester potassium salt and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate are included. They aren't included in high amounts, but they can still be expected to penetrate the outermost layer of the skin to produce effects. There are almost no ingredients included that can be considered irritants to sensitive skin, ranking this product high in gentleness, too.

This serum is perfect for those who want an easy-to-use product that is suitable for sensitive skin or for those who are looking for a product with high moisturizing abilities.

Ayura White Concentrate is a great product not only for those who are exposed to ultraviolet rays often but also for those who simply want their skin to appear brighter.

3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid is included as a skin conditioning agent and is a vitamin C derivative with high skin permeability. This product also includes active ingredients to help combat rough skin as well as whitening agents that aren't too harsh on the skin. In addition, the many moisturizing ingredients in this product can be expected to help smooth the skin.

The texture of the loose, gel-like liquid is light and refreshing and has a comforting floral scent. The feel on the skin is moist, though this can come off as slightly sticky to some. Check out this serum if you want a relaxing, comforting skin care experience while also combatting rough skin.

Dr.Ci:Labo's VC100 Double Repair Serum is a double-layer essence that is said to penetrate every corner and crevice of the skin.

The texture is light and smooth, almost like water. Our testers evaluated this product highly, noting that it was, "so light as if it weren't an oil serum," or that they "don't usually like oils but this one was easy to use." On the other hand, the moisturizing abilities of this product were not so great, making it less ideal for dry skin.

Two kinds of penetrating vitamin C and pure vitamin C are included in this product working to condition the skin from both the surface and the stratum corneum layer. In addition, oils, amino acids, and human ceramides are included in the product in a well-balanced way. A downside to this product, however, is in its moisture retention abilities; two hours after application of this product, skin moisture content was only up 49%.

The Minon Amino Moist Mild Whitening is a vitamin C serum meant for dry and sensitive skin.

The texture of this product was milky and lotion-like and didn't leave the skin feeling sticky. The moisturizing abilities were moderate, with skin moisture content increasing by 79% two hours after application. For those with normal skin, this level of moisture retention is sufficient, but for those with extremely dry skin, this product may not be moisturizing enough.

With the addition of the active ingredient L-ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, the skin permeation of this product is decent. Moisturizing ingredients like pseudo-ceramides and a variety of amino acids make the skin feel smooth. The combination of active ingredients with ingredients to prevent rough skin make this product gentle on the skin and easy to use, even for those with sensitive skin. 

Takami Essence CE is a serum that is said to create moisturized and bright skin.

We felt that this product spread easily and naturally, absorbing into the skin quickly. However, the moisturizing abilities were relatively low; two hours after application, skin moisture content was only up by 28%. If you're looking for something moisturizing, use this product in tandem with a moisturizer or lotion.

This product includes three types of vitamin C ingredients, blended into a perfect composition. Not only are the vitamin C ingredients great, but the amino acids and ceramides included in this product can also be expected to beautify the skin. This is the perfect product for someone who wants to keep their skin feeling healthy!

This is a serum that contains four types of vitamin C ingredients.

The texture of the product was oily and felt a bit heavy, but it blended and absorbed into the skin decently. While one of our testers found the serum to make the skin feel squeaky, another found it to feel slimy. The scent was also a dividing factor, given that the strong citrus scent was pleasurable to some but not to others.

However, the composition of ingredients in this product is perfect. The high concentration of vitamin C can be irritating to those with sensitive skin, but for those with normal skin, this product can be expected to produce beautifying effects. This product also scored high in moisturizing abilities, making it great as a moisturizing product to use on areas on the skin that tend to dry out.

This serum claims to target dullness and texture concerns caused by dryness of the skin.

The product blends smoothly into the skin with its light, watery texture. Using this product made our skin feel moist and plump while not being sticky, making it the perfect product for all seasons and skin types. One downside to this product is the scent. One tester noted its unique, oil-like fragrance that may not be too pleasant for those who are sensitive to smells.

unlabel Labo's V Essence contains both water-soluble and oil-soluble vitamin C ingredients. Specifically, the 3-glyceryl ascorbate can be said to be included in the perfect amount. In our moisturizing ability evaluation, we found that two hours after application, skin moisture content increased by 106%, making it a great moisturizing product. It is the perfect product for both its beautifying effects and moisturizing care.

The Arouge Whitening Essence is a medicated serum that is great for those looking for a whitening essence that is gentle on the skin.

The texture of the product is milky and lotion-like. While it's light and easy to blend, it provides ample moisture to the skin. It's not recommended for those who like a refreshing feel but is the perfect product for those looking for something lightly moisturizing. Note that in our evaluation, skin moisture content only increased by 58%, though, meaning it's not the best for those with dry skin.

The ascorbic acid 2-glucoside that is included as an active ingredient can be expected to help the product penetrate into the skin and maintain skin conditioning effects. In addition, the skin conditioning ingredient ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate can be expected to have excellent skin beautifying effects. The amount of vitamin C in the product is also decent.