Two products, one vitamin
Vitamin C on your skin and vitamin C in a tablet do unrelated things. Swallowing it supports immune function and helps your body build collagen. Applying it brightens pigmentation and protects against daily sun damage. Taking tablets will not brighten your face, and a serum will not shorten a cold.
For skin
The Vitamin C Brightening Face Serum (Rs 2,000) is the topical option here. Use it in the morning under sunscreen, where it adds to the protection rather than replacing it.
Storing a vitamin C serum
It oxidises. When the liquid turns from clear or pale straw to orange or brown, it has lost potency and should be replaced. Keep it away from sunlight and heat, which in a Karachi or Lahore summer means keeping it out of the bathroom windowsill.
For immunity
Cee 500mg chewable tablets (Rs 690) and Asco-C sachets (Rs 325) are the daily options. Around 500mg a day is the useful range for most adults. Much beyond 1000mg is mostly excreted, and large doses can upset the stomach.
Vitamin C with glutathione
Glutathione is poorly absorbed on its own and vitamin C helps, which is why the two are sold together. The Gluthic + CEE bundle (Rs 3,430) is that pairing, and the Beauty-from-Within Glow Pack (Rs 3,620) adds collagen.
During flu season
The Immunity & Detox Shield Combo (Rs 5,188) is the broader stack. Worth being realistic about what vitamin C does here: the evidence says it may slightly shorten a cold you already have, not that it prevents you catching one.
Vitamin C FAQs
How much vitamin C should I take a day?
Around 500mg suits most adults. Above 1000mg most of it is simply excreted, and high doses can cause stomach upset and, in people prone to them, kidney stones.
My vitamin C serum turned orange. Is it still usable?
It has oxidised and lost most of its potency. It is not dangerous, but it is no longer doing much. Store the next bottle away from light and heat.
Can I use vitamin C serum with niacinamide?
Yes. The idea that they cancel each other out came from studies on unstable raw ingredients at high temperature, not finished products.
Does vitamin C prevent colds?
No. Regular intake may shorten a cold slightly once you have one, but the evidence does not support it stopping you getting ill.