The best vitamin C supplements 2024 – for healthy skin and immunity
An important nutrient for healthy skin and immunity, vitamin C supplements are some of the most popular. Read our expert reviews of the best on the market
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an essential water-soluble vitamin that isn’t stored by the body, so it needs to be consumed regularly to prevent deficiency. It has many significant roles in the body, including maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage; helping with wound healing and as an antioxidant protecting cells from damage.
Most people have enough vitamin C in their diet and deficiency is very rare, although those who restrict their diet, and people who eat very little fruit and vegetables are more at risk of low vitamin C intake.
Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables in varying amounts. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, blackcurrants and green vegetables. If you are keen to increase your vitamin C intake, it’s always best to start with increasing the number of vitamin C-rich foods you eat, as this also provides a plethora of other essential nutrients. But, if you are considering a supplement, read on to find out which brands we rated.
For more information on vitamin C, you might also like to read our article what is vitamin C? and round-up of the top 10 healthiest sources of vitamin C.
Jump to section:
- Best vitamin C supplements at a glance
- Best vitamin C supplements to buy in the UK 2024
- How much vitamin C should I take?
- How should I take a vitamin C supplement?
- What form of vitamin C should I take?
- What format of vitamin C is best?
- What we looked for in vitamin C supplements
Best vitamin C supplements at a glance
Best vitamin C capsules:
- Vitl Vitamin C, £8
- Cytoplan Vitamin C1000mg with bioflavonoids, £16.70
- Nutravita Vitamin C 1000mg with bioflavonoids & rosehip, £11.99
- Weightworld vitamin C with rosehips and bioflavonoids, £8.49
- Superdrug immune defence vitamin C 500mg, £4.99
- H&B high strength vitamin C 1000mg, £12.49
- BioCare vitamin C 1000, £11.95
- Wild Nutrition Vitamin C Plus, £25
- Zooki Vitamin C 1000mg capsules, £24.99
- MyVitamins vitamin C, £6.99
Best vitamin C spray:
- Better you Vitamin C Daily oral spray, £11.95
Best vitamin C liquid:
- Zooki Vitamin C liquid sachets – orange flavour, £44.99
Best vitamin C supplements 2024
Best vitamin C capsules
Vitl Vitamin C
Available from Amazon (£8), Ocado (£8), Vitl (£8.99)
Star rating: 5/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 27p
Containing a sizeable 500mg of ascorbic acid (625% NRV) per tablet with 50mg added citrus bioflavonoids (hesperidin) which occur naturally together in citrus fruit, these are a standard-sized tablet, coated with cellulose, which our tester found easy to swallow with no unpleasant smell or flavour.
Available from:
Cytoplan Vitamin C1000mg with bioflavonoids
Available from Cytoplan (£16.70), Revital (£29.30), Vitality Vitamins (£29.30)
Star rating: 5/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 14p
A high dose of 1000mg ascorbic acid (1250% RNV) with added citrus bioflavonoids makes this a good value capsule that our tester found on the large side, but not too difficult to swallow.
Available from:
Cytoplan (£16.70)
Revital (£29.30)
Vitality Vitamins (£29.30)
Nutravita Vitamin C 1000mg with bioflavonoids & rosehip
Available from Amazon £11.99, Nutravita (£15.99), Superdrug (£16.99)
Star rating: 4.5/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 9p
Our tester found this to have an aftertaste but the tablets were a manageable size. The large pack size of 180 tablets makes it an economical purchase. 1000mg Vitamin C as ascorbic acid, with added bioflavonoids and rosehip for just 9p per day is a good price option if you don’t mind the taste.
Available from:
WeightWorld vitamin C with rosehips and bioflavonoids
Available from WeightWorld (£8.49), Amazon (£8.49)
Star rating: 4.5/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 5p
One of the cheapest options containing 1000mg ascorbic acid and added rosehip and bioflavonoids. The tablets could easily be broken in half so that they can be made easier to swallow. Added talc gave some concern, however.
Available from:
Superdrug immune defence vitamin C 500mg
Available from Superdrug (£4.99)
Star rating: 4/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 6p
Nearly 3 month’s supply but if you like them, this is a cheap option with no frills. The tablets provide 500mg vitamin C as ascorbic acid and can easily be split in half to make taking them easy. Quite a few additives listed on ingredients.
Available from:
H&B high strength 1000mg
Available from Holland & Barrett (£12.49)
Star rating: 4/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 16p
With 1000mg vitamin c ascorbic acid and added citrus bioflavonoids and rosehips this is a good low-priced product. Our tester found the tablet size rather large and quite a long list of added ingredients such as bulking agents and anti-caking agents.
Available from:
BioCare vitamin C 1000
Available from BioCare (£11.95), Revital (£11.95), Amazon (£11.95)
Star rating: 4/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 40p
A larger-sized tablet making them hard to swallow. The magnesium ascorbate format is alleged to be gentler on the stomach as these are less acidic and the magnesium content of 60mg contributes a useful amount, plus bilberry powder provides some polyphenols. A lot of added ingredients are listed, including bulking agents.
Available from:
BioCare (£11.95)
Revital (£11.95)
Amazon (£11.95)
Wild Nutrition Vitamin C Plus
Available from Wild Nutrition (£25), Revital (£25), Amazon (£25)
Star rating: 4/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 84p
One of the most expensive products, but a lower dose than most providing 350mg (438% NRV) along with 160mg bioflavonoids. The main ingredient is “nutrition-enhanced” citrus pulp and vegetable cellulose for the capsule shell. The Wild Nutrition statement on the box claims that the company's “Food Grown (TM)” ingredients ...“are easily absorbed, kinder to your digestive system and better used by your body”.
Available from:
Zooki Vitamin C 1000mg capsules
Available from Zooki (£24.99), Planet Organic (£24.99), Amazon (£24.99)
Star rating: 3.5/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 84p
One of the more expensive options as it uses liposomal microensapsulation which manufacturers claim improves absorption. Capsules are large and 2 needed for a daily dose, with a faint citrus aroma.
Available from:
MyVitamins Vitamin C
Available from MyVitamins (£6.99), MyProtein (£6.99)
Star rating: 3.5/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 24p
A basic product at mid-price point. Simply vitamin C, providing 1000mg (1250% NRV) but our tester found the capsules unnecessarily large.
Available from:
Best vitamin C spray
Better You Vitamin C Daily Oral spray
Available from Better You (£11.95), Bodykind (£11.95), Amazon (£11.95)
Star rating: 4/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 37p
A sweet orangey flavour to spray five times onto the inner cheek which manufacturers claim is best for rapid absorption, bypassing the gut. Provides 120mg vitamin C as easy-to-absorb ascorbic acid and can be taken at any time of the day not needing any water. Our tester found it easy to use.
Available from:
Best vitamin C liquid
Zooki Vitamin C liquid sachets – orange flavour
Available from Zooki (£44.99), Holland & Barrett (£44.99), Victoria Health (£44.99)
Star rating: 3.5/5
Price per day (recommended dose): 83p
Made using ‘liposomal technology’ that manufacturers claim to increase absorption. These contain a generous 1000mg (1250% NRV) of vitamin C and a few additives including glycerin and sucrose, but with added vitamin E. Our tester found it very sweet and with a thick consistency.
Available from:
How much vitamin C should I take?
The recommended daily dose (NRV) of vitamin C for adults is 80mg although the NHS advises adults should take 40mg per day.
For labelling purposes, the nutrient reference value (NRV) or recommended daily amount, that you will see on labels, is 80mg. (This is the amount set by the EU for food labelling purposes and has been retained under UK food law.)
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, and so when the body becomes saturated with vitamin C, any excess is simply excreted in urine. Many supplements contain far more than the NRV, up to 1250%, and as dose sizes increase, is likely that less is absorbed.
Vitamin C does not seem to cause significant adverse or toxic effects, and as such there is no upper limit, but very high doses, over 1000mg have been linked to gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea, cramps and diarrhoea. Other studies have suggested that long-term excessive vitamin C intake could be linked with formation of kidney stones.
How should I take a vitamin C supplement?
Most vitamin C supplements suggest taking alongside food, and at a regular time, although there are no hard and fast rules regarding this. There is some research suggesting that taking ascorbic acid with food slows down the rate of stomach emptying and theoretically increases absorption. Sticking to a regular mealtime can help with remembering to take the supplement.
What form of vitamin C should I take?
Vitamin C is usually provided as ascorbic acid, or L-ascorbic acid. Natural and synthetic ascorbic acid are chemically identical and equally bioavailable, both being readily absorbed by the body, in a similar way to food sources such as orange juice or broccoli.
There are other versions of the vitamin:
Mineral ascorbates, such as magnesium ascorbate, is less acidic, and theoretically less irritating to the digestive tract, but there is little evidence to show any difference in absorption. Liposomally-encapsulated, (fat coated) vitamin C is also available and some studies suggest that this may be better absorbed than the non-encapsulated form, but more research is needed to establish this.
Vitamin C supplements may also contain bioflavonoids, which are polyphenol compounds (plant chemicals) thought to have potential additional health benefits, and which occur naturally alongside vitamin C in food sources such as fruits and vegetables.
There is little evidence to suggest that the presence of bioflavonoids can enhance the uptake of vitamin C from supplements.
What format of vitamin C is best?
It doesn’t really matter – so go with personal preference. There seems to be similar bioavailability from vitamin C taken as chewable gummies and tablets and liquids. Sprays used in the mouth have claimed to deliver the nutrients directly into the bloodstream via the membrane of the inner cheek, bypassing the gut.
What we looked for in vitamin C supplements
All supplements were tested within the same time period, with observations recorded based on the testing criteria. We included samples from various manufacturers, offering diverse formats such as tablets, capsules, gummies, liquids and sprays, with a range of price points to suit different budgets. The key areas we assessed were as follows:
Taste and flavour: is the consuming experience pleasant?
Nutrient profile: how much vit. C is included in the daily dose? How does this compare to the NRV?
Additives: does the product contain additives, for example: preservatives, artificial sweeteners or colourings?
Dietary requirements: does the product meet any specific dietary needs – is it vegetarian, vegan?
Value for money: how does it compare to other products on a cost-per-day basis
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