Frequently asked questions

Morning: cleanser, Superactive Serum, moisturizer, then sunscreen. Night: cleanser, serum, moisturizer. Once or twice a week at night, use the Vitamin C Clay Mask after cleansing, rinse, then carry on with serum and moisturizer (just moisturizer if your skin feels sensitive).

The full routine, with tweaks for dry, oily and sensitive skin, is in The Gleamin brightening routine, step by step.

Start with once or twice a week. Oily skin often enjoys up to three times a week; dry or sensitive skin is happiest with once. Using it every day isn't needed and can leave skin dry or irritated. Leave it on for 10 minutes, rinse with warm water and follow with serum and moisturizer.

More in Inside our Vitamin C Clay Mask.

Apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin on the bikini line, inner thighs or underarms, once or twice a day. Keep it external, never inside. Wait a day or two after shaving or waxing, patch test first, and stop if it stings, itches or burns. Breathable cotton underwear and looser fits help by cutting friction.

Yes, every morning. UV is the biggest trigger for new pigment, so SPF 30 or higher protects everything vitamin C is working on, including on cloudy days and indoors near windows.

Most people notice skin looking fresher within the first few weeks. Skin renews itself roughly every four weeks, so give a routine 8 to 12 weeks of daily use to judge a more even-looking tone. Results vary from person to person. A photo in the same light on day one is the best way to see your progress.

Yes. You can apply the Vitamin C Clay Mask only where you need it, such as an oily T-zone, the chin, or a few spots and marks, instead of your whole face. Leave it on for the same 10 minutes, then rinse.

Spot use suits combination skin: the mask absorbs oil on the T-zone while drier cheeks get a hydrating serum instead. It also makes each jar last longer.

Yes, the Vitamin C Clay Mask works well before makeup or a big day. Right after rinsing, skin looks fresher and more radiant and feels smooth, which gives makeup a clean base.

Mask an hour or two before, follow with moisturizer (and sunscreen in the daytime), and wait a few minutes before foundation. Just don't try it for the very first time right before an event: patch test a few days ahead in case your skin reacts.

Yes, you can use vitamin C serum after a clay mask. Rinse the mask off, pat your skin dry, then apply your serum and moisturizer. With the Vitamin C Clay Mask, that means cleanse, mask for about 10 minutes, rinse, then the Superactive Serum and moisturizer.

If your skin feels tight, warm or sensitive after masking, skip the serum that night and just moisturize, then use your vitamin C the next morning under sunscreen. More in What to use after a clay mask.

Use 1 to 2 pumps of the Superactive Serum for your face, and a little more if you include your neck. Apply it to clean, dry skin after cleansing and before moisturizer, morning and night.

More isn't better: extra serum won't speed up results and can irritate. A slightly tacky feel at first is normal and settles within a minute or two. In the morning, always finish with SPF 30 or higher.

Yes, the Supernutrient Oil and the Superactive Serum work well together. Apply the serum first to clean skin, then moisturizer, then press in 2 to 3 drops of oil as the last step, because oils seal in the water-based layers underneath.

Together they give you water-soluble vitamin C from the serum and oil-soluble vitamin C from the oil. Many people use the oil at night; in the morning, use it under sunscreen only if your skin is dry.

Yes, most skin types can use the Clarifying Brightening Cleanser every day. Oily and breakout-prone skin can use it morning and night. Dry or sensitive skin often does best with once a day, in the evening, and a splash of water in the morning, because its exfoliating acids add up.

Massage it onto damp skin for about 30 seconds, then rinse. On nights you use the Vitamin C Clay Mask or another exfoliant, keep the rest of your routine gentle.

Start with the Gleamin product that matches your main concern. For dark spots and uneven tone on the face, the Superactive Serum is our most concentrated daily step. For a weekly glow, especially on oily skin, try our best-seller, the Vitamin C Clay Mask. For the bikini line, inner thighs or underarms, choose the Illuminating Intimate Serum.

Whatever you pick, wear a broad-spectrum SPF 30 every morning and introduce one product at a time.

Yes, gentle chemical exfoliants help uneven skin tone by speeding up the shedding of pigmented surface cells. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic and lactic acid work on the surface, beta hydroxy acid (BHA, salicylic acid) also clears pores, and polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) are the gentlest option for sensitive skin. On darker skin, start low and slow, 2 to 3 times a week, because over-exfoliation causes irritation that can trigger new hyperpigmentation. Always follow with sunscreen.

To take accurate before-and-after photos of dark spots, keep everything the same except time. Stand in the same place, facing a window in daylight, at the same time of day, with no filters, flash or makeup. Keep the camera at the same distance and angle, and pull your hair back.

Take one front and two side photos on day one, then every 4 weeks. Compare at 8 and 12 weeks, because day-to-day changes are too small to see in the mirror.

Use about a quarter teaspoon (roughly 1.25 mL) of sunscreen for your face, or two full finger lengths of lotion, to get the SPF on the label. SPF is tested at 2 mg per square centimeter of skin, and most people apply half that or less, which cuts protection sharply.

Add a little more for your neck and ears. Reapply every 2 hours outdoors, and after swimming or sweating.

Morning is the best time to use vitamin C for most people, because its antioxidant protection helps defend skin against UV and pollution during the day. Apply it after cleansing and before moisturizer, then always finish with broad-spectrum sunscreen. Vitamin C can also be used at night, and stable derivatives work well either time. The most important thing is using it consistently every day.

Yes, but carefully. Using a low-pH L-ascorbic acid serum at the same time as AHAs or BHAs can irritate skin, and irritation can trigger hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. A simple approach: vitamin C in the morning, exfoliating acids a few evenings a week. Gentle vitamin C derivatives such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate or tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate combine more easily with other actives.

A vitamin C toner can work, but it's usually a lighter dose than a serum. Toners are mostly water and often use low levels of stable forms such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate or ascorbyl glucoside, so they add a gentle antioxidant layer rather than a targeted step. They suit oily skin and people who like a light routine.

If dark spots or uneven tone are your main concern, a leave-on vitamin C serum used daily, followed by sunscreen, gives you more to work with.

Yes, you can use vitamin C and retinol in the same routine, usually at different times of day. Apply vitamin C in the morning for antioxidant protection under sunscreen, and retinol at night, when it's more stable and your skin can adjust. Using both at once can irritate, especially with a low-pH L-ascorbic acid serum.

Start retinol 2 to 3 nights a week, moisturize well, and wear SPF 30 or higher every day, because retinol makes skin more sensitive to the sun.

It's best not to apply vitamin C and benzoyl peroxide at the same time. Benzoyl peroxide is a strong oxidizer, so it can oxidize vitamin C on the skin and reduce its benefit, and layering the two raises the risk of dryness and irritation.

Use vitamin C in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night, or use a benzoyl peroxide wash and rinse it off before your vitamin C. Calming breakouts matters for preventing dark marks, so keep both in your routine, just apart.

You can use a clay mask in the morning or at night; how often you use it matters more than when. Night is the easiest time for most people: cleanse, mask for about 10 minutes, rinse, then follow with serum and moisturizer.

A morning mask works well before makeup or an event, because skin looks fresh and less shiny. Finish with moisturizer and a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher. Either way, skip the mask on nights you use strong exfoliating acids or retinoids so skin doesn't get over-worked. See How to use a vitamin C clay mask, step by step.

Double cleansing means washing your face twice at night: first with an oil or balm cleanser to dissolve sunscreen, makeup and oil, then with a water-based cleanser to clean the skin itself. It's most useful if you wear water-resistant sunscreen or long-wear makeup.

If you wear neither, one gentle cleanse is enough. Keep the second cleanse mild and skip scrubbing, since over-cleansing can dry and irritate skin prone to dark spots.

No, toner is optional. Modern cleansers don't leave skin at the high pH old soaps did, so most people don't need a toner to rebalance it. A toner can still be a light way to add hydration, gentle exfoliation or antioxidants: hydrating toners suit dry skin, exfoliating toners suit oily skin.

Skip alcohol-heavy astringents, which dry and irritate. If your routine already has a serum and moisturizer, you can leave toner out.

For most routines, wait 30 to 60 seconds between skincare steps, just long enough for each layer to feel mostly absorbed. Longer waits aren't needed with modern formulas.

A few exceptions: if a low-pH vitamin C or acid tingles, give it 1 to 2 minutes before the next layer; let sunscreen set for about 15 minutes before sun exposure; and wait a minute or two before makeup to avoid pilling.