★ Best Pick
Best Value: Rohto's Melano CC uses 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid — a stable vitamin C derivative that doesn't require pH below 3.5 — making it the most practical daily-use option for reactive skin types. At its budget price for 20 mL, the cost-of-failure is negligible, and the serum absorbs cleanly without the tacky finish that budget Western vitamin C serums often have.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://pickly.blog/en/articles/best-vitamin-c-serum-2026/