Whilst vitamin C serums tend to focus on collagen synthesis, skin tone and clarity to shift pigmentation, retinol works by speeding up cell turnover. This means that retinol works extremely well when it comes to clearing out the skin and treating more serious conditions such as acne. Vitamin C brings many benefits to your skin. However retinol contains vitamin C, whilst also providing a number of other benefits. Vitamin C is a slightly calmer, more gentle serum to use on your skin. Retinol will work exactly the same but with more of a boost.