Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin C
First off, what is vitamin C?
As far as your skin is concerned, vitamin C is "a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals," explains board-certified dermatologist Patricia Wrxler. "Because of its antioxidant properties, vitamin C aids in your skin's natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells."
So, in the same way that consuming antioxidant-rich foods aids your body in fighting off free radicals, topical antioxidants do the same for your skin by helping to offset daily aggressors like UV damage and exposure to air pollution. Quick refresher course on antioxidants: They prevent or reduce damage to our cells by neutralizing the production of highly reactive molecules called free radicals. In other words, antioxidants help keep our body and our skin cells healthy.
This free-radical fighting power isn't just important for helping to keep signs of premature aging at bay. In neutralizing these free radicals, vitamin C may also help protect skin from precancerous changes caused by UV exposure.
When it comes to your skin, vitamin c has a truly noteworthy resume
- Fights lines and wrinkles; When it comes to fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of your skin’s wear and tear, vitamin C is a handy tool to have in your arsenal. Research shows this nutrient helps protect against damage and aids in skin regeneration, by neutralizing free radicals.
Promotes the production of Collagen and reduce Wrinkles formation.
- Revitalizes sun-damaged skin
Prolonged sun exposure does a number on the skin — flakiness, discolored patches (sunspots), rough areas, rosacea, etc. But topically applying a daily vitamin C dose may guard your skin from taking too much damage. One study found people with mild to moderately photo-damaged skin experienced a significant improvement in skin appearance, including fine lines, roughness, and skin tone, after using a topical vitamin C treatment for 3months.
- Evens out tone and minimize redness
Blotchy, uneven skin can result from a number of factors, from sun exposure to hormones to medical conditions.
The good news is, vitamin C has proven itself a hearty warrior in the fight against redness, as it helps mend the damaged capillaries that cause this discoloration and strengthen them for the future.
- Hydrates thirsty skin
Your skin needs to be kept hydrated, and your new chum vitamin C is here to bring the juice (or water, we should say). It also helps your skin retain water, preventing it from becoming too dry or oily.
- Improves elasticity
Topical vitamin C has been shown to encourage collagen production, a naturally occurring protein in our body that helps give skin that tight, plump look.
Since the body naturally makes less and less collagen as it ages, using an ingredient like vitamin C can help slow down skin aging.
- Helps reduce inflammation
If your skin is red, irritated and showing signs of a rash, there’s a good chance that an underlying immune response, infection, or allergic reaction is behind it.
While many causes require medication to ease their effects, studies show topical vitamin C to be effective in relieving signs associated with inflammatory skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne, and psoriasis.
- Eases hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation refers to dark patches of skin, caused when the body produces too much melanin (the pigment that gives your skin its color).
While generally not harmful, hyperpigmentation can prove distracting — but topically applying vitamin C has been shown to decrease its signs, as it inhibits production of tyrosinase, an enzyme that contributes to melanin production.
- Calms down sunburn
While we’re certainly not suggesting vitamin C as an alternative to ditching the SPF, if you do have a sunburn mishap, it can help steer you away from Rudolph territory.
This clever nutrient helps speed up cell turnover meaning sunburned skin is rejuvenated and heals faster.
- Aids healing
As if it didn’t already boast enough superpowers, vitamin C has been proven beneficial in helping repair wounds.
This is thought to be as a result of its ability to increase the movement and number of fibroblasts in our skin — the connective tissue cells that are key to the healing process.
How to incorporate vit c into your routine
While this antioxidant is in many of our everyday foods (kale, broccoli, strawberries, and oranges, especially), you have to apply it topically for your skin to enjoy its full effects.
The good news is, whether your skin is dry, oily or some weird combo you’re still trying to figure out, vitamin C doesn’t play favorites — as long as you play nice and apply it correctly.
“Vitamin C is best implemented into your routine with a serum, as this allows the L-ascorbic acid to remain stable and more effective,” Dr. Taghipour explains. “It will also absorb into the skin better, as serum is a lighter formulation than moisturizer.”
In terms of when to use it, vitamin C should become a staple in your morning routine, as this allows it to do its work in protecting skin from free radicals during the day.
“You should cleanse and tone, then apply your vitamin C serum and follow with a moisturizer,” says Dr. Taghipour.
Don’t forget to apply sunscreen after moisturizing, in order for the two products to work well together to combat UV exposure, she adds.
Quick take: Apply a vitamin C once or twice a day, after toner and before your moisturizer. Always wear SPF with products that contain vitamin C.
Criteria for choosing Vitamin C that is Right for you
Have shown that daily application of vitamin C serum within the ranges of 5 to 20% offers significant benefits to the skin. So, when choosing a vitamin C serum look for these ranges. It is always tempting to want to go higher than 20% but ny vitamin C serum higher than 20%will most likely lead to skin irritation.
Vitamin C is highly unstable. For example, take a drop of vitamin C serum and expose it to air or light, within minutes, it becomes oxidized. Meaning, it goes bad and changes color immediately.
Vitamin C is stable in PH that is less than 3.5. This product has a PH of which is excellent news. With ESTHEDERM Vitamin C you are sure to get the best result;
. Brightening
. wrinkles reduction
. Reduces inflammation
. Promotes collagen
. Skin smoothing
. Firming
. Fades dark spots
. Photoprotection
Medically reviewed by
— Written by
Chantelle Pattemore on March 26, 2020
