Vitamin C Skin Benefits

Vitamin C: The Brightening Super Star

Vitamin C has been raved about so much that I thought it is essential to talk about it. So jumping the bandwagon, lets do the #vitaminc on #vanitysparklesexplains

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. It is an essential vitamin that has many skin and health benefits. It is found in fruits and vegetables, mainly citrus fruits, red and green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and greens.

Vitamin C is an Anti-oxidant. What is an anti-oxidant you ask?

Antioxidants are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. They prevent or reduce damage to our cells and helps in the skins natural regeneration process.

The best part, aside from its vast beauty benefits (more details on this in the upcoming posts), of course, is that unlike some other notable skin care ingredients, it doesn’t come with a long list of precautions. Vitamin C is generally safe, gentle and effective when used in skin care.

Sounds so fascinating, right? In this series I will be talking about how vitamin C works, how you should use it, how you should store it and would also continue posting some of the vit C products that I have been using. So, wait till the end of the series for the recommendations.

Benefits of Vitamin C:

Anti-aging:

When you apply vit C, the skin tends to heal itself by accelarating the production of collagen and elastin. They both play a major role in helping the skin become more plump and firm. Just as we know, as we age, the collagen in our body starts to deplete. Lower levels of collagen can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.

When you apply vit C, it helps to fasten the process of generating collagen and so it helps to improve the skin’s texture and quality. They help to keep the wrinkles and fine lines at bay.

Collagen production is tied to skin elasticity and firmness. When your collagen levels begin to drop, your skin may begin to sag.

Applying a vitamin C serum may boost collagen production, resulting in an overall tightening effect.

Prevents Sun Damage:

As we talked about the anti-oxidant nature of Vitamin C in the last #vitaminc post of the #vanitysparklesexplains , lets dig deep into it.

Sun damage is caused by molecules called free radicals. These are atoms with a missing electron. Free radicals search for other atoms from which they can “steal” an electron and this can lead to significant damage to the skin.

Antioxidants protect healthy skin cells by “giving” these free radicals an electron, rendering them harmless. Due to the antioxidant nature of vitamin C, they prevent or reduce damage to our cells by neutralizing the production of highly reactive molecules called free radicals. 

In addition to minimizing redness, vitamin C accelerates cell turnover. It aids in your skin's natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells. In other words, antioxidants help keep our body and our skin cells healthy.

Prevents Hyper pigmentation:

Hyper pigmentation, including sun spots and age spots, occurs when melanin is overproduced in certain areas of the skin. It can also happen in areas where acne has healed. 

Vitamin C application has been shown to impede melanin production. It interrupts the melanin producing enzyme called tyrosinase, which is responsible for converting tyrosine into melanin, thus preventing hyper pigmentation.

This can help fade dark spots and lead to a more even-toned complexion.

All this in turn leads to brightening of the skin. Thus, majorly, vit C is used as a brightening agent of the skin. But this is all that goes behind the scenes in helping your skin gain its glow.

Brighten, firm and defend!

If you have not read the previous posts on #vitaminc on #vanitysparklesexplains , what are you waiting for?!

I have explained the main benefits of vitamin C and how it helps us to improve our skin.

Lets just take this post as an appreciation then (if you haven't read the previous ones, then you can take it as a reminder post). Vitamin C has antioxidant properties that helps in fighting signs of aging, fades dark spots and pigmentation and also reverses and prevents sun damage.

Due to all this, it is safe to say that Vitamin C helps to brighten, firm and defend!

How to use Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is available in all forms be it toner, serum or moisturizer. I love Vitamin C in the form of a serum since it is the most concentrated and generally shows quick effective results. A good rule of thumb is to cleanse, tone, apply vitamin C serum, and then moisturize.

There’s no real consensus among skincare experts on whether you’re better off wearing your Vit C in the morning or at night. Think of it in the daytime as another layer to protect your skin against free radicals and UV, and at night as a way to undo the oxidative damage from the day. So, you can use it both in the am and/or in the pm routine. You can start with thrice a week and move to more frequent usage.

With vitamin C serum, start with a lower concentration, something in the 10% range. See how skin reacts and adjusts to this level before moving up to the higher concentrations of 15-20%.

It can be safely used in conjunction with other active ingredients, although use alongside niacinamide may render vitamin C less effective.

As with any new product, I always recommend that you do a patch test. Apply a small amount to the inside of the wrist or behind the ear, and wait 24-48 hours to make sure you don’t have a skin reaction before applying it to larger areas. If you do have a reaction, at least it’s not all over your entire face!

If the product has darkened or otherwise changed color, the vitamin C has likely oxidized. This means that you should not use it any more.

How to Store Vitamin C Serum?

In the last #vanitysparklesexplains post, I mentioned that if your vitamin C serum changes its color and becomes dark, then you should discontinue its use since it has oxidised. 

To keep your vitamin C serum from degrading or losing efficacy, take care of the serum so it will take care of you!

Keep It Away From Light

It is vulnerable to oxidation from light exposure. That’s why vitamin C serums typically come in those pretty dark glass bottles. Keep the serum somewhere dark and away from direct light.

Keep It Airtight

Oxygen can also break down vitamin C serum. Always put the cap back on and make sure it’s is screwed on tight to keep air from seeping in.

Keep It Cool

High temperatures will degrade vitamin C. Some manufacturers suggest storing vitamin C serum in the fridge, but some advise against it, so consult your serum’s storage instructions or customer service if you have questions.

Either way, if you store your serum in a cool, dark place, you should be good!

Do’s and Don’ts of Vitamin C Products

Here are a few tips for things to look for and things to avoid when it comes to using vitamin C in your skincare!

pH Balance

• DO look for a vitamin C serum with a lower pH level, something around 3.5. This will help with better absorption as it will reach the deeper layers of your skin for max results.
• DON’T use a lower pH serum if you have sensitive skin. Low pH = high acidity, which can irritate skin.
• For a gentler formula, look for one that uses the magnesium ascorbyl derivative with a pH level of 5-6. Since this is closer to skin’s natural pH level, it will be more skin-friendly!

Interactions

• DO wait 20-30 minutes between applications of retinol or niacinamide and vitamin C serum to inhibit the two formulas from interacting with each other and to give your skin’s pH levels some time to normalize.
• If you use a product that already contains a combination of these ingredients, don’t worry. It’s likely been formulated with more stable versions and a time release process that makes the ingredients active at different times so they don’t affect each other.

Appearance

• DO pay attention to things like color, smell, and consistency of your vitamin C serum to make sure it hasn’t oxidized.
• Color: Your serum should be clear, white, or a light champagne color. If it’s cloudy or dark in color, it may have already oxidized and should be discarded.
• Smell: Vitamin C serum is typically odorless. If it smells sour or rancid, it’s no good.
• Also, be skeptical of serums that are yellow or brown in color. Some manufacturers will add tints to hide oxidation. Vitamin C moisturizers may often have tint as the formulas are creamier, and contain other ingredients, but serums should typically be near colorless or clear.

DIY

• DON’T attempt to make your own vitamin C serum! It can be tempting to follow any one of the DIY tutorials out there that claim you can make your own formula, but unless you’re a chemist, you probably won’t get it exactly right. I can tell you a homemade version won’t be as effective or, worse, can end up causing skin irritation.
• DO leave it to the pros. They know how to make sure the pH level is correct for your skin, that the vitamin C component will stay stabilized for as long as possible, and add other skin-boosting ingredients.