Vitamin C is undoubtedly one of the more popular skincare ingredients out there. But aside from it being widely known for its antioxidant and brightening properties, many are still unfamiliar with what vitamin C is and how to increase its efficacy. In this blog post, we will cover everything you need to know about this popular skincare ingredient. Consider this your guide to vitamin C and how to include it in your skincare routine.
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that is needed for the skin’s regeneration and restoration process. Aside from being well-known for its ability to brighten the skin’s appearance and fight off dark spots, it also protects our skin by neutralizing free radicals and keeping our body and skin cells healthy.
Here’s a fun fact_ our bodies cannot produce vitamin C. There is a hypothesis that during evolution, humans have lost the ability to produce vitamin C therefore we have to get it from fruits, vegetables, and in skincare products (most often in the form of a serum).
While vitamin C can be taken orally and is crucial to our health, only a small amount of it is absorbed and delivered effectively to our skin. Therefore the best and most effective way to deliver vitamin C to the skin is by applying it topically.
It’s also worth mentioning that there are 3 forms of vitamin C_ L-ascorbic acid, ascorbyl-6-palmitate, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.
L-ascorbic acid is the pure form of vitamin C and is the most effective, but also the least stable since it is oxidized in air and can degrade due to heat and light.
Ascorbyl-6-palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, on the other hand, are derivatives of vitamin C and have similar properties to L-ascorbic acid.
Ascorbyl-6-palmitate is the fat-soluble form of ascorbic acid. It is a potent antioxidant that can better penetrate the stratum corneum and is milder on the skin due to its neutral pH.
Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate also works as an antioxidant, protecting the skin from free radicals, stimulating collagen production, as well as keeping our skin hydrated.
Vitamin C benefits for the skin
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that is effective in protecting our skin from environmental stressors by neutralizing free radicals and preventing premature aging. It also stimulates collagen production which helps improve our skin’s texture and elasticity.
Additionally, it has the ability to fade acne scars, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation.
Side effects of vitamin C
Vitamin C is generally safe for all skin types to use. However, there is still a possibility that it may cause skin irritation, especially when used in high concentrations or when mixed with other acids.
Avoid layering vitamin C with retinol as this can cause skin irritation and weaken the effectiveness of the products. Instead, you can apply vitamin C during your morning skincare routine and reserve other acids or retinol for your evening skincare routine.
It is also advisable that you do a skin patch test first to check for allergic reactions or skin irritation.
How to include vitamin C in your skincare routine
When looking for a vitamin C product, go for the most effective one which is the L-ascorbic acid.
Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is an extremely stable derivative of L-ascorbic acid and is oil-soluble, making it highly effective in penetrating the deeper layers of the skin.
Opt for serums as they are more concentrated and effective than creams. And if you want to further increase the effectiveness of your vitamin C skincare product, combining it with vitamin E will give you the best results and even better protection from free radical damage.
Spalina Skincare’s best-selling Complex Vitamin C serum contains tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and is supercharged with glutathione and colloidal gold that will make your skin smooth and glowing.
