We can’t forget to mention vitamin C when talking about achieving that healthy and glowing skin. This potent antioxidant is known as one of the most effective skincare ingredients in the beauty world. It’s rightfully called the powerhouse of skincare thanks to its incredible anti-aging and anti-inflammatory abilities. Its ever-increasing popularity lies in its power to keep the skin radiant and plump while maintaining the skin’s elasticity. While most of us know how this vitamin can benefit our health when added to our diets, not all of us are aware of the incredible benefits it has to offer for the skin. Read on to learn more about the skincare benefits of vitamin C and why you need to incorporate it into your skincare routine.
What is Vitamin C?
We all know that many foods are abundant in this essential nutrient which is needed by our cells to perform various functions and keep our organs healthy. Unfortunately, our bodies are unable to produce or store this vitamin, so we have to rely solely on foods and dietary supplements to maintain optimal levels in our bodies. One of the most notable benefits of this essential nutrient is its role in accelerating collagen synthesis and stabilizing collagen in the body. Vitamin C aids in regenerating and maintaining connective tissue, including cartilage, blood vessels, and skin, while preventing oxidation of the cells due to external aggressors. Furthermore, vitamin C helps treat all sorts of skin problems, ranging from acne and rosacea to hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
Benefits of Vitamin C for the Skin
- Encourages Collagen Production: Collagen, a protein naturally found in the body, gets depleted over time as a consequence of countless damaging factors. Oxidative stress and aging are two of the leading causes behind a decline in its formation, leading to a loss of skin elasticity. Vitamin C is one of the essential elements needed for the stabilization and production of collagen molecules. It contributes to the production of amino acids required to bind collagen synthesizing molecules together. A higher level of collagen keeps the skin plumper, tighter and enhances the quality of collagen in the skin, yielding better anti-aging results.
- Reduces Hyperpigmentation: Hyperpigmentation primarily results due to the over-production of a compound called melanin in the skin. Sometimes, acne can also leave scars on your skin, known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. No matter the cause, skincare products with stable and active vitamin C forms can help reduce and treat all sorts of discoloration on the skin. In addition, vitamin C products are ideal for minimizing and treating melasma, age spots, and sunspots, resulting in more even-toned and brighter skin.
- Defends Against Oxidative Damage: Protection against free radicals, UV rays, and pollution is yet another reason to add vitamin C to your skincare routine. This antioxidant-filled vitamin has a matchless ability to defend the skin against free radicals present in our surroundings.¹ Free radicals are the leading cause of tissue damage and the premature appearance of fine lines, age spots, and wrinkles. Also, regular application of skincare products with vitamin C can thicken the dermal layer of the skin, making it more robust to stand the harsh UV rays and other impurities that our skin comes in contact with every day.
- Fights Signs of Aging: Wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines are of concern for many. As mentioned earlier, vitamin C helps boost collagen synthesis and stabilize collagen molecules, leading to better skin tone and texture.² Its melanin-inhibiting power fades away dark spots from the skin, making it appear brighter. In addition, vitamin C accelerates microcirculation, supplying more oxygen and nutrients to the cells, preserving them in their healthier form.
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Treats Dark Circles: If you’re fed up with concealing dark circles around your eyes every morning before heading out, we have good news for you! Vitamin C works wonders to diminish discoloration and brighten the skin around the delicate eye area. It boosts collagen, resulting in fewer fine lines and wrinkles to make eyes appear younger and fresher. Say goodbye to wrinkled, dull skin around the eyes with a vitamin C serum or eye cream. We love using Sundree’s PEPT EYES Bio-cellulose Eye Masks! These energizing under-eye masks are filled with a perfect blend of copper peptides, white tea extract, CBD, and vitamin C to help brighten eyes while smoothing away fine lines.
- Replenishes Moisture: Vitamin C is an excellent natural skincare compound to keep your skin amply hydrated and moisturized. It restores natural lipids in the skin and fortifies the skin’s outer lipid barrier, preventing moisture loss. A low level of vitamin C can cause skin problems, such as dryness, itching, and scaling. Vitamin C serums, creams, and lotions are an excellent option for those with dry skin because it moisturizes and reduces flakiness and itching that comes with dry and dehydrated skin. Dryness can be caused due to the layer of dead skin cells, which inhibits your moisturizer and other products from penetrating the skin. Vitamin C gently sloughs off dead skin accumulation and intensely hydrates and nourishes the skin underneath.
- Soothes Inflammation: "Vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory, which means it is meant to help reduce skin inflammation and redness," says Howard Sobel, MD, a dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.³ The anti-inflammatory abilities of vitamin C assist in soothing redness, swelling, itching, and irritation on the skin. Vitamin C can also be used to comfort dryness and inflammation associated with certain inflammatory skin conditions, like rosacea and eczema. In addition, the strong healing effect of vitamin C also helps promote cell regeneration and renewal by speeding up cell turnover. Hence, it can be effective in treating burns, acne scars, and bruising. Additionally, it can treat and reverse cell damage caused by sunburn as well as ease discomfort, redness, and dryness caused by sun damage.
Which Form of Vitamin C Is Best for the Skin?
The decline in levels of vitamin C in the skin due to various internal or external factors can contribute to many skin issues. The best course of action is to feed the skin with an adequate supply of vitamin C through topical skincare products. Unfortunately, vitamin C begins to oxidize, which leads to many products losing their effectiveness, when exposed to light, air, or heat. Hence, it can be quite challenging to deliver vitamin C into the skin, making it a hard-to-handle skincare ingredient. To eliminate this stability issue and enhance the permeability of vitamin C, skincare manufacturers use different forms and stable derivatives. One of the most potent forms commonly used by manufacturers is Ascorbic acid. Often you may see vitamin C derivates such as Sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, or ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate in your vitamin C products. So, scan your vitamin C products for these compounds to make sure your skin receives a potent form.
What’s the Best Time to Use a Vitamin C Serum?
Due to its numerous skincare benefits, vitamin C is widely used in various skincare formulas, such as serums, facial masks, moisturizers, toners, and cleansers. However, vitamin C serums are known to penetrate deeper into the skin and deliver a higher concentration of this compound.
Although vitamin C serums are suitable for use during the day and night, it’s best to use them in the morning to keep your skin protected against UV rays, free radicals, and other pollutants. Vitamin C serums are great for applying underneath your moisturizer, sunscreen, and makeup. However, it’s essential to consider that if your skin is sensitive and gets easily aggravated, using a high concentration vitamin C serum during the day may cause sunburn or irritation. You may then want to use it during your nighttime skincare routine. Sundree’s RYSE+SHYNE facial serum is a lightweight serum that can be used morning or night. It’s a hydrating serum packed with must-have ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, CBD, and of course, vitamin C for brighter and even-toned skin.
Are There Any Side Effects of Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is usually considered safe, gentle, and well-tolerated, making it apt for even long-term use without having to worry about adverse effects. Nonetheless, if you have very sensitive skin, you may experience slight tingling or irritation after using a product with vitamin C, particularly if you use it with exfoliating ingredients.
Final Thoughts
This potent antioxidant works wonders, from treating dark circles to moisturizing the skin to fighting signs of aging. With such an array of benefits, we can’t help but wonder why anyone would not include vitamin C in their skincare routine. But, we know to achieve that healthy, happy, optimistic skin, vitamin C is a must in our skincare routine!
Citations:
- Valenti, Lauren. (2020). ‘How to Build Vitamin C Into Your Skin-Care Regimen’, Vogue. Accessed July 7, 2021. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/vitamin-c-guide-skin-benefits-
- Radiance by WebMD. (2020). ‘The Benefits of Vitamin C for Your Skin’, WebMD. Accessed July 8th, 2021. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/beauty/ss/slideshow-benefits-of-vitamin-c-for-skin
- Ohwovoriole, Toketemu. (2020). ‘5 skincare benefits of vitamin C: How it can help reduce signs of aging, heal skin, and more’, Accessed July 9, 2021. Available at: https://www.insider.com/what-does-vitamin-c-do-for-the-skin
