Vitamin C Skin Care
- theskincarepantry
- Oct 22, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2018
In the skin care industry, there are two products that are widely referred to as the gold standard for anti-aging. These are the retinoids and vitamin C. In this post we will be covering Vitamin C.
Vitamin C works by boosting the skins own ability to generate collagen. It is also a powerful antioxidant, fiercely protecting the skin against free radicals and harmful UVA and UVB rays.
There are two popular forms of vitamin C widely used in skin care products, L-ascorbic acid and Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
There are two popular forms of vitamin C widely used in skin care products, L-ascorbic acid and Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Both forms of vitamin C can be used all over the body, and are most effective in higher concentrations upward of 10% due to compound stability issues, which we will elaborate on shortly.
Given the challenges associated with using vitamin C to manufacture skin care products and the cost of producing a viable and effective product in high concentration, the majority of vitamin C products are targeted for the face. Click images for details
The key challenge with vitamin C is that as a compound it is highly unstable. On exposure to air it breaks down and rapidly oxidises. Oxidised Vitamin C is tantamount to ineffective.
Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is the more stable form of vitamin C and it is fat soluble which makes it quite compatible for skin absorption, and it is also less expensive. Other forms of vitamin C including L-ascorbic acid are water soluble and have a pH of about 3 which is not ideal for the skin. To stabilise L-ascorbic acid, the compound can be mixed with Ferulic Acid which is another powerful antioxidant and vitamin E, the results of this mixture on the skin can be pretty incredible. Click images for details
Vitamin C that is stable, not oxidised and viable to use, will be appear clear or slightly milky in colour depending on the formulation. Oxidised products are yellow or brown and should be discarded.
Oxidised Vitamin C products are yellow or brown and should be discarded.
Before buying your vitamin C products, be sure to check the packaging as product packaging is key to ensuring the efficacy of the product contained within. Ideally your product should be contained within an air tight, tinted bottle.
Once you have bought the well packaged vitamin C product of your choice, when you start using it be sure to store it in a cool dry place. Tip, you may want to divide up the contents of your product and store half of it in the refrigerator till the half you are actively using runs out.
Some people may experience slight sensitivity, a tingling sensation similar to that experienced with the milder alpha hydroxy acids, having said that reports of sensitivity is rare with modern day formulations. Some of the results you can expect from the use of vitamin C are bright, smooth skin with a reduction in the visibility of pores. My personal experience of using vitamin C products as an integral part of the skin care regime has been absolutely wonderful. My skin has a natural glow that was noticeable even after the first few uses of the products!
Layering your skin care products as done in the Korean ten step skin care routine, has been proved to yield fantastic results, I testify to this! But some products such as Niacinamide have been known to render vitamin C ineffective, so you may want to apply your vitamin C products in the morning and layer on a simple SPF30 to SPF50 sunscreen, and then leave your other lotions and potions for your night time routine