The Importance Of Topical Vitamin C

Why Vitamin C is Essential for Your Skin Care Routine

Vitamin C is legendary in the skin care world, often considered the holy grail for all things skin-related, and for good reason. This incredible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient is known to improve skin tone and texture, hydrate the skin, and reduce signs of aging.

You can get vitamin C in fruits and vegetables, but that’s not the only way to enjoy its benefits for skin health—it’s widely used in cosmetic products. Researchers have discovered that when it comes to healthy skin, topical vitamin C is significantly more effective than consuming it.

Adding vitamin C to your skin care routine can not only brighten your complexion but also protect against skin damage caused by sun exposure and harmful free radicals. This potent antioxidant is commonly used in face cleansers, serums, oils, and moisturizers.

How Vitamin C Supports Skin Care

Vitamin C—also known as ascorbic acid—is a water-soluble nutrient that plays an important role in keeping your skin healthy. Topical vitamin C is clinically proven to have a wide range of clinical applications thanks to its antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-pigmentary properties. This potent nutrient offers many benefits for the skin, including the potential to:

• Make collagen, used to keep skin youthful and plump
• Heal wounds
• Maintain and repair damaged skin and cartilage
• Diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Brighten up complexion
• Even skin tone
• Reduce the appearance of dark spots
• Prevent premature aging

How to Use Vitamin C for Skin Care

Whether your skin is dry, oily, or a combination, vitamin C is beneficial for skin health, helping it look and feel healthier and younger longer. There are two ways to use vitamin C for skin care: nutritional intake and applying it topically.

Nutritional Intake Foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges and berries, offer many health benefits. However, dietary intake of vitamin C generally won’t provide enough for you to see a noticeable improvement in your skin. This is because dietary intake of vitamin C is sufficient to reach lower levels of your skin but generally won’t reach the top layers. That’s where topical vitamin C comes in.

Topical Application Topical vitamin C is absorbed directly into the topmost layers of the skin, allowing it to work immediately on smoothing the skin, reducing fine lines and dark spots, and protecting against free radicals. Vitamin C is available in facial moisturizers and serums. Serums are more concentrated than moisturizers and more easily absorb into the skin, which is why more skincare specialists recommend vitamin C serums.

Even serums containing low concentrations (under 1%) of vitamin C still deliver antioxidant protection and skin benefits. For best results, apply vitamin C topically 1-2 times a day—morning and night. Be sure to apply a moisturizer with a broad-spectrum SPF after vitamin C application for daytime.

Benefits of Vitamin C

Reduce Undereye Circles Vitamin C helps reduce and prevent dark circles under the eyes by strengthening the otherwise thin, delicate skin. Its antioxidant properties make the skin more elastic and resilient, helping conceal the blood vessels underneath.

Collagen Production Vitamin C is essential for producing collagen in the body. Collagen is the building block of skin, hair, muscles, and tendons, keeping our skin looking youthful and smooth. As we age, collagen production slows down, which may lead to sagging skin. When applied topically, vitamin C accelerates the production of both collagen and elastin, helping keep the skin plump and firm.

Treats Hyperpigmentation Hyperpigmentation—a common condition characterized by darker spots on the skin—is often caused by overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and environmental stresses. Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties combat unwanted dark spots and prevent signs of aging caused by sun damage. It also helps inhibit the production of tyrosinase, preventing hyperpigmentation.

Hydrates Skin Vitamin C helps skin retain water, keeping it plump and smooth and preventing it from becoming too oily or dry. Individuals who were given a supplement containing vitamin C showed significant and sustainable improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, and roughness.

Reduces Redness Vitamin C minimizes redness thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also helps mend damaged capillaries that cause skin redness, creating a smoother, more even complexion.

Research on Future Possible Uses

Continuous efforts are being made to research other benefits of vitamin C, including its effects on hair growth, wound healing, smoking-related skin aging, scars, and stretch marks.

Conclusion

Vitamin C is one of the most well-researched skin care ingredients. Levels of this powerful antioxidant naturally deplete as you age. Vitamin C skincare products such as serums and moisturizers can help supplement, leading to skin that feels firmer and has a brighter, more even complexion.

When purchasing a vitamin C serum, look for dark bottles. Vitamin C breaks down when exposed to light or air, so dark glass bottles help maintain its efficacy and stability.