Topical vitamin C treatments can definitely help make your skin better. Does that mean you should start using a vitamin C product? The short answer is yes, but only if your skin can handle it. Keep reading for more information about the skin benefits of vitamin C and why you should use it if you can. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants in skin care. It helps slow down the aging process by preventing free radical damage. Long-term topical use has been clinically shown to regenerate collagen and improve the appearance of wrinkles. Vitamin C also lightens pigmentation and brightens over all skin tone. Therefore, it is used in a lot of anti-aging and whitening products (especially in Asia), as well as fade creams. Topically, vitamin C also provides a small amount of UV protection. Though this is not comparable to well-formulated sunscreens, C serum use during daytime can give your sunscreen an extra boost. This is partly why many people recommend using vitamin C during the day instead of at night.
It usually takes around 6 months of consistent vitamin C use to start seeing results. Not all vitamin C is the same. There are different types of vitamin C actives and these include l-ascorbic acid, ester C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), ascorbyl palmitate, and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. L-ascorbic acid is the most powerful one out of all of them, but it is also the one that destabilizes the easiest. Ester C, ascorbyl palmitate, and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate are all pretty stable, but they are not as potent or effective as l-ascorbic acid. If you make your own vitamin C product with l-ascorbic acid, it is essential that you make a new batch every day so the vitamin C stays fresh. Some people, like my grandmother, think rubbing a lemon on your skin (or on dark knees or other pigmented spots) is a cheap way of getting vitamin C. However, vitamin C straight from a lemon probably isn't as easily absorbed and utilized by your skin as well-formulated C actives. Besides, other ingredients and acids in a fresh lemon can really irritate your skin.
If you are going to use a vitamin C product, it's best to use one in a form your skin can use with the least amount of irritation. One of the bad things about Vitamin C is that it oxidizes very easily. When a C serum oxidizes, it turns yellow or orange and looses its effectiveness. Proper product formulation can extend the stability of a C serum (which is partly why vitamin C products are so expensive), but you also have to take good care of your product by storing it in a cool, dark place and re-sealing it tightly after each application. Sunlight, heat, air, water, and even time (watch those expiration dates!) can all destabilize and render ineffective even the best-formulated vitamin C product. Also, look for C serums packaged in dark glass bottles or metal tubes. This type of packaging will help extend its stability and keep it fresh. Besides having good stability, a C serum will only be effective if it is at the proper concentration and pH. Many skin care products advertise themselves as vitamin C treatments, but a lot of times they barely have enough vitamin C in them to do anything.
Before you spend big bucks on a vitamin C product, make sure you're getting your money's worth. Most vitamin C products on the market range from 5% (considered fairly weak) to 20%. 20% is the highest amount you should put on your skin because if you go any higher, your skin will not be able to absorb as much of the antioxidant. If a product doesn't have the concentration of vitamin C listed, you can always contact the company for more information. The pH of a vitamin C product will also determine its effectiveness. Vitamin C has to be formulated around a pH of 3 for it to be able to pass through your skin barrier and be used by your skin. Most C serums don't publicize their pH levels, but you can always ask the manufacturer for clarification. Despite all the raves and glowing reviews, vitamin C products don't work for everyone. For some people, vitamin C can cause redness and stinging upon application. Usually your skin gets used to the treatment and this kind of irritation will subside.
However, sometimes you have to downgrade to a less potent C serum to make it more tolerable. Others even experience allergic reactions, such as itchy red bumps, and cannot use vitamin C at all. It all depends on your skin and how it handles the antioxidant. Besides vitamin C induced irritation, some people breakout from vitamin C products because of their base. Some C serums have silicones or other inactive ingredients (to help keep the vitamin C stable longer) that can be problematic for acne-prone or sensitive skin. To minimize irritation, it's important to start using vitamin C at the lowest concentration you can tolerate because once you apply the treatment to your skin, the vitamin C is immediately absorbed (even if you wash it off right away) and stays in your skin until it gets all used up (around 3 days). That could be three days of redness if your skin doesn't like vitamin C! Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, but like with anything you put on your skin, make sure you look at a product's ingredient list first and read some reviews.
Pick a C serum that is stable and at the proper pH and you'll be on your way to preventing wrinkles and brightening your skin. However, Vitamin C can be irritating for some skin types, causing redness and stinging. Therefore, if your skin can handle it, vitamin C would be a great addition to your routine, but you don’t need it.Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that can do much more than boost your immune system during cold and flu season. Vitamin C can rejuvenate your skin and act as a barrier against blemish-causing toxins. If you’re considering adding vitamin C to your daily acne regimen, here’s what you need to know. The science behind the effects of vitamin C for acne: Free radicals break down the proteins and fatty acids that make up the skin, disturbing the normal pH of the skin and harming the sebaceous glands. This increases the production of sebum, leaving the skin open to breakout-causing bacteria. As an antioxidant, vitamin C breaks down these free radicals and reduces them to harmless compounds before they can damage the skin.
Your immune system releases inflammatory chemicals called leukotrienes to destroy acne-causing bacteria, but the bacteria have a “decoy” system that sometimes causes the chemicals to redirect towards the skin and cause redness. In large doses, vitamin C works to calm the immune system rather than stimulate it, preventing it from destroying healthy skin rather than the bacteria in your pores. Collagen and elastin are the main proteins that makes up your skin; when not produced in sufficient amounts, the integrity of the skin is affected. Without vitamin C the proteins weaken, causing the skin to become more susceptible to acne scars as well as preventing existing scars from healing. Topical treatments may provide immediate relief, but many report that taking oral vitamin C has longer lasting benefits. If possible, your daily dosage should include both a topical and oral form of vitamin C. However, vitamin C should be used as a supplement to your acne-fighting regimen rather than as a primary treatment;
for best results we suggest first seeing a dermatologist, who will prescribe you proven medication. There are several ways to incorporate vitamin C into your treatment plan: Vitamin C can be a great addition to promoting clear skin, but using it as a primary treatment isn’t effective for most. For the occasional pimple, over-the-counter products may be sufficient, but the best treatment available will come from a dermatologist. If you’re not sure if you need a dermatologist consultation, check out our post on when and why to see a dermatologist. To move forward with getting a consultation, check out our online dermatology service. About us: YoDerm is the only way to get a prescription medication safely and legally online. Each of our dermatologists are board-certified and will treat your acne within 24 hours. If you’re struggling to get clear, click here, and let us help. Since you made it to the end of this article, and since we are in the giving season, I’m giving away a free copy of our new ebook, 10 Steps To Clear Skin, to all of our readers (that’s you)!