Skincare Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an immune-boosting vitamin that also has several skincare benefits. It can improve skin tone, reduce dark spots, and help prevent and repair sun damage.
This antioxidant can be found in a variety of products, but it’s important to understand how it works and what form is best for your complexion. The most biologically active and well-studied form is L-ascorbic acid, but there are other forms as well.
Antioxidant
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals caused by the sun, pollutants, and other environmental factors. These oxidative stressors (also called reactive oxygen species) can cause damage to skin cells and inhibit the production of collagen, the main protein responsible for elasticity in the skin.
Vitamin C binds to these reactive molecules and gives them an electron, rendering them harmless. This protects the skin from oxidative damage and may slow the aging process.
In addition, vitamin C can help fade pigmentation and improve the overall appearance of your skin. This can give your complexion a more youthful glow, says dermatologist Jennifer Herrmann, MD, of Beverly Hills Dermatology in California.
Although vitamin C is widely available in foods and dietary supplements, it’s best to apply it topically to achieve its most effective benefits. It’s a highly reactive ingredient that easily loses its antioxidant power when exposed to light or air, so it’s important to use products in air-tight, opaque packaging.
Brightening
Vitamin C is a skin-brightening agent that’s a must in a good skincare routine. It’s a key ingredient in many brightening serums because it can lighten dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and uneven skin tone.
This antioxidant-rich compound is also a powerful shield against environmental stressors, helping to protect skin from damage and slow the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And, if used in the right formulation, it can boost collagen production and improve your skin’s elasticity.
When it comes to topical vitamin C products, you’ll want to make sure they contain the most stable form of the ingredient for maximum benefit. That means opting for a formula that contains L-ascorbic acid or ascorbyl palmitate, both of which are water-soluble forms.
Anti-aging
Vitamin C is a science-backed, dermatologist-favorite ingredient that may help slow early skin aging and prevent sun damage. Moreover, it brightens dull, uneven skin tone and reduces hyperpigmentation.
It is known to boost collagen synthesis, which helps firm and tighten skin. It also supports the wound-healing process to minimize scar formation.
As a skin antioxidant, Vitamin C fights against free radicals, oxidative stress and other harmful environmental factors that break down healthy cells and cause dryness or irritation. It neutralizes these free radicals to improve the look of aging skin.
In addition, topical vitamin C can help prevent dark spots, acne scars, and discolorations caused by a disruption in melanin production. It inhibits tyrosinase, an enzyme that activates the melanocyte cells in the skin.
Because we can’t synthesize vitamin C, dietary consumption and oral supplements are the best ways to increase our concentrations of this water-soluble antioxidant. We also find it in a wide variety of skincare products.
Anti-wrinkle
Vitamin C is known for boosting collagen, which gives your complexion a firmer, bouncier feel. This can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, says dermatologist Dr. Chiu.
She recommends finding a product with the active form of vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid. It’s the most biologically active and well-studied form, she notes.
It’s also important to find a product with a concentration that is higher than 8 percent. That way, you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
Another pro tip is to choose a serum that’s formulated with ferulic acid, which helps stabilize the vitamin C in the formulation. This can boost its effects even further.
