Vitamin C Skin Care Benefits

We have known about the benefits of vitamin C since its discovery in the 1930’s. Vitamin C really hit the big time when it was discovered that its presence in citrus fruits could prevent sailors from getting scurvy. As a child it may have seemed like your mother would preach vitamin C as a cure for everything from the common cold to a sprained ankle. And today, supplement companies are not the only ones utilising vitamin C. Many skincare brands are popping out their vitamin C products and serums like it’s a brand new innovation. The ingredient is becoming more mainstream with increasing demand. So, should you be using it? And what vitamin C skin care benefits are there?

The role of vitamin C in the body

Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble nutrient that cannot be synthesised naturally by the human body. It must therefore be consumed through diet. It is abundant in citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, and all those good fruits and veggies. And now, the vitamin C excuse given by our parents to eat our fruits and veggies has ascended once more in relevance.

But instead of just being told to consume it through diet, we are being told to apply it topically to our skin as well. In recent years it seems that vitamin C has become more and more of a prevalent fixture, not only in medical-grade skincare but in every self-respecting skincare brand’s repertoire of products. Indeed, with proper use it can help reveal a brighter, more youthful complexion. After learning about all the vitamin C skin care benefits, you too will be on the hunt for the perfect vitamin C. 

Oftentimes ‘vitamin C’ may not appear outright on a skincare product label. It may be listed as ascorbic acid, or one of its other variations. The chemically active form of vitamin C is known as L-ascorbic acid. It has a similar structure to glucose and is weakly acidic. L-ascorbic acid is the gold standard for vitamin C in skincare, however various other forms of vitamin C are also growing in use. In an upcoming blog post about I will cover all the derivatives of vitamin C, to help you decide which best fits your needs.

Protects skin from sun damage

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. If you read my post about antioxidants, you’ll be well informed about the crucial role they play in protecting skin from oxidative damage. Vitamin C neutralises free radicals via electron transfer or donation and removes oxidants such as those from environmental pollutants or UV exposure. By mitigating the harm from oxidative stress, its antioxidant activity is a measure against photoaging.

UV exposure decreases vitamin C content of skin so topical application of vitamin C will help to increase vitamin C concentrations in the skin. This provides a level of photoprotection and limits the effects of DNA damage from UV exposure. Additionally, vitamin E in conjunction with vitamin C has a further protective effect. Read my previous post for more on why UV protection is a great vitamin C skin care benefit. 

Collagen building

It is no secret that skincare freaks are obsessed with collagen. If anti-ageing is your priority, you might even see this as one of the most important vitamin C skin care benefits. Collagen is a protein found in our connective tissues and cells. Vitamin C encourages the synthesis of collagen in the skin. It acts as a cofactor in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine, a process that prevents the weakening and damage of collagen in the body.

Without adequate vitamin C, collagen formation is impaired. This explains the symptoms of illnesses like scurvy, where there has been an evident deterioration of collagen due to lack of vitamin C. This also explains why smokers tend to age prematurely; smoking depletes vitamin C levels and thus impedes collagen formation.

So, if you’re dying for an extra collagen boost, perhaps just skip all the fancy collagen drinks and the extravagant collagen facial treatments you’ve been considering trading your first-born child for. Simply opt to increase your intake of plain old vitamin C instead.  For extra benefits, apply it to your skin as well as consuming it in your diet.

As always, I’d advocate getting your nutrients from old fashion food sources. Just go ahead and eat the food instead of trying to look for some miracle broth or spending the money on supplements. Especially when it comes to vitamin C, which is not that troublesome to get into your diet. And who’s complaining about adding a vitamin C-packed fruit smoothie into their routine?

Wrinkles and sagging

Topical applications of vitamin C have been shown to decrease the appearance of skin wrinkling. As skin ages it is subject to changes in the dermal layer, and the deterioration of elastin and collagen. This leads to wrinkles. Additionally, the thinning of skin and loss of muscle tone can result in skin sagging. Vitamin C reduces oxidative stress in skin and improve skin structure.

The effect of a lack of vitamin C in the skin is evident by simply observing individuals who are vitamin C deficient. As we have already discussed, the antioxidant protection and collagen building vitamin C skin benefits will lessen skin ageing.

Skin Brightening

Vitamin C has brightening effects on skin. This can be particularly helpful for individuals who struggle with hyperpigmentation and dark spots as a result of chronic UV exposure. As you may recall from the blog post about sun damaged skin, prolonged UV exposure triggers the production of melanin in the skin. This leads to skin darkening and eventually brown spots, uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation.

Vitamin C inhibits the action of tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for melanin formation, to prevent this overproduction of pigment. It can therefore improve skin evenness and diminish the look of dark marks. Although, its effects may not be as marked as stronger ingredients like hydroquinone.

Speeds up healing

Vitamin C levels impact wound healing. Due to its collagen-building, anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin C can reinforce a compromised skin barrier and speed up wound healing. Its anti-inflammatory effects also mean that it may be helpful in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. 

Don’t go pouring lemon juice on a wound anytime soon though, as the acidity from the citrus can be highly irritating to the skin. I guarantee the stinging you’ll get as a result won’t make you feel any better or have any improvement on your condition.

Drawbacks of vitamin C

There are some drawbacks of vitamin C that are worth noting. L-ascorbic acid is hydrophilic and unstable. Vitamin C degrades on exposure to air, light and heat, so stability of topical vitamin C is a concern. Your expensive bottle of vitamin C serum may be degrading by the day. Research suggests a vitamin C concentration between 10 to 20 percent is optimal for vitamin C skin care benefits. There are OTC products that go as high as 30%.

The decreasing concentration means that even if a product claims to contain this level of vitamin C, it is losing efficacy from the moment you begin using it. You can tell a vitamin C product has gone bad because the serum will turn a brown colour. There is concern that using spoiled vitamin C products may actually increase free radical exposure in skin.

Due to the stability issue, many skincare products are increasingly using various vitamin C esters rather than ascorbic acid in their formulations. Depending on the ester, they can be gentler on the skin and absorb more slowly. These vitamin C derivatives however, are often less potent than vitamin C. Their vitamin C skin care benefits have not been as comprehensively studied as ascorbic acid. 

High concentrations of vitamin C cause skin sensitivity and irritation. The pH of the product is also of great importance. For maximum benefits, L-ascorbic acid should have a pH of below 3.5. Such acidic low pH levels have the potential to make the products highly irritating.

Acne

There have been anecdotal concerns about vitamin C products triggering acne. I have not encountered substantial research to support this. However, I have personally experienced an increase in acne after using specific vitamin C esters in my routine. That being said, I have extremely intolerant and irritation-prone skin. This reaction may just be due to the base of the vitamin C serum and not directly caused by the vitamin C itself.

It is also possible that specific vitamin C esters penetrate faster than your skin can tolerate. It does not mean your skin will break out with every vitamin C product. The acidic nature of the ingredient could also have an exfoliating-like effect, triggering unsurfaced blemishes to emerge more quickly. Again, this has not been proven and is merely my two cents. I encourage you to do your own research and consult a medical professional if you are having issues.

Dietary vitamin C is proven to be helpful among individuals with acne, when paired with zinc and other nutrients. There are a few studies that suggest vitamin C derivative sodium ascorbyl phosphate has a positive effect on acne lesions. However, it is not as readily absorbed by skin as ascorbic acid. As I frequently reiterate, it is important to experiment and test out different products to see which best suits your individual needs.

Best practices for maximum vitamin C skin care benefits

In order to retain the vitamin C skin care benefits, a product’s packaging should be air tight. Unless the product comes in individually sealed sachets, you want to make sure to use it up within a couple of months to avoid issues. Incorporating it into your morning skincare routine can make sure you are getting antioxidant protection throughout the day. Make sure to read my step by step guide to properly layering morning skincare.

Best vitamin C products

Here are a couple of ascorbic acid products I love, so you too can get the vitamin C skin care benefits.

Gold Standard Vitamin C

Skinceuticals CE Ferulic – The ultimate holy grail of vitamin C serums. Not only does this serum include vitamin C, it also offers vitamin E and ferulic acid which have both been shown to increase the efficacy of formula. In fact the incredibly effective formula is patented and has been widely considered the gold standard in skincare antioxidants. 

Spot treatment 

Although many people will appreciate the vitamin C skin care benefits, you may only have a few trouble spots. If your main skin concerns are specific dark spots, perhaps from acne or as a result of sun damage, you may wish to consider a spot treatment. This Vitamin C Spot Treatment contains a hefty 25% concentration of vitamin C to target hyper-pigmentation. If you prefer a trail size before committing to a full size, check this one out: Vitamin C Spot Treatment Trial Size.

Vitamin C that stays fresh

This Fresh Pressed Daily Booster comes in individual packaging so as to minimise the chance of the product degrading over too long a time. It contains 10% vitamin C and can easily be mixed into your other products. 

Collagen booster

The Dr Dennis Gross C+ Collagen is another pricey but very effective serum. It is packed with a number of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (which I looooove) as well as amino acids. This serum is brimming with vitamin C skin care benefits. It not only contains ascorbic acid but another vitamin C derivative tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Again, watch out for that upcoming blog post. 

Natural option

Vitamin C Serum from Andalou Naturals is a lovely underrated serum. It is organic and natural, gluten free, free of GMOs and relatively affordable. If you find your skin cannot tolerate ascorbic acid, this serum contains a vitamin C derivative magnesium ascorbic phosphate. It also includes a whole host of antioxidants.

Final thoughts

As usual I could go on all day about skincare but I will leave it here before I get too carried away. In a future post I will be breaking down all the best skincare on the market that will provide you all the vitamin C skin care benefits. If you would like to see a review on a specific product, feel free to let me know. And tell me: do you use vitamin C in your routine? Let me know your favourite recommendations, I love hearing the products other people swear by.

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Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

References:

Wang, K., Jiang, H., Li, W., Qiang, M., Dong, T. and Li, H. (2018). Role of Vitamin C in Skin Diseases. Frontiers in Physiology, 9.

Raschke, T., Koop, U., Düsing, H., Filbry, A., Sauermann, K., Jaspers, S., Wenck, H. and Wittern, K. (2004). Topical Activity of Ascorbic Acid: From in vitro Optimization to in vivo Efficacy. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 17(4), pp.200-206.

Woolery-Lloyd, H., Baumann, L. and Ikeno, H. (2010). Sodium L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate 5% lotion for the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 9(1), pp.22-27.