How To Choose The Right Vitamin C

Haven’t you heard? Radiant, youthful-looking skin begins with vitamin A and continues with C! Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for the body that we’ve been told to add to our diets for years. So, why not add it to your skincare routine? Vitamin C is proven to not only help repair tissues within your body, but it also helps increase the formation of collagen. It is one of the most essential natural proteins in our body responsible for healthy looking skin. You can actually regenerate your skin naturally by using vitamin c in your skincare routine. But before we get into choosing the right form of vitamin C for your skin and understanding its active percentage needed for you to see visible improvements, let’s take a closer look at what it does for the skin. —Ana Allen

skin benefits. Recognized as one of the more versatile, active skincare ingredients, when added to a daily routine, vitamin C can:

• Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Improve the firmness and elasticity of your skin
• Improve skin texture for a smoother, even complexion
• Enhances the brightness of your skin for a more radiant finish

inside scoop. Not all vitamin C is equal. Air, light and water may be living necessities, but they also kill the ingredient potency in your skincare products. As a result, not all forms of C can pass through your skin to provide you with the benefits you’re looking for. Components like the type and concentration, the ingredient list and even the kind of bottle or dispenser can make or break your serum’s benefits—and your skin. And, in all honesty, the antioxidant properties that make it exceptionally desirable to use as a skincare ingredient are the very properties that also make C extremely difficult to work with. Let’s take a closer look at ingredient components that will help you choose the best Vitamin C product to achieve optimal results.

synthetic derivatives. These have limited permeability and function in the skin. They just don’t compare to natural L-ascorbic acid. Natural L-ascorbic acid is the natural form of vitamin C. However, when exposed to light and/or air, ascorbic acid not only becomes inactive, but it also becomes irritating to the skin. In other words: the best-case scenario is that you’ll have a useless product; at worst the oxidation process creates even more free radicals and acidic by-products, which are very damaging to the skin.

ascorbyl palmitate. This is a stable, oil-soluble form of vitamin C made by combining ascorbic acid with a fatty acid, known as palmitic acid. This combination provides you with a more stable version than natural C. However, many studies show that this acid is not as effective as vitamin C in its purest form. So, what’s the solution?

ethical and responsible vitamin C powders. Powder formats are on the rise. They are shelf-stable and keep their potency until you activate them in your skincare product. As they are waterless, they do not oxidize the formula. Therefore, antioxidant that brightens the skin and improves the texture is preserved. Best used in the morning to help protect against free radicals all day long, once rehydrated here’s how you can apply powdered Vitamin C to your skincare routine:

• Apply to a damp face.
• Add a small amount of powder to the palm of your hand.
• Mix the vitamin C powder with a serum or lotion in the palm of your hand.
• Apply the solution either to your entire face or as a spot treatment.

application 101. Before applying vitamin C to your face, we encourage you to check the percentage of your C! You should keep in mind that 5 per cent vitamin C or less delivers minimal benefits, while over 10 per cent can irritate your skin. Therefore, aim for something in the middle to “c” the best results!