'C' The difference with Vitamin C

Vitamin C, in a short note, is a powerhouse antioxidant with brightening properties and supports collagen production within the skin, (sounds great, right!?), but let's dive a little deeper into how it works and how to pick the correct type of Vitamin C serum for your skin.

Vitamin C can be one of the most effective skincare ingredients you will use, but you have to get it right as Vitamin C is highly unstable and can degrade and lose potency over time or when exposed to heat and light.

How does it work?

Vitamin C on collagen synthesis

Topical Vitamin C can reach the dermal layer (second layer) of the skin to boost collagen production. Vitamin C supports the key amino acids in building collagen and supplying these amino acids with an abundance of Vitamin C accelerates collagen production.

Vitamin C on Hyper-pigmentation

Vitamin C helps to inhibit the enzyme tyrosinase and reduces melanin. Vitamin C successfully suppresses the melanocyte hyperactivity responsible for dark spots and hyperpigmentation without changing healthy pigment. Vitamin C is successful in treating hyper-pigmentation (brown spots) as a result of sun damage, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and melasma.

Vitamin C a potent antioxidant

Vitamin C a potent antioxidant protecting the skin against free radical damage. So, just like we supply our bodies full of antioxidant-rich foods, we need to feed our skin in the same way. Antioxidants help to prevent and reduce damage caused by free radicals which can lead to the break down of collagen and elasticity, therefore preventing premature ageing.

Choosing the right Vitamin C

Picking the right Vitamin C is vital because nobody wants to waste money on an ineffective product, or a product that is going to lead to skin sensitivity.

There are many types of vitamin C, but the ones I found worked the best are L-ascorbic acid (water-soluble) and Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate or BV-OSC (lipid/oil soluble).