A Basic Guide to Vitamin C for Skin Care
Vitamin C for skin care has been used for quite a while, but only now are we really able to tell why it works and in what form Vitamin C works best in. Also referred to as L-ascorbic acid, Vitamin C is a topical agent that has been used to fight fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improve the overall condition of the skin.
L-ascorbic Acid assists in stimulating collagen synthesis, offers protection from the sun, remains in the skin for up to 3 days, and guards skin by neutralizing free radicals, which would harm the skin and its components otherwise.
Although it has a variety of benefits and is pretty easy to come by, one of the drawbacks to using Vitamin C for skin care is that once it is exposed to air, it can become ineffective. In some cases, oxidized Vitamin C can even increase the production of free radicals which cause damage to the skin.
In retaliation to this, some companies have tried to make products that contain stabilized Vitamin C which doesn't oxidize as quickly. These are generally on the expensive side, however, and can still oxidize, despite the fact that they are concentrated.
When Vitamin C oxidizes, it ultimately gets a yellowish hue which indicates an advanced stage of oxidation. Regrettably, the lack of a tint does not always assure that the product hasn't oxidized since the original product of Vitamin C oxidation is without color. Checking the expiration date and sticking with a reputable brand, therefore, is very important.
Still, Vitamin C for skin care can be very effective when it's still good quality. There are some derivatives of Vitamin C like ascorbyl palmitate, which is the most popular derivative of vitamin C for skin care. It does not irritate the skin and it helps protect the skin from free radical damage.
Another water-soluble vitamin C derivative that many people are considering when it comes to skin care is magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. It is also nonirritating to the skin and it is more stable than regular, pure Vitamin C. Even more significantly is the fact that magnesium ascorbyl phosphate may have the same capabilities of Vitamin C when it comes to boosting synthesis of skin collagen, yet it is still valuable in much lower concentrations. In general, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate seems to be a superior choice over pure Vitamin C for many who have sensitive skin.
Although untouched, Vitamin C continues to be an essential ingredient for skin care, its derivatives could possibly do just as good of a job, and in some cases, an even better job. Not only are they liable to be more stable and less expensive, but they are also often less irritating, too. In addition, a few of the derivatives are just as good when it comes to encouraging skin collagen synthesis. To both encourage collagen synthesis & exfoliate your skin, however, then unmodified Vitamin C might be a better choice.