Your skin and Vitamin C
March 11, 2021What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is necessary for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. It's involved in many body functions, including formation of collagen, absorption of iron, the proper functioning of the immune system, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.
Vitamin C has multiple benefits to the skin from prevention, to repair to overall glowing skin.
Vitamin C the protector
Free radicals from the environment, pollution and UV radiation over time damages the skin, leading to premature signs of ageing, skin discolouration, and increase your risk of skin cancer. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that scavenges these free radicals from the environment mitigating damaging free radical activity and preventing oxidative stress in the skin. So protecting against UV damage with an antioxidant—and, of course, daily SPF—is important. Vitamin C prevents UV immunosuppression and DNA mutations. Scientists know that mutated cells cause skin cancer and that Vitamin C helps to prevent UV-induced mutations in skin cells.
Antioxidants have more scientific applications in skincare than most ingredient groups available. From barrier to improved elasticity to prolonged cell longevity and increased cell energy, antioxidants are truly one of the most beneficial skincare ingredients you can use. This is why we use so many of them in the products we formulate.
Vitamin C the age defender
Topical Vitamin C is the only antioxidant that has been proven to increase collagen synthesis. It also helps to restore healthy protein fibres. The increase in production of collagen in skin cells helps to support skin structure and delay the signs of ageing. As a powerful anti-oxidant, Vitamin C also neutralises the free radicals that cause oxidative stress to skin which can lead to premature skin aging. Besides its ability to enhance collagen production, Vitamin C, when topically applied, has been shown to down-regulate the enzymes responsible for collagen degradation and to preserve existing collagen.
Vitamin C the healer
Due to Vitamin C signalling collagen genes to synthesize collagen, a reaction that is vital in wound healing, it helps to control inflammation and promotes wound healing. As an anti-inflammatory it helps reduce the redness of the skin.
Vitamin C the brightener
Besides the fact that Vitamin C protects the skin from dark skin spots by limiting the skin’s exposure to free radicals it also improves hyper pigmentation by regulating melanocyte functioning. Vitamin C application has been shown to impede melanin production. This can help fade dark spots and lead to a more even-toned, glowing complexion.
Formulating with Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a highly volatile ingredient and needs to be handled with care. If formulated correctly, its most defining features are its bioavailability (recognized by the skin) and its permeability – having the ability to penetrate directly into the dermis to stimulate collagen synthesis. For meaningful levels to be delivered into the skin, Vitamin C should be at concentrations of higher than 10%. For optimised penetration into the skin, it should be within the pH range of 2 – 3.5. Due to our specific use of the esterified, stabilised form of Vitamin C we are able to formulate it with a slightly less acidic pH, making it a better choice for those with more sensitive skins as a lower acidic form can cause irritation in more sensitive skin. Research has proven that specific combinations of antioxidants, when effectively formulated, perform synergistically and provide far more superior results than single antioxidant formulations, this is why we included Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid in our formulation of the Sknlogic C15 Booster.
Sknlogic C15 Booster
The latest from Sknlogic brings a high-performance Vitamin C Skin booster with 15% Vitamin C. C15 Booster offers a stable, no-sting, clinically proven blend of antioxidants that have excellent stability with the highest concentration of anti-oxidants. Not only does it include 15% Vitamin C it also has the added benefits of other antioxidants and skin nourishing ingredients to further enhance its effectiveness. It works with the skin’s own processes and defenses to even skin tone, reduce brown spots and prevent and correct free radical damage.
Vitamin E
A potent lipid-soluble antioxidant, which has been proven to increase the photo-protection effects of Vitamin C. In turn, Vitamin C also helps to regenerate the oxidative form of Vitamin E, which is important for preventing oxidative damage in the lipid cell membrane. Vitamin E helps to protect cell membranes and lipid structures from free radical attack and it is a chain-reaction-ending antioxidant, i.e. it stops the chain reaction of free radicals damaging the skin cell.
Ferulic Acid
Research has shown that Ferulic Acid aids in both stabilisation of the Vitamin C molecule and achieving an acidity of a pH below 3.5, effectively enhancing the potency of Vitamin C. Ferulic Acid also helps to protect overall skin integrity by reducing the development of fine lines, spots, and wrinkles.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid has the capacity to attract and hold vast amounts of moisture. It revitalises the skin making it look and feel softer and smoother, increasing firmness and pliability of the skin while diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Pro-Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5 has an anti-inflammatory effect that can help stimulate your skin's healing processes, also reducing redness that can be caused by active ingredients.
Using Vitamin C
The best time to use your Vitamin C is in the morning, so that you have protection from free radicals when you go outdoors. To minimise the risk of stinging/prickling when using an acidic Vitamin C product, make sure the cleanser you use beforehand is a neutral or slightly acidic pH cleanser. It is best to rinse off the cleanser pat dry and wait a minute or two before applying the Vitamin C product. The one ingredient you should steer clear of when using vitamin C is Benzoyl Peroxide (mostly used in acne treatments), which can oxidise the Vitamin C and, therefore, make it less potent. You might want to change to an acne treatment with Salicylic Acid rather than Benzoyl peroxide if you intend to use a high concentration of Vitamin C. Try Sknlogic newly reformulated Clarify with Salicylic Acid.
Vitamin C is vulnerable to light and heat and if not stored correctly it can oxidise rapidly. It should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place, away from any form of sunlight or heat which can both degrade the product.
