Vitamin C skin treatments and serums can have a range of benefits, such as balancing skin tone, reducing hyperpigmentation, and reducing the signs of aging. Many manufacturers package Vitamin C products as serums.
How this powerful antioxidant can benefit the skin?
1. Sun protection
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. This means that it reduces the damage that free radicals may do to the body. Free radicals are particles that cause inflammation.
Vitamin C as an antioxidant can affect the skin this three-way:
-reducing premature cell death
-reducing the release of cytokines, which are inflammatory compounds
-reducing damage resulting from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.
While a person should not replace sunscreen with topical vitamin C for skin protection, applying topical vitamin C as well may help protect against harmful effects from the sun.
2. Preventing premature aging
Vitamin C cannot reverse the appearance of wrinkles that develop naturally over time. However, vitamin C serums can help reduce premature aging by protecting the skin from the untimely skin wrinkles that sun exposure can cause.
Vitamin C also helps reduce premature wrinkling by stimulating the growth of collagen. Collagen is a protein that provides structure and elasticity to the skin.
A study found that applying a 5% vitamin C solution for 6 months helped increase skin thickness. Thicker, collagen-rich skin is less likely to show wrinkling than thinner skin.
3. Creating an even skin tone
Some people apply topical Vitamin C to treat hyper-pigmentation which can appear due to sun exposure or hormonal changes.
Researchers claim that Vitamin C may help reduce melanin production. Melanin is a pigment responsible for the darker appearance of hyper-pigmented areas. By reducing its production, it helps reduce the appearance of darker areas.
How do vitamin C serums work?
Vitamin C traditionally formulates serums as water- or oil-based products that the skin can quickly absorb. Most dermatologists recommend applying serums after cleansing the skin and before applying moisturizers. This allows the skin to most effectively absorb the serum.
Vitamin C combines with other known antioxidants to increase the serum's effectiveness. Examples include Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid. These ingredient combinations work better together to help reduce and reverse signs of aging.
Vitamin C can be acidic, and serums can cause skin irritation in some people, particularly in high concentrations. When using a vitamin C serum for the first time, apply a thin layer every other day and gradually increase to daily applications to give the skin a chance to use it the product.
Also, combining Vitamin C with Retinol, glycolic acid has the potential to irritate the skin further. If you use retinol in the skincare routine, use vitamin C serum in the morning and any products that contain retinol at night. This method maximizes the sun-protective effect of vitamin C while minimizing retinol's potential to increase Sun sensitivity.
To get the lasting effects you must apply vitamin C serums consistently over several months before seeing the results.
