Prevention: Vitamin C Is A Powerful Antioxidant
Vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidants, giving it the power to destroy free radicals by turning them into pure compounds. The skin is continuously exposed to environmental toxins and used as an exit point for systemic toxins, creating a need for round-the-clock protection from free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to the skin by breaking down proteins and fatty acids that make up the skin. They can alter normal skin pH and increase the production of sebum, leaving the skin prone to bacteria that causes breakouts. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that converts the harmful free radicals into harmless compounds before they can do any damage to the skin, helping to prevent future breakouts.
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Can You Layer A Vitamin C Serum With Other Skin Care Products
Dermatologists love layering products! Klein says. I generally advise going from lowest to highest pH, like using either an alpha or beta hydroxy acid cleanser in the morning followed by the vitamin C serum.
A vitamin C serum will not lose its potency if applied in an incorrect order, but applying lowest to highest pH when layering skin products will increase absorptionand therefore efficacy, according to Klein. Feel free to add peptides, hyaluronic acids, and B5 after the Vitamin C serum. One exception is products with niacinamide. Niacinamide turns into niacin when mixed with Vitamin C, cautions Jaliman. Niacin, although not harmful, can cause short-term skin redness and tingling in people with sensitive skin.
Generally speaking, youll want to use your Vitamin C serum after you cleanse and tone, but before you use moisturizer. Take a few drops in the palm of your hand and massage gently into the skin of your face and neck with your fingertips. This can be done once or twice a day.
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Different Types Of Scars Explained
There are four types of acne scars, explains Dr Fabusiwa explains.
Hyperpigmentation often occurs alongside acne scarring as melanocytes release excess melanin at the site of inflammation.
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What Is Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C serum is a highly concentrated skincare product filled with vitamin C and other ingredients to help repair your skin.
Vitamin C is one of the most powerful and essential nutrients for overall skin health. From fighting free radicals to reducing melanin production, moisturizing skin to increasing cell turnover, vitamin C does it all.
It also plays a key role in the formation of collagen, which helps keep your skin smooth and elastic and can even help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
It is important to note that there are many different types of vitamin C serums out there, with varying levels of potency and effectiveness. Some serums contain over 20% pure vitamin C, while others have much less than that.
May Reduce Acne Scars
Acne scars can develop from mild to extreme cases. Either way, they form due to a loss of skin tissue and collagen, resulting in small indentations developing.
Vitamin C treats acne scars by increasing your bodys natural production of collagen. It helps to rebuild your skin so that you have a healthier, more vibrant epidermis.
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Best Natural: Instanatural Vitamin C Serum
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Ferulic acid and vitamin E boost vitamin Cs efficacy and stability
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Licorice root extract and argan oil brighten and hydrate
InstaNaturals wallet-friendly Vitamin C Serum flaunts an all-natural formula with hyaluronic acid, sea buckthorn oil, ferulic acid, and plant stem cells. In addition, radiance-boosting licorice root extract, argan oil, and cica deliver collagen boosting properties that help to repair cellular damage.
Benefits: Hydrating, radiance-boosting, reparative, rejuvenating | Skin Type: All | Dosage: Dime-sized amount twice daily | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Yes
Price at time of publish: $18
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May Help Reduce The Appearance Of Acne
Vitamin cs talents as an antioxidant allow it to assist in neutralizing free radicals and combatting inflammation for a soothing effect. Redness in acne is generally caused by inflammation, so vitamin c can be especially helpful in evening out your complexion if you suffer from inflammatory acne and the accompanying redness and irritation.
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About My Skin: Prone To Breakouts And Pigmentation
While Im prone to breakouts, my biggest problem comes after they heal and linger on as pigmented red spots. Ive used dark spot correctors in the past, including a vitamin serum from Cosrx that helped , but this serum from Mad Hippie intrigued me because its full of good-for-the-skin ingredientsnot just vitamin C.
While there are some ingredients I cant use , my skin isnt very sensitive, so I can use most products safely without irritation. I mention this because vitamin C sometimes causes tingling and sensitivity, so depending on your skin, you may have to work up to using it twice a day.
Does Vitamin C Serum Help With Acne
Yes, it does. Acne can be caused by many things, including hormones, stress, and diet. Another major cause of acne is bacteria that grows on the skin and causes breakouts.
Vitamin C increases cell turnover to help fight bacteria on the skin, which in turn help prevent acne. It also helps treat acne by reducing inflammation and redness, two major symptoms of acne breakouts.
Another reason why vitamin C serum is a good acne treatment is that it helps repair damaged tissue and prevent free radical damage caused by the sun or other sources.
So, whether you have a little or a lot, vitamin C serum can be an effective tool in your battle against acne. But just like some other skincare products, you have to be careful because it can be irritating if not used correctly.
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Vitamin C For Acne Scars: Does It Work Benefits & Uses
Acne is a common skin condition that results in raised, red bumps on the skin. Its an inflammation of the skin, and when that inflammation gets too severe, it can damage the pores, resulting in scarring.
Some scars heal quickly while others can last for years. Its paramount to treat these scars correctly to regain the appearance you want, and while there are many ways to go about that, dont underestimate the power of Vitamin C.
May Reduce The Risk Of Preeclampsia
Watermelon is rich in lycopene, the compound that gives tomatoes and similarly colored fruits and vegetables their rich red pigment.
One older study suggests that supplementing with 4 mg of lycopene per day or around 60% of the lycopene found in 1 cup of watermelon may help lower preeclampsia risk by up to 50% .
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication marked by high blood pressure, increased swelling, and loss of protein in the urine. Its a serious condition and major cause of preterm birth .
Based on the finding that lycopene supplementation may reduce preeclampsia risk, lycopene-rich watermelon is commonly touted to protect women from developing preeclampsia during pregnancy. However, two more recent studies fail to find a link between the two (
summary
Watermelon is generally safe to eat during pregnancy. However, pregnant women should avoid eating sliced watermelon that has remained at room temperature for too long. Moreover, women with gestational diabetes should avoid eating large portions.
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The Relation Between Vitamin C & Acne
Properly dealing with acne isnt always as simple as applying a treatment and giving it a few days to get better. Sometimes the underlying factors that cause acne can be exacerbated by lifestyle habits, or your overall health. When taking the most comprehensive approach to defending your skin against acne, its important to make sure youre getting the right nutrients in your diet and in your skincare.
Vitamins can be such an easy thing to overlook as you get caught up in the daily grind. Lets take a deeper look at vitamin c for acne, a nutrient that can provide significant benefits for your skin.
Best Treatments For Acne Scars
There are many treatments to help with acne scars. A dermatologist will advise which is the best treatment in situations where standard treatments are not suitable.
Those who suffer from severe acne may choose more invasive treatments like lasering. However, there are many serums on the market for those with more moderate conditions.
A serum containing properties that protect skin from the damage caused by free radicals is the best choice for Acne’s sufferers. The Luxury Facial Oil from the Rejuvenate Range protects the skin from free radicals while hydrating it.
Free radicals can damage our skin’s natural pH by breaking down fatty acids and proteins that help maintain balance and protect the skin from toxins. The combination of nourishing botanical oils and soothing properties of CBD assist the natural protection of the skin.
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How Should Topical Vitamin C Be Used To Treat Scars
A 1020% concentration of vitamin C serum can be applied to the face once or twice per day morning and evening. Applying it in the morning gives the added benefit of UV protection.
If you have sensitive skin, consider starting with one application a day to build a tolerance to the treatment.
Vitamin C is not readily absorbed through the skin. For maximum absorption, the pH level of the skin should be at 4 or below, and the product being applied should contain vitamin C formulated as ascorbic acid.
The skins normal pH level varies slightly from person to person, but generally it is within a range of 47. In order to ensure that your skin stays around 4 or lower, you may want to wash your face with an alpha hydroxy acid cleanser or any other cleanser with a low pH. Products with AHAs that have an FDA approved pH of as low as 3.5 can lower the pH of the first three layers of the skin.
After washing your face, apply a few drops of vitamin C serum to your fingers. Rub it gently into damp skin and let dry. Allow your skin a few minutes to absorb the serum before you continue on with your regular skin care routine such as applying a moisturizer, or OTC or prescription acne product.
This delay will give the vitamin C the opportunity to absorb properly. However, there is a limit to how much vitamin C the skin can retain and if your skin is saturated with vitamin C, additional skin care products will have no real effect.
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + Ha
Best for: hyperpigmentation
Alpha arbutin is helpful for brightening the skin and reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation. This formula has a high concentration of 2% alpha arbutin. It also has hyaluronic acid, which hydrates and helps support the delivery of the star ingredient. This product can be used in conjunction with other treatment products, like a vitamin C serum.
How to Use: Cleanse and pat dry your skin. Dispense the product into your fingers and gently massage into the skin. You may follow up with another complementary serum, like a vitamin C. Finish with a moisturizer. Use 1 to 2 times daily.
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Vitamin B Supplements For Acne Scars
B vitamins help with wound healing by increasing protein synthesis and enabling more repair cells to the site. B1 and B5 are essential for promoting skin health by strengthening scar tissue and increasing fibroblasts that help secrete collagen. Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9 , Vitamin B5 , and Vitamin B12 are essential factors in the enzyme reactions involved in wound healing. Research has also shown that Thiamine , riboflavin , pyridoxine , and cobalamins are also required for the synthesis of collagen. In addition, vitamin B12 enhances protein synthesis and increases the number of repair cells at the surgical or injured site.
Vitamin C And Free Radicals
Vitamin C plays a role in keeping our skin free from harmful free radicals which are a leading cause of acne.
Free radicals:
- Break down fatty acids and proteins that help maintain skins’ natural PH balance.
- Leave the skin vulnerable to bacteria which causes acne.
- The damage caused to the sebaceous glands means increased sebum production.
By destroying the free radicals, vitamin C helps our skin keep the natural PH balance. This is one reason to use a vitamin C serum for acne.
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Relation Between Vitamin C And Acne
The intake of all essential vitamins and minerals is necessary to keep your skin healthy and glowing. According to medical experts, deficiency in certain important nutrients can be one of the major causes of several skin conditions, including acne breakouts.
Acne is a skin condition which can be caused due to a wide range of underlying factors such as hormonal imbalance, weakened immune system, allergies, etc. Hence, giving your skin the right nutrients in the right quantities is of utmost importance in order to keep these unwanted breakouts at bay. This is where vitamin C plays a vital role and takes care of some of the underlying causes that cause acne breakouts.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which is known to boost your immune system functioning and help in skin regeneration. While products like AcneStar gel and AcneStar soap can be applied to effectively treat acne breakouts, vitamin C plays a key role in promoting the healing, growth, and repair of tissues throughout the body. It works efficiently to boost the production of collagen, which accelerates the skins ability to heal itself.
If youre suffering from acne breakouts, vitamin C can increase the flow of antioxidants to the affected areas, which in turn reduces the severity of the condition. As vitamin C protects the skin from free radical damage, helps in skin regeneration, while also forming scar tissue, blood vessels, and tendons, it is also considered to be effective in the treatment of cystic acne.
Biochemistry Of Vitamin C
Vit. C has a 5-hydrocarbon ring similar to that of glucose. With an attached hydrogen ion, LAA becomes a weak sugar acid, similar to other alfa hydroxy acids used in dermatology. With a metal ion, it forms a mineral ascorbate. There is a marked interest in synthesis of physiologically active and chemically stable ascorbate molecules as LAA is unstable in nature, especially when exposed to light.
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What Is The Extent Of Vitamin Cs Benefit For Acne
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate , a precursor to vitamin C, has been shown to be effective in treating acne by acting both as an antioxidant and as an antimicrobial agent.
One study demonstrated the efficacy of 5% SAP cream used daily, with a majority of subjects showing significant improvement of their acne, with little to no side effects. In this study, 76.9% of patients ranked this creams efficacy as excellent or good, a higher ranking than a prescribed acne treatment of benzoyl peroxide. The results indicate that vitamin C is an effective acne treatment for a wide variety of patients.
Another study found sodium L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate , a derivative of vitamin C, to be an effective acne treatment on its own, providing a statistically significant decrease of both inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesions.
How To Tell If Vitamin C Is Working
You can tell that your Vitamin C serum is working effectively if you notice your scars getting lighter, and skin getting even after 3-4 weeks. As we mentioned earlier, it works by enhancing the collagen production in your skin which fades the scars faster.
At the same time, it will reduce post inflammatory hyperpigmentation around the spots.
Incorporating Vitamin C serum into your regular skincare regime will work its magic during scar formation and ensure minimal scarring.
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How Does It Feel
This is where things get interesting! Like most serums and liquids, you would assume it would feel watery, hydrating, or tacky. To my surprise, it doesnt at all!
It feels like a dry oil!
The serum glides smoothly over the skin, feeling just like a dry oil texture. On that note, I did notice that the product feels as if it is getting warm once it has been applied. This sensation only last several seconds. Apparently, this is normal for the product.
If applied after physically exfoliating the skin, I did notice is can tingle or sting a bit, however, this is normal for any ascorbic acid product. Aside from texture and feeling, the serum absorbs fairly quickly into the skin, generally within half a minute which is pretty good.
Is Vitamin C Good For Acne
Vitamin c is an antioxidant that helps optimize your immune system to dampen its inflammatory response in relation to acne. It also promotes skin regeneration by helping to boost your production of collagen, a naturally occurring protein that helps your skin regenerate cells and appear firm. Since collagen depletes as you get older, vitamin c can be a powerful ally in the fight against wrinkles, fine lines, and acne. Here are some other ways vitamin c and acne relate:
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