How Does Vitamin C Benefit Skin
It’s been centuries since British sailors discovered the key to avoiding scurvy: vitamin C. You probably grew up being told that getting enough vitamin C would ward off colds and other ailments, but now the word is out that vitamin C may not play a big part in staving off the sniffles. However, it does have a vital role in maintaining the health of your skin.
Those sailors and others who couldn’t get fresh fruits and vegetables suffered bleeding under the skin, ulcers and joint weakness. That’s because vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is key to the production of collagen, a protein that aids in the growth of cells and blood vessels and gives skin its firmness and strength . Vitamin C also helps create scar tissue and ligaments, and it helps your skin repair itself .
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that slows the rate of free-radical damage — free radicals are unstable molecules that damage collagen and cause skin dryness, fine lines and wrinkles. New research shows that ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a derivative of vitamin C, not only neutralizes free radicals, but also reverses DNA damage .
Keep reading to learn what foods you can incorporate into your diet to make sure you get the vitamin C your body needs.
How Do You Know If Vitamin C Serum Is Working
Visible changes on the skin. The best way to tell if your Vitamin C serum is effective is by looking for changes in the texture and tone of your skin.
However, keep in mind that it is normal for vitamin C serums to take months before you can truly see a difference. Also, make sure to follow all directions carefully, as this is also a good indicator of how effective the product is going to be.
Vitamin C Benefits For Skin Hair And Health
Mar 9, 2021 | Blog
There are very few ingredients in the world that are as crucial to our bodies as Vitamin C. Without the nutrients offered by fresh fruits, vitamin supplements, and vegetables, there is a high probability of running into health complications. Our dermatologist in Wellington is going to dive into some of the incredible benefits of Vitamin C for skin, hair, and health, starting us off by answering your most asked questions about Vitamin C and its benefits. Dont self-diagnose on the internet, be sure to visit DCSI and we will happily answer all questions regarding Vitamin C deficiency.
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What Are The Health Benefits Of Vitamin C
1. Improves Heart Health
As per one American study, vitamin C might play a role in reducing heart disease risk. Multiple cohort studies have demonstrated that higher plasma levels of vitamin C could be linked to reduced heart disease risk .
More studies state that vitamin C could be as good as exercise for your heart. A regular dose of vitamin C can hinder the activity of a protein named endothelin-1, which leads to the constriction of small blood vessels and this eventually causes heart attack . The vitamin can also lower your blood pressure and keep your arteries flexible.
Vitamin C was also found to help the arteries dilate under stress this improves blood flow, and hence, its oxygen carrying ability as well. Another Indian study states that fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C can prevent heart disease. The study says that a vitamin C-rich vegetarian diet can reduce blood cholesterol by 1%, which reduces the risk of heart attack by 2% .
Vitamin C supplementation was also found to lower serum cholesterol levels, and this could help avert coronary heart disease .
2. Regulates Blood Pressure Levels
As per a report by Johns Hopkins Medicine, large doses of vitamin C can lower blood pressure. This function of vitamin C could be attributed to its physiological and biological effects. Vitamin C acts as a diuretic and causes the kidneys to remove more sodium and water from the body this relieves the pressure on blood vessel walls .
3. Boosts Immunity
Benefits Of Vitamin C For Skin
Vitamin C is an impressive skincare ingredient that is shown to be effective in the following areas:
- Protects against environmental stressors: As an antioxidant, one of vitamin Cs main functions is protecting the skin. “Normal cellular processes, as well as environmental insults like ultraviolet light and pollution, create free radicals in the skin,” Herrmann explains. “Free radicals are inherently unstable molecules that damage cells, promoting skin dullness, wrinkles, and even cancers.” Guanche adds, “Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it can protect to skin from damaging free radicals caused by UV exposure.” By scavenging these free radicals, vitamin C protects the skin, keeping it healthy and improving visible signs of aging.
- Promotes collagen production: Vitamin C also plays an important role in collagen synthesis. “Collagen gives our skin support and structure, and as it degrades with age, we begin to notice wrinkles and lines,” Herrmann explains. “Vitamin C is a necessary cofactor for building collagen bundles, without which this process halts.”
- Lightens brown spots: Vitamin C is also helpful in lightening unwanted brown spots and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or decreasing brown discoloration by blocking the pathway of pigment synthesis, according to both Herrmann and Guanche.
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How To Store Vitamin C & Keep It Stable
Because Vitamin C protects you from the sun, it also means it needs to stay in the dark! The anti-oxygenating effects you want to harness will start to decay if UV rays are hitting the bottle. Thats why you often see Vitamin C products sold in tinted or dark bottles. Always keep an eye on your expiration date as well to make sure that you arent using a Vitamin C serum thats lost its juice.
Make sure those good antioxidant properties arent wasted and keep your Vitamin C serum stored out of direct sunlight in a cool place. I actually invested in a skincare fridge to keep my products cold and protected . Putting a jade roller or face tool in the fridge can pack a double punch with your Vitamin C serum to help de-puff and brighten your face!
Why Is The Link Between Vitamin C And Glutathione Levels Important In Skin Lightening
Its important because scientists have found out that the way our skin balances between its lighter pigments and darker pigments depends on glutathione, L-cysteine and the TYRP1 enzyme.
Since Vitamin C has been scientifically proven to boost gluthathione levels in the blood, we can say that Vitamin C helps to lighten skin color.
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How To Incorporate Vit C Into Your Routine
While this antioxidant is in many of our everyday foods , you have to apply it topically for your skin to enjoy its full effects.
The good news is, whether your skin is dry, oily or some weird combo youre still trying to figure out, vitamin C doesnt play favorites as long as you play nice and apply it correctly.
Vitamin C is best implemented into your routine with a serum, as this allows the L-ascorbic acid to remain stable and more effective, Dr. Taghipour explains. It will also absorb into the skin better, as serum is a lighter formulation than moisturizer.
In terms of when to use it, vitamin C should become a staple in your morning routine, as this allows it to do its work in protecting skin from free radicals during the day.
You should cleanse and tone, then apply your vitamin C serum and follow with a moisturizer, says Dr. Taghipour.
Dont forget to apply sunscreen after moisturizing, in order for the two products to work well together to combat UV exposure, she adds.
Quick take: Apply a vitamin C serum once or twice a day, after toner and before your moisturizer. Always wear SPF with products that contain vitamin C.
Once you start Googling youll realize just how many vitamin C products are out there. Keep these tips in mind.
How Should You Use Vitamin C Serum
- Cleanse your face by using a cleansing product and warm water. The cleanser will remove all of your makeup, dirt, and oil from the day.
- Squeeze a few drops of vitamin C serum to your face, then massage the serum into your skin in circular motions .
- Wait for 10 minutes before applying an oil-free moisturizer to your face. Moisturizers lock in moisture while keeping your skin hydrated.
- Apply sunscreen to protect against UV rays that can damage your skin.
- Apply makeup if desired.
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What Is Vitamin C
Vitamin C, which also goes by ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic acid, is a vitamin that isnt actually produced by the body. Instead, the only way to get it is through supplements or your diet citrus fruits like oranges are famously rich in vitamin C. And it has vital functions throughout the body. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in tissue repair and the enzymatic production of various transmitters, says Dr. Patricia Wexler, a dermatologist in New York City.
While you can certainly eat your way to a healthy vitamin C intake, your skin in particular reaps the biggest benefits when its applied topically versus ingested via an oral supplement or your diet, no many how much grapefruit you eat. Topically, its 20 times more potent than the oral intake, says Wexler.
How To Use Vitamin C For Your Daily Skin Routine
Vitamin C is full of various nutrients including antioxidants. Although you are getting vitamin C from your diet, there is no guarantee that it will reach the skin. For better skin results you have to apply it topically. There are different kinds of options in the market such as vitamin C containing lotions, moisturizer, serum, and creams. However, many dermatologists will go with serum for the best skincare result as the serum is a lighter formulation than a moisturizer that absorbs easily into the skin. Also, dont forget to apply vitamin C sunscreen before stepping out.
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Vitamin C From Plants And Fruits For Skin
Of course, ingredients straight from nature that have high contents of vitamin C can provide similar benefits with naturally occurring phytonutrients.
Annmarie Skin Care prides itself on using ingredients high in C such as sea buckthorn berries, rosehip seed oil, and amla berries. Many processed vitamin C can be contaminated, contain fillers and toxic ingredients. So if you do opt for a processed C, do your research and trust your source so that you’re getting a clean one.
Who Should Use A Vitamin C Serum On Their Skin
According to the study in Nutrients, vitamin C can help protect the skin from many problems, including sunburn, photoaging, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, sagging, dryness, and an uneven skin tone. Anyone dealing with these skin issues may want to consider adding a vitamin C serum to their skincare regimen. But its a good idea to get started even if these issues havent crept up yet. While its often presented as an anti-aging ingredient, the best time to prevent aging is before it occurs, Schlessinger says.
Saedi recommends vitamin C serums for people of all ages because virtually everyone is at risk of sun damage, and with vitamin C serums we are minimizing the amount of sun damage that our skins getting from sunlight, she says.She says it does double duty of both protecting the skin and helping problem areas recover. Its preventative in that its protecting you from sun damage and signs of aging like wrinkles, Saedi says. It also helps promote collagen and boost your natural collagen formation.
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Vitamin C Skin Lightening Pills
As we have already learnt from the previous chapter vitamin C can be obtain in various ways. You can obtain it from fruits, vegetables, supplements and pills. The skin lightening pills contains glutathione in it. Scientists have proven that the tablets and capsules are taken to increase glutathione in the body. The glutathione in the other hand helps to whiten the skin, eliminate dark spots from the skin. You will also other supplements such as soaps, creams and powder that contain glutathione. There are many effective skin lightening pills that you will choose from such as Met Tathione skin whiteninig capsules, kyusoku Bihaku skin whitening pill, fairtone skin lightening pill, ivory caps skin whitening pill among others.
However just like anything else the skin whitening pills have side effects.
- First it may cause hormonal imbalance because it disrupts normal body production of glutathione
- It may cause allergic reactions I.e. rashes, pimples or skin swelling therefore you should consult your dermatologists before you consider using them.
- Presence of hydroquinone in most of the whitening product may arouse worry because it is a harmful chemical.
Therefore when you want to use any Vitamin C skin whitening pill consult your dermatologist for advice and in the case that you have already used it and noticed some negative reaction with the pill you should stop using it at once and get assistance from your doctor.
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.
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Why Your Skin Needs Vitamin C Too
Vitamin C provides your skin with some seriously great benefits.
Vitamin C has legendary status as a nutrient, but most people think of it primarily as something that’s good for their insides. In fact, vitamin C does wonders for the skin the body’s largest organ too. You can find vitamin C in skincare products like serums and creams, which are believed to be the most effective, but some research has found that oral intakes of vitamin C in combination with vitamin E can help your skin protect itself against sun damage. Here are some of vitamin C’s most impressive benefits.
IT FIGHTS WRINKLES.
Research shows that topical applications of vitamin C can help the skin produce collagen, the loss of which is a key sign of aging. In one study, 60 white females between the ages of 20 and 75 applied a moisturizer containing 5 percent vitamin C, and after 60 days of daily use, saw “significant collagen synthesis.” Study participants reported “visible reduction of wrinkles” after three to four weeks of applying the cream.
In another study, middle-aged female participants with lower dietary intakes of vitamin C were more likely to have a “wrinkled appearance” than participants who had higher dietary intakes of vitamin C . The study also found that vitamin C helped with dryness and skin atrophy.
IT PROTECTS AGAINST UVB DAMAGE.
IT DEFENDS YOUR SKIN FROM SUN DAMAGE.
Who Should Use It
Vitamin C is one of those truly universal ingredients. It can benefit everyones skin health. For acne-prone patients, for example, Dr. Marchbein recommends Vitamin C to help lighten and prevent further darkening of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or the dark spots left on the skin after acne clears. The only precaution to take is if you have sensitive skin, in which case youll want to incorporate a Vitamin C slowly and steady and avoid formulas with high concentrations of the ingredient.
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Topical Vitamin C For Skin Lightening
Topical vitamin C is widely available in stores in forms of creams, lotions and serums. To get the best out of topical vitamin C products, always check the label for a PH lower than 3.5 and a concentration of 15-20%. Vitamin C products oxidize very quickly when exposed to air, heat and light and turn yellowish. Topical vitamin C products should not be discolored since they are no longer effective and can be harmful to your skin.
Vitamin C Cream to Lighten Skin Color
Does vitamin c lighten skin? Well Vitamin c cream, lotion and oil may be used as a supplement alongside pills, capsules or vitamin c injection. This cream contains glutathione in them that is responsible for production of pheomelanin that gives the skin its lighter complexion. The vitamin c creams eliminates hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and wrinkles and whiten the skin giving you a beautiful and even tone.
You should take a lot of caution when choosing a whitening cream, consider those with no hydroquinone or with very little percentage. This is because it is a very harsh chemical to your skin. There are also varieties of creams to choose from for example Kojic Acid Cream, Markari skin care, Ambi Fade Cream.
Vitamin C Serum to Lighten Skin