Vitamin C Skin Care Products

Kate Somerville Retinolvita C Power Serum

We are often told you cant combine retinol and vitamin C, but its myth according to LA facialist KateSomerville. When used in tandem, the two powerhouses are doubly effective vitamin C helps retinol remainstable while retinol can clear the path for enhanced vitamin C absorption. Somerville cleverly married themup in this weightless serum that refreshes tired, dull skin while you sleep. By morning youll be looking ata tighter, brighter and more luminous complexion. The retinol targets fine lines and helps improve firmnessand elasticity, while vitamin C stimulates collagen production and evens out the complexion. Its a doublewhammy.

How Much Vitamin C Do I Need In My Skincare

The right concentration is important, says Dr Mike Bell, scientific skincare advisor at Boots. While vitamin C in different forms can be effective at lower levels, you need concentrations of 5% or more of the most active form of vitamin C for it to have an impact on collagen and skin structural integrity.

Amanda Bell adds, Vitamin C can be applied topically through a skincare regime allowing the powerful antioxidant to perform its skin-brightening, hyperpigmentation-correcting and skin tone-evening benefits.

With any new skincare product its important to build up slowly so your skin can acclimatise on its own terms. Add a little vitamin C two to three times a week, and if it feels good then increase this to a daily dose of glow-glow juice.

It Helps Reduce Redness And Even Out Your Skin Tone

Vitamin C has also been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory agent through its antioxidant capacity, according to a . This means it soothes your skin and can reduce puffiness.

Vitamin Cs anti-inflammatory action may help:

• neutralize free radicals that cause oxidative damage
• optimize the immune system to discourage an inflammatory immune response

The anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin C can also help reduce redness, which in turn can create a more even complexion.

The combined reduction of dark spots, redness, and irritation makes for a clear, smooth skin tone.

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What Were Looking For

Formulation: All of our experts agree: Formulation is paramount to vitamin Cs stability. The more stable, the better, because you reap all of the glow-inducing benefits. A product must be formulated carefully to enable sufficient delivery to the skin, Dr. Kenneth Howe of the Wexler Dermatology Group explains. As for how much vitamin C should be in a given formulation, Lal recommends at least 10 percent. Less than that and you dont get the full benefit of the product, and over 20 percent, you dont get any additional benefits and are more likely to experience irritation. However, this doesnt really mean much when it comes to derivatives because, according to Lal, once the derivatives hit the skin, a 10 percent concentration is much closer to 3 or 4 percent.

Packaging: Your vitamin C should come in a dark or opaque bottle. This helps prevent oxidation, which happens when it is exposed to sunlight or isnt kept in an airtight bottle. It will be obvious that this is happening because the formula will darken in color. To prevent this, our experts recommend keeping it away from sunlight and storing it somewhere dark, along with closing the bottle tightly.

The Home Facial: Murad Vita

Want professional-style microdermabrasion at home? This exfoliating facial can deliver a therapists glow up. With the unique triple action of micro mineral scrubbers, enzymes and acids, along with special gold stabilised, bioavailable Vitamin C that is 55% more potent than the traditional type, it gently resurfaces the skin whilst allowing better penetration of the targeted ingredients.

For all skin types, its gentle enough to be used two-to-three times per week. Whether youre run down, hungover or have that post-viral look from a recent illness, this is your guaranteed get-out-of-jail-free-card for brighter, clearer and smoother feeling skin.

Buy not at Murad

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The Lowdown On Vitamin C In Skincare

It’s time to meet your skincare squeeze

Youre probably used to pouring yourself a tall, cool glass of orange juice to start your day, but did you know you can give your skin a morning boost with the beauty power player that is vitamin C? Its one of the most highly searched skincare ingredients, with more and more brands releasing serums, tonics, masks and more to add to our ever growing skincare shelf.

But what exactly are skincare benefits of vitamin C, and just how should you use it? Amanda Bell, Global Director of Makeup Artistry and Education for Pixi Skincare, says The benefits of vitamin C in your skincare routine are multiple, making it a perfect daily maintenance ingredient for your skin. For a brighter complexion and even skin tone, while diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, vitamin C is an essential ingredient.

Best Eye Treatment: Beautystat Universal C Eye Perfector

This eye treatment contains 5% vitamin C to firm and smooth lines and hyaluronic acid for hydration.

The company claims that the product calms and revitalizes the skin, and it is good for reducing eye puffiness and the appearance of dark circles.

Price: $65 for 15 ml, plus shipping. The company calculates shipping during checkout.

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Best Drugstore: Cerave Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

• Contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides to plump skin and strengthen skin barrier

• Non-comedogenic formula

• Can oxidize and leave orange streaks

You can squeeze product out of this CeraVe tube of vitamin C serum. In addition to 10 percent L-ascorbic acid, this affordable formula replenishes the skin barrier with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides and soothes stressed skin with vitamin B5.

Benefits: Radiance-boosting, hydrating, replenishing | Skin Type: All | Dosage: Thin layer daily | Size: 1 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Yes

Price at time of publish: $21

Best Splurge: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic

• Ferulic acid and vitamin E boost vitamin Cs efficacy and stability

• Antioxidant blend further attacks free radical damage

• Hyaluronic acid helps plump and hydrate

Our home tester rated SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic a 4.8 out of 5 stars for its velvety skin-feel and antioxidant-rich formula. Madfes says this product is worth the splurge and delivers a noticeable improvement in the texture, evenness, and elasticity of skin.

Benefits: Hydrating, smoothing, radiance-boosting | Skin Type: Dry, balanced, sensitive, mature | Dosage: A few drops daily | Size: 1 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No | No

Price at time of publish: $169

What Our Editors Say

“If I had to pick one skincare product to rave about, this is the one. The combination of ferulic acid and vitamin C and E works to protect against environmental damage caused by free radicals, improves signs of aging and photodamage, reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and brightens my complexion each time I use it. It’s a thin, watery serum, and it doesn’t smell greatbut it works better than any vitamin C product I’ve ever used. Over the years, I’ve noticed an immediate and long-term result.” Hallie Gould, Editorial Director

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Best Overall: Drunk Elephant C

• Ferulic acid and vitamin E boost vitamin Cs efficacy and stability

• Long shelf life due to home activation

• Non-irritating, pH balancing formula

With an impressive 4.8 out of 5 overall score from our home tester, Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma contains a potent antioxidant blend of vitamin C, ferulic acid, and vitamin E to address discoloration and other signs of photoaging. Ferulic acid and vitamin E boost vitamin Cs efficacy and stability. ensuring your skin reaps all the benefits from using vitamin C.

The formula also calls on pumpkin and pomegranate enzymes to gently exfoliate and smooth dull, uneven texture. Our tester notes the clear gel is super easy to spread and has a nice cooling sensation which feels great on sensitive, inflamed skin. We also like that C-Firma has a 2.5 pH and doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Benefits: Radiance-boosting, firming, retexturizing, smoothing, exfoliating | Skin Type: All | Dosage: A few drops daily | Size: 1 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Yes

Price at time of publish: $78

What Our Editors Say

The Eye Defender: Kiehls Powerful Strength Line Reducing Dark Circle Diminishing Vitamin C Eye Serum

When you need to see off a creeping crêpey eye area, bring out the big guns. This power packed eye serum from Kiehls contains an alliance of Vitamin C, tri-peptide and hyaluronic acid to gently reduce the appearance of dark circles, crows feet and refresh the appearance of tired peepers.

Buy now at Kiehls

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Best For Uneven Skin Tone: Maelove The Glow Maker

• Ferulic acid and vitamin E boost vitamin Cs efficacy and stability

• Hyaluronic acid plumps and hydrates

• Non-sticky formula

This Maelove serum includes a powerful blend of antioxidants and ferulic acid to even out skin tone and boost radiance. The ingredients and results of this serum are comparable to those of the Drunk Elephant and SkinCeuticals vitamin C serums, but at a fraction of the price.

Benefits: Hydrating, radiance-boosting, tone-evening, calming | Skin Type: All | Dosage: A few drops once or twice daily | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes | No

Price at time of publish: $30

Is It Ok To Use A Vitamin C Serum Every Day

Unlike AHAs, BHAs or retinol, vitamin C will not make you skin more sensitive to sunlight, meaning you can add it to your skincare routine every morning and layer it underneath a good SPF30 or 50+ sunscreen.

As for how to apply your vitamin C products, skincare expert Ole Henriksen‘s rule of thumb is to layer according to texture, from the lightest products serums and toners to the thickest and then apply SPF as the last step, he says.

By Elle Turner

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Choosing The Best Vitamin C Treatments That Work To Address Aging Skin Symptoms

When vitamin C is used as an active anti-aging skin care ingredient, it is found in several different forms including L-Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin C Ester and Ascorbyl Palmitate.

When selecting Vitamin C skin care products, it is important to check the ingredient label to ensure that it contains a stable version of Vitamin C Ester Ascorbyl Palmitate. Ascorbyl Palmitate is a stable, absorbable version of Vitamin C used in facial rejuvenation treatments.

L-Ascorbic Acid is also widely considered to be an effective form of vitamin C which the skin can readily absorb in a stable version of 5% concentration. L-Ascorbic Acid is often used in conjunction with hyaluronic acid to assist in effective absorption.

Ideal Skincare Routine With Vitamin C Products

When you apply vitamin C topically, the skin is able to absorb up to 10x more than you can take orally. This means that the skin can benefit from longer-lasting anti-aging effects, and protection against the sun, and other environmental aggressors. Vitamin C has been shown to be highly effective at reducing hyperpigmentation, melasma & wrinkles.Vitamin C for skin can be applied as

Below are the steps to use Vitamin C products. Step 1: Cleanse

Vitamin C Face wash clears all the debris from the skin and exfoliates & refreshes the skin. Natural Vitamin C Face Wash and Natural Vita Rich Face Wash infused with Vitamin C is a powerful yet gentle cleanser that helps reveal a brighter and smoother complexion while retaining moisture in the skin. It can be used every day for cleansing, even the most sensitive skin.

Step 2: ToneToning follows cleansing, as it closes the open skin pores and provides hydration to the skin. Vitamin C Toner balances skins pH levels that change due to dust, dirt, makeup, and other external factors. The Natural Vitamin C Daily Face Toner removes excess oil, tightens pores, evens out the skin tone, and balances the skins pH level. It provides hydration to the skin at the first step post-cleansing. The product is formulated with the safest forms of Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Green Tea Extract, and 5 plant AHAs.

Step 3: Repair

Step 4: Moisturise

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It May Help Prevent Skin Sagging

Collagen production is tied to skin elasticity and firmness. When your collagen levels begin to drop, your skin may also begin to sag.

Applying a vitamin C serum may boost collagen production, resulting in an overall tightening effect, reports a 2017 review . This is true for sagging due to natural aging, oxidative stress damage, or extreme weight loss.

This means it can help reduce the appearance of sagging skin, making your skin look firmer and more toned.

It Helps Fade Hyperpigmentation

Since it impedes melanin production, vitamin C can actually fade hyperpigmentation.

Hyperpigmentation including sunspots, age spots, and melasma occurs when melanin is overproduced in certain areas of the skin. It can also happen in areas where acne has healed.

Vitamin C by downregulating the activity of an enzyme known as tyrosinase. Its widely used in dermatology for reducing pigmentation of hyperpigmented spots on the skin.

Its also been used to treat gingival melanin hyperpigmentation , though studies are limited.

Dealing with acne? In addition to vitamin C serums, there are other options for treating hyperpigmentation acne.

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Best For Vegans: Bliss Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri

This product is vegan and cruelty-free. However, it does contain a fragrance.

The company claims that it contains clinical-grade vitamin C to plump and brighten the skin while reducing the appearance of dark spots.

Price: $27 for approximately 30 ml.

very safe .

When a person first starts using vitamin C for skin care, they may notice some redness or stinging of their skin. However, these side effects should go away on their own.

Early studies of vitamin C on the skin found that solutions of 0.610% vitamin C did not produce adverse events.

The Powder Cream: Dr Sebagh Pure Vitamin C Powder Cream

Want the best? Go to go the best. Leading London cosmetic surgeon, Dr Sebagh makes serious skincare. This powder cream is formulated with pure ascorbic acid, at the highest concentration available simply mix with your regular moisturiser for increased environmental protection and visible results.

Buy now at Dr Sebagh

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If You Choose To Incorporate Both Of These Skin Rejuvenation Treatments Into Your Daily Skin Care Regimen Simply Use Them At A Different Time Of Day

As a potent antioxidant, vitamin C works to neutralize free radicals which damage healthy skin cells. As a result, vitamin C is one of the best skin products to include in any anti-aging skin care regime because it addresses a wide range of aging skin symptoms.

Vitamin C treatments can also be used as a skin lightening agent as it works by. . .

• Improving the health of skin cells thereby reducing darkening skin pigment caused by the skin’s reaction to protect itself against harmful factors.
• Overexposure to the sun along with other environmental factors and health conditions can increase the production of melanin. The more melanin produced, the more age spots and darker the skin can become.
• Vitamin C skin care products help the surface of the skin to exfoliate away dead skin cells allowing new, healthy cells to emerge. Overtime, darkened skin tone becomes lighter and age spots fade away.

As one of the symptoms of aging skin, increased evidence of melanin in the form of age spots and darkening skin tone is referred by many as hyperpigmentation.

The rejuvenating attributes of all active anti-aging skin care ingredients are summarized in the Fact Sheet on Anti-Aging IngredientsThe products that produce the best results:

The Professional Treatment: Skinwork Mens Mini Detox

Pampering time has been in short supply this year, along with option to see a therapist face-to-face. Make up for lost time with a trip to Sohos latest skincare destination, Skinwork.

Relaxing and effective, the Mens Mini Detox facial works to clear pores and release muscle tension. The Vitamin C rich Antioxidant & Galvanic infusion will stimulate collagen production, lift and firm for a smooth and healthy complexion.

Cant get there in person? Order the ingredients to go. The Detox Facial Kit comes with a skin coaching call from the team to guide you through the process, and with full-size products you can repeat the treatment weekly. It features professional products from US skincare brand, PCA Skin, including the day serum, C& E Advanced Antioxidant Treatment thats packed with 20% Vitamin C. Its designed to diminish pigmentation, skin irritation and reduce signs of ageing.

Jessica Punter is a freelance journalist and stylist specialising in men’s grooming and style. She has over 15 years experience in consumer magazines, having held the positions of Grooming Editor at British GQ and FHM. She also writes for MR PORTER, MATCHESFASHION, FashionBeans, British Airways and wellness magazine, BALANCE.

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Ascorbic Acid: The King Of Vitamin C

Among all the forms of vitamin C, ascorbic acid also known as L-ascorbic acid is the most researched in terms of its beneficial effects on the skin. That is why you are most likely to come across it well-formulated skincare products.

Ascorbic acid in high concentrations is perfect for treating the most persistent skin problems. We offer two concentrations of vitamin C, our C15 Booster with 15% stabilised ascorbic acid for all over use and C25 Super Booster with 25% stabilised ascorbic acid.