Why Use Vitamin C In Your Skin Regime

Vitamin C For Younger, Glowing and Healthy Skin

In both a topical and oral form Vitamin C’s main function is to act as an antioxidant which protects the skin from free radicals. Free radicles such as environmental factors (pollution, smoking, UV Damage, skin irritants, etc.) have been shown to age our skins faster. So by adding Vitamin C to your skin care regime a number of benefits can be achieved.

Vitamin C Benefits:

1. Stimulates collagen production which in turn improves fine lines and wrinkles and gives us a firmer feeling skin
2. Pigmentation and brown marks: helps to reduce pigmentation
3. Inflammation from free radicle damage is reduced helping with sensitive skin and slowing the ageing process
4. Boosts the immune response of the skin
5. Recent evidence shows that Vitamin C can boost the effectiveness of our sunscreens so apply Vitamin C onto clean dry skin followed by your SPF
6. It has been shown to reduce the appearance of post acne blemish marks

Recommended Products:

Add a few drops of SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic (15% Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid) treatment to your daily skin care regime for dramatically brighter, firmer and healthier skin.

Vitamin C & Vitamin A Combo Tip:

You can target a pigmented or brown spot, or a red mark or even a wrinkle by combining these two vitamins directly on your area of concern for added results: add a small amount of the SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 on the area after applying the SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic.

Vitamin C Types:

There are a number of different types of vitamin C and the following have been shown to be beneficial when added to your skin care regime (follow the links to find out more about each):

• sodium ascorbyl phosphate
• ascorbyl palmitate
• tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
• magnesium ascorbyl phosphate

https://youtu.be/aVH-4_HOshg

Final Tips:

• Look for concentrations of 10% and higher for maximum skin benefits
• Add Vitamin C with other anti-oxidants such as retinol (or vitamin A) and vitamin E
• Only use Vitamin C in bottles that are not clear (dark coloured or non-see through is best) to keep the ingredient as stable and as effective as possible

I hope you have found the above article interesting and that you have a better understanding why one should use Vitamin C on the skin and in your skin care protocol. Please feel free to send me any questions you have with your skin concerns or skin regimes.

Kind regards

Dr Alek Nikolic

Need More Info?

1. Further Reading & Recommended In Depth Articles:

   • Vitamin C Quick Reference Guide
   • Vitamin C In Skin Care Products

2. For More Skincare Advice:

• Take Our Skin Assessment: see immediate recommendations for your skin type and/or skin concern
• Take Dr Alek Nikolic’s Face2Face Skin Consultation: get personal recommendations for your skin from Dr Alek

3. See Our Full Treatment Product List With Vitamin A: please click here

4. Dr Alek Nikolic’s Top Vitamin C Picks:

• EXUVIANCE VITAMIN C BOOSTER POWDER
• OBAGI PRO C SERUM 10%
• OBAGI PRO C SERUM 15%
• OBAGI PRO C SERUM 20%

• OBAGI PRO C VITAMIN SUNCARE SPF 30

References:

1. Dermatol Surg. 2005 Jul;31(7 Pt 2):814-7; discussion 818. Topical vitamin C: a useful agent for treating photoaging and other dermatologic conditions.
2. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012 Nov;67(5):1013-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2012.02.009. Epub 2012 Mar 9. The role of antioxidants in photoprotection: a critical review. Chen L¹, Hu JY, Wang SQ.
3. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008 Sep;59(3):418-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.05.004. Epub 2008 Jul 7. A topical antioxidant solution containing vitamins C and E stabilized by ferulic acid provides protection for human skin against damage caused by ultraviolet irradiation.
4. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008 Sep;59(3):418-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.05.004. Epub 2008 Jul 7. A topical antioxidant solution containing vitamins C and E stabilized by ferulic acid provides protection for human skin against damage caused by ultraviolet irradiation.
5. Skin Res Technol. 2008 Aug;14(3):376-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2008.00288.x. In vitro antioxidant activity and in vivo efficacy of topical formulations containing vitamin C and its derivatives studied by non-invasive methods.