Vitamin C as an anti-ageing ingredient

In my first post in this series, I listed out several ingredients to look out for in your anti-ageing product. Today, I will be talking about vitamin C As we get older, our skin is going to experience some ‘wear and tear’ and sun damage. This damage worsens when you are exposed to pollution, cigarette smoke or radiation.
Even minimal ultraviolet exposure can decrease the vitamin C levels in the skin by 30 percent, while exposure from the ozone of city pollution can decrease the level by 55 percent, said Karen E. Burke, MD, in a presentation to the American Academy of Dermatology’s annual meeting in New Orleans. Source
- Vitamin C is the most common antioxidant found in the skin.
- Depending on the variety of vitamin C in your product, a proven range for effectiveness is a concentration between 0.3% and 10%
- Creating a skin cream that carries a useful dose of vitamin C is difficult because it reacts immediately when exposed to oxygen. Don’t buy vitamin C products which do not come in an opaque packaging. Vitamin C is vulnerable to deterioration in the presence of light and air.
- The forms of vitamin C that are proven most effective and stable are: ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid, , sodium ascorbyl phosphate, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinyl ascorbate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.
* Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is specifically produced for use as a stabilized source of vitamin C in cosmetic products. It is fairly stable to air if protected from humidity and heat. The product may be stored for at least 24 months from the date of manufacture in the unopened original container and at a temperature below 20°C. Keep container tightly closed. * Source
Benefits of vitamin C (Source)
- Reduces damage caused by free radical production;
- Helps the body to regenerate vitamin E and other antioxidants;
- Protects skin cells and skin’s support structure from UV-related damage;
- Improves the appearance of sun-damaged skin;
- Strengthens skin’s barrier response;
- Reduces inflammation;
- Promotes collagen production;
- Enhances effectiveness of peels and microdermabrasion;
- Reduces hyperpigmentation (at levels of 3% or greater); and
- Boosts the efficacy of sunscreen actives.
*Collagen is the structural element of your skin that provides its shape and firmness. Vitamin C intake improves the firmness and production of collagen, giving your skin a more firm and youthful appearance. This connective tissue is also important for healing wounds.* It’s a good idea to also add vitamin C from within: fruits and vegetables (especially citrus and potatoes) are excellent natural sources of vitamin C.
The cost for wrinkle injections and fillers in Melbourne is actually quite a bit less than you would think. I recommend you check it out.

Related News

Winter Beauty Tips
Winter is now only less than a mere three weeks away. With the season, comesRead More

Christmas Essentials to Put On Your Holiday Shopping List
You don’t have much time to shop for Christmas this year. No, we mean itRead More
Hi, from all you have said, can you recommend a good anti- ageing face cream that contains vitamin C? Thank you.
Hi Mina. I used to use Clear Essence Vitamin C serum but I think they no longer make it. I am on the lookout for a good one myself but I asked around and someone recommended Cue Skin Care vitamin C serum. Do get in touch with them here https://twitter.com/cueskincare They have retailers in Lagos but I don’t know where else.
What about vitamin c supplements? Would those work as well?
Yes they would but it’s also a good idea to apply it directly on the skin. Thanks for passing by!
[…] people!! A few posts ago, I talked about vitamin c being an important ingredient for anti-aging skincare. I will be doing more posts on ingredients and anti-ageing skincare tips so watch out for these. We […]