Vitamin C is one of the skincare industry’s favorite ingredients. It is the golden standard for lightening and brightening the skin.
Vitamin C plays a vital role in our body, not only topically through our skincare but when we ingest it as well. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, and we need it in our body because it is a cofactor in producing collagen besides being a potent antioxidant.
Benefits Of Vitamin C
When it comes to vitamin C in skincare products, there are four main advantages to the skin.
- It helps with the overall brightening of the skin and helps with lightening acne marks, sunspots, and hyperpigmentation.
- It is great for building collagen and elastin, which makes our skin youthful and bouncy.
- Vitamin C fights free radicals, which are present in polluted air and can speed up the aging of our skin. Vitamin C soaks up any free radical damage before it happens.
- Vitamin C also works great with other skincare ingredients like vitamin E and SPF.
How Does It Travel Through Our Skin?
As vitamin C is water-soluble, it is a small enough molecule that can pass or diffuse through our cell membranes. Additionally, it can be absorbed through the epidermis, and then transported to the dermis underneath. However, the absorption of vitamin C highly depends on the pH of the vitamin C product. Our skin is slightly acidic, so for vitamin C to be effective on our skin, the pH should be around 3.5.
Different Formulations
Since vitamin C is soluble in water, the water that is carrying vitamin C is perfect for vitamin C to penetrate the skin as pH is on the lower side. On the other hand, if vitamin C is solubilized in a medium that is not water, then the evaporation rate is slower. Therefore, it can allow vitamin C to get into the skin thoroughly.
A higher concentration of vitamin C in a product doesn’t necessarily mean that our skin will absorb more of the said ingredient. It comes down to the combination of concentration, potency, and the delivery agent.
Vitamin C Derivatives
We can find derivatives in many skincare products, and they work similarly to pure vitamin C. The only difference is the potency is not as strong. This means that the derivatives will be better for sensitive skin.