Why Everyone Should Be Using Vitamin C

Uneven skin tone. Fine lines. Acne scars. Rough texture. You can name just about any skin concern and chances are that Vitamin C can help.  It’s touted as one of the top anti-aging ingredients in the world of skincare and for good reason!

Why everyone should be using Vitamin C

A couple of years ago the flare-ups from my Hashimoto’s were at their worst. My skin was so broken out! I would have days I refused to leave my house at all.  My dermatologist put me on several different prescription acne medications. I also had a great aesthetician who I saw regularly. But these things only helped a little. One of my doctors told me about how Topical Vitamin C and acne worked well together. But that the trick was to find one that worked well with your skin type. I gave a couple of different brands a try but didn’t feel like they made much difference.

One day I was browsing online and came across a skincare line that Sephora just started carrying. It was really inexpensive and had amazing reviews so I ordered several different products and decided to try them out. This is what started my love affair with The Ordinary. Over the last few years, I’ve experimented with many of their products, and have been happy. Out of all my testing, the Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F is my favorite. I have fairly sensitive skin, and I’ve never experienced any type of irritation from it. I’ve been using it daily now for years and consider it to be one of the most important parts of my skincare routine.

What I’ve Learned about Vitamin C

Since the time I first began incorporating Vitamin C into my routine, I’ve learned a lot about the benefits of its use and also what to look for in a product. It offers a wide range of amazing benefits and comes in many different forms from ascorbic acid powder, to creams, and vitamin c serums.

Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant that works by binding to free radicals of oxygen so your own cells don’t.  These antioxidants aid in your skin’s own natural regeneration process, allowing your body to repair damaged skin cells. Vitamin C isn’t just important for keeping signs of premature aging at bay. It also helps protect the skin from precancerous changes caused by UV exposure. The problem is that antioxidants bind to oxygen and as soon as it dissolves in water it starts to oxidize and change color. If your vitamin c product changes from clear, to light orange, to dark orange, toss it! Much worse than vitamin c being inactive, it actually becomes a pro-oxidant and can cause damage to your skin. So finding forms of vitamin c that remain stable is key.

Vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory and when used topically has been shown to minimize redness and inflammation from a variety of skin conditions including acne, sun damage, and dermatitis. This is especially helpful with the treatment of cystic acne. That deep, painful, red, swollen kind rarely forms a head, making it so much more difficult to treat.

Because vitamin C is highly acidic, when you use it topically it triggers the skin to heal itself. This happens by accelerating the production of collagen and elastin. Not only does it promote collagen synthesis, but it also improves the quality of the collagen produced. 

It also contains a property that helps inhibit melanin production. When melanogenesis (the process in which skin cells create pigment) in the cells is disturbed, by say acne or a cut, the pigmentation process can result in darker spots known as hyperpigmentation. Unprotected sun exposure will make these marks much worse. With regular use, topical Vitamin C can help clear up these spots and stop the discoloration from occurring in the first place.

How To Use

One of the best things about incorporating vitamin c into your daily routine is how quick and simple it is! This is what that looks like for me.

• After washing my face I apply a hyaluronic acid serum while my face is still slightly damp. This helps bind moisture to the skin for increased hydration.

• Next, apply your vitamin c serum. If I have the time, I like to give it a minute to soak in before adding any more products

• I then follow that up with my moisturizer and a broad-spectrum sunscreen.

• It can take some weeks of continuous daily use to really see the benefits. But it’s safe to use daily for long durations of time and very few people have adverse reactions to its use.

I”m always on the lookout for new skincare products and I actually just purchased a new Vitamin C serum today. After using it for a while I’ll update you if I feel I’m getting good results from it.

Xx Monti