Who Should Use A Vitamin C Serum On Their Skin
Saedi recommends vitamin C serums for people of all ages because virtually everyone is at risk of sun damage, and with vitamin C serums we are minimizing the amount of sun damage that our skins getting from sunlight, she says. She says it does double duty, both protecting the skin and helping problem areas recover. Its preventive in that its protecting you from sun damage and signs of aging like wrinkles, Saedi says. It also helps promote collagen and boost your natural collagen formation.
Potential Aspect Results And Dangers Of Vitamin C Serums
Vitamin C is a secure and customarily well-tolerated ingredient. The only risk is some of these serums have so many different ingredients in them, Saedi says, including that these additional components might lead to an allergic response for some.
A lot of the research talked about above reported that examine topics had no irritation or unfavourable reactions. The one exception is these with delicate pores and skin. The 2015 examine revealed in Scientific, Beauty and Investigational Dermatology discovered that 6 p.c of examine individuals skilled itchiness, which the researchers mentioned was seemingly as a result of acidity of vitamin C. Schlessinger says folks with very delicate pores and skin ought to seek the advice of with a dermatologist earlier than use since potent types of vitamin C can generally irritate delicate pores and skin.
In keeping with the Indian Dermatology On-line Journal examine, a vitamin C serum might lead to yellowing of the pores and skin or garments, stinging, or dryness, although these results are uncommon. The researchers advise folks take warning when making use of across the eyes.
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Wash With A Gentle Cleanser
Cleansing is important for removing any skin care product or makeup that youve applied during the day, as well as natural skin oils, pollutants, and bacteria thats accumulated. It also means your skin care products will be able to enter your skin and work more effectively!
preserve your skin barrier and keep it resistant to dehydration and damage. Cleansers with a high pH like natural soaps are very harsh and can leave your skin vulnerable to irritation and infection. Cleansers with a low pH, such as this one by Cosrx , work to maintain optimal skin balance.
Another ingredient to avoid is sodium lauryl sulfate, as its very harsh. You also dont need to buy cleansers with fancy, active ingredients. Cleansers arent on your skin for very long. Those active ingredients are far more useful in later steps, like when you apply serum.
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What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Vitamin C Serum
The most common side effects of using a vitamin C serum include skin irritation like tingling upon application, redness, and itching, but this mostly happens to sensitive or reactive skin, Dr. Chiu says. Always patch test an area of skin before you try any new product, especially a potent one like a serum. Many derms recommend applying a small dollop to your inner arm for a day or two to see how your skin reacts before slathering it all over your face.
Dr. Chiu warns that stronger formulations can sometimes have a low pH, which can be especially irritating for those with dry and/or sensitive skin. To be safe, she recommends starting with a gentler formula at firstone that contains less than 5% vitamin Cand then working your way up if youd like. Most people can benefit from going up to 10% once their skin can handle it, and some can go up to 20%, as long as its applied only once per day.
Can I Use Vitamin C Serum At Night
Theres certainly no law against using vitamin C products in the evening, but, again, you may get the most benefit from using them in the morning. In general, vitamin C products should be applied in the morning before heading out for the day, when UV radiation is at its highest, Dr. Hogan says. This way, youll be able to reap the benefits of its free-radical-fighting potential.
Ironically, though, vitamin C becomes unstable when exposed to light, so its important to give it time to absorb into your skin before going outside. Just to be safe, give it about five minutes to sink in before you apply your moisturizer and sunscreen and head out the door.
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Who Shouldn’t Use Vitamin C Products
Vitamin C has only been studied in adults and is not recommended for children. Always read the ingredient list before purchasing a vitamin C product. If you have sensitivity or a known allergy to any of the ingredients, consider a patch test or consult your doctor before use. If you have acne-prone or oily skin, consider using a formulation that also fights oils, or contains ingredients like salicylic acid that fight breakouts.
Bright Red Hair Follicles
Hair follicles on the surface of the skin contain many tiny blood vessels that supply blood and nutrients to the area.
When the body is deficient in vitamin C, these small blood vessels become fragile and break easily, causing small, bright red spots to appear around the hair follicles.
This is known as perifollicular hemorrhage and a well-documented sign of severe vitamin C deficiency (
9 ).
Summary Hair follicles contain many tiny blood vessels that can rupture due to a vitamin C deficiency, causing bright red spots to appear around the follicles.
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Which Vitamin C Serums To Buy Dermatologists Name Their Clients Favorites
SkinBetter Science Alto Defense Serum stars vitamins C and E, along with 17 antioxidants to guard against a range of free radicals and reduce redness.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum contains 15 percent L-ascorbic acid, plus ferulic acid for a powerful yet lightweight day serum.
Paulas Choice C15 Super Booster is another high-potency pick with 15 percent vitamin C, along with E and ferulic acid, plus hyaluronic acid to attract moisture for supple skin.
Vichy Vitamin C Serum Brightening Skin Corrector boasts minimal ingredients to keep things simple. With ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid, this serum may boost skin smoothness and radiance.
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% offers a budget-friendly way to try a vitamin C serum, and also contains alpha-arbutin, another ingredient thats touted for its skin-brightening abilities.
Additional reporting by Jessica Migala.
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 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.
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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.
What Does Vitamin C Do For Your Skin
What exactly does vitamin C do for your skin? Well, it has the potential to help with a lot of issues, especially when applied topically in serum form. Vitamin C has a wide range of protective and anti-aging effects for the skin, Annie Chiu, MD, a board-certified cosmetic and general dermatologist on faculty at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells SELF. Serums typically offer the highest concentrations of active vitamin C and tend to have better skin penetration compared to other vitamin C products, like creams and cleansers. Here are a few of the biggies when it comes to benefits:
Thats because the antioxidant can help your skin produce collagena protein that gives your complexion a firmer, bouncier feel, which in turn helps to improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles, Dr. Chiu explains.
With consistent use, your skin can become more even in toneand downright glowy! because vitamin C inhibits the over-production of melanin, the substance in your body that produces pigmentation in your hair, eyes, and skin. Some areas of the skin will create too much melanin which is what leads to hyperpigmentation. This often manifests as darkened skin discoloration, says Dr. Chiu.
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Promoting Differentiation Of Keratinocytes
The integrity of the skin barrier may be related to the differentiation of keratinocytes, which affects the function of the skin barrier and causes skin diseases. Vitamin C enhances the late differentiation of keratinocytes, overcomes the differentiation-dependent oxidative stress, and maintains the integrity of the entire cuticle , which is an important prerequisite for the integrity of the skin barrier, ensuring the function of the skin barrier and preventing skin water loss, which in turn can lead to skin disorders.
Is Vitamin C Good For Acne
People with acne can potentially benefit from adding a vitamin C serum to their routines, but there are a few nuances to consider. A 2013 research review in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology suggests that topical vitamin C can improve acne lesions in up to 77% of patients.²
As for acne scars, its good for that too, thanks to those collagen-boosting and skin-brightening powers that were mentioned earlier.
Refrain from getting too vitamin C happy if you have sensitive skin to deal with. Dr. Chiu warns that because vitamin C is a skin-care activemeaning its particularly potentapplying too much of it on your face can potentially lead to more breakouts or irritation. Keep it to a max of two applications a day when a formula that has no more than 10% vitamin C each time. If, after two weeks, your skin hasnt adjusted to the addition of the vitamin C, or worse, your acne has escalated, lay off the product, says Dr. Lamb.
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How To Use Topical Vitamin C
During your morning skincare routine
- use a gentle cleanser
- apply a few drops of a vitamin C serum to the face and neck
- apply moisturizer and sunscreen.
You may experience a mild tingling sensation with the use of vitamin C. You may choose to begin applying it every other day, and if tolerated you may apply it daily. It may take up to three months of consistent use to see a noticeable improvement. If you experience substantial discomfort or irritation, please stop using vitamin C and consult with your physician.
Vitamin C does not replace the use of sunscreen or wearing sun-protective clothing. Be sure to use broad-spectrum, tinted sunscreen daily, and limit sun exposure during peak hours.
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About the Authors
Neera Nathan, MD, MSHS, Contributor
How To Take It
The best way to take vitamin C supplements is 2 – 3 times per day, with meals, depending on the dosage. Some studies suggest that adults should take 250 – 500 mg twice a day for any benefit. Talk to your doctor before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C on a daily basis and before giving vitamin C to a child.
Daily intake of dietary vitamin C is listed below.
Pediatric
- Men over 18 years: 90 mg
- Women over 18 years: 75 mg
- Pregnant women 14 – 18 years: 80 mg
- Pregnant women over 18 years: 85 mg
- Breastfeeding women 14 – 18 years: 115 mg
- Breastfeeding women over 18 years: 120 mg
Because smoking depletes vitamin C, people who smoke may need an additional 35 mg per day.
The dose recommended to prevent or treat many of the conditions mentioned in the Uses section is often 500 – 1,000 mg per day.
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How Vitamin C Works
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights free radicals that can potentially cause signs of aging. Without getting too technical, free radicals are unstable molecules that shake up the structure of your skin on a microscopic level. This creates oxidative stress, so using antioxidants like vitamin C quite literally helps restore balance to your skin.
Analysis Behind Vitamin C And Vitamin C Serums
After all, you possibly can supply vitamin C via meals, specifically fruit and veggies like cantaloupe, oranges, pineapple, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, in accordance with MedlinePlus. Its an necessary nutrient to load up on as a result of its important for progress and improvement. It performs a job in forming and repairing physique tissue, and delivering antioxidants to chop down on the presence of harmful free radicals.
Vitamin C can also be naturally current within the pores and skin, the place it helps promote collagen and antioxidant ranges, and protects the pores and skin in opposition to UV-ray-induced photodamage, in accordance with a examine revealed in August 2017 within the journal Vitamins. Sounds nice, proper? Its possible youll be serious about learn how to enhance vitamin C in your weight loss plan to faucet into these advantages. Sadly, merely consuming extra oranges and cantaloupe isnt going to chop it. Thats as a result of the dermis, the outermost layer of the pores and skin, doesnt have blood vessels to ship vitamins to the pores and skin cells, in accordance with the Vitamins examine.
It may additionally assist with melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. In keeping with a January 2013 examine revealed in Journal of Medication and Dermatology, examine individuals noticed a mean 73 p.c enchancment in pores and skin pigmentation because of making use of vitamin C to the face.
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Vitamin C Serum Boosts Collagen
When people first hear about vitamin Cs uses, theyre often skeptical. It seems like such a simple solution to so many skin problems. But it really does work, and part of its secret lies in its effects on collagen production.
Vitamin C is a key ingredient in the production of collagen. If you arent familiar, collagen is the most common protein in the body. Its found all over, in bones, muscle, skin, and tendons.
In a sense, collagen holds your body together. This is especially true for the skin, where a lack of collagen can lead to sagging and unhealthy skin.
As we age, we produce less collagen. Production can also be affected by smoking or exposure to UV light. And unfortunately, collagen molecules are too big to be absorbed directly into the skin.
But as we mentioned, vitamin C is a key ingredient in collagen, and more vitamin C boosts collagen production. Vitamin C can be used on sensitive areas of your skin that need a boost in collagen.
So what does that actually do for your skin?
Should You Keep Using Vitamin C If It Changes Colors
In topical skin-care products, vitamin C is sensitive to light and air. When exposed to these factors, it becomes oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid, which is less stable and less efficacious, Dr. Hogan explains. Your vitamin C serum should be colorless or a light straw color if it oxidizes, it becomes yellow or brown and is likely going to be less effective. You can still use it if you want, but it probably wont do as much for your skin and, very rarely, oxidized vitamin C products can even cause slight yellow discoloration of the skin, particularly if you have fair skin, Dr. Hogan adds. So consider getting rid of any vitamin C products that have dramatically changed in color or smell since you bought them. Especially if it is brown, I would say to toss it, Dr. Lamb says.
If you cant find an expiration date and youre unsure of how long its been in the back of your cabinet, its probably best to get rid of it. Dr. Lamb says you shouldnt use active ingredients a year after they have been opened because theyre just no longer effective at that point. Will it harm your skin to use it? Probably not. But you may notice that a trusty vitamin C serum can be pricey, so taking care of your bottle will also help take care of your wallet.
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Evens Out Tone And Minimize Redness
Blotchy, uneven skin can result from a number of factors, from sun exposure to hormones to medical conditions.
The good news is, vitamin C has proven itself a hearty warrior in the fight against redness, as it helps mend the damaged capillaries that cause this discoloration and strengthen them for the future.
Uv Radiation And Photoaging
There is mounting evidence to suggest that the most significant environmental challenge to the skin is chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from tanning beds . UV radiation damages skin through the production of reactive oxygen species, which can damage the extracellular matrix components and affect both the structure and function of cells. While the skin contains endogenous antioxidant defences, vitamins E and C and antioxidant enzymes to quench these oxidants and repair the resultant damage, these antioxidants will be consumed by repeated exposure and the skins defences can thereby be overwhelmed .
Acute exposure of skin to UV radiation can cause sunburn, resulting in a large inflammatory response causing characteristic redness, swelling and heat. In addition, altered pigmentation, immune suppression and damage to the dermal extracellular matrix can occur . By comparison, chronic long-term exposure to UV radiation causes premature aging of the skin, with dramatic and significant disruption to skin structure, and leads to the development of skin cancer . Termed photoaging, the most obvious features are wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and marked changes in skin elasticity that cause skin sagging, with the skin also becoming sallow and rougher with age . Photoaged skin is most likely to be found on the face, chest and upper surface of the arms.
Vitamin-C-Mediated Protection against Photoaging and UV Damage
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