Vitamin C has change into a go-to skincare ingredient for these looking for a shiny, healthy-looking complexion. However when you’ve ever puzzled what makes it so highly effective, or how you can use it appropriately, you’re in the appropriate place.
Let’s dive into the science behind vitamin C, together with why it’s a skincare must-have and how you can take advantage of it in your routine.
THE BASICS
VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID)WHAT IT IS: A vitamin with highly effective antioxidant properties.
WHAT IT DOES: Topical vitamin C helps brighten pores and skin, even tone, and defend in opposition to environmental harm.
WHO IT'S FOR: Appropriate for all pores and skin sorts, however notably helpful for these with uninteresting, uneven pores and skin tone or seen indicators of growing old.
HOW TO USE IT: Apply a vitamin C serum or cream onto clear, dry pores and skin morning or night time.
GOES WELL WITH: Melatonin and vitamin E can improve antioxidant results, whereas hyaluronic acid helps with all-around hydration and glow.
DON’T MIX WITH: Exfoliating acids and retinoids could trigger some discomfort when layered improperly. Strive sticking to vitamin C within the morning and acids or retinoids at night time.
TRY IT IN: Flavo-C, Melatonik®
What’s vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant naturally present in vegetables and fruit that performs an important position in pores and skin well being. In skincare, it helps the pores and skin’s constructing blocks (comparable to collagen) and improves general radiance.
Very similar to the time period antioxidant suggests, it additionally fights in opposition to oxidative stress. How, precisely? When utilized topically, vitamin C works to neutralize free radicals—unstable molecules attributable to UV rays, air pollution, and different environmental components that contribute to untimely growing old.
Lastly, it additionally helps to scale back darkish spots and promote a extra even pores and skin tone.
What can vitamin C do for my pores and skin?
The advantages of vitamin C lend to its glowing repute. It boasts three science-backed capabilities as a skincare ingredient: antioxidant protection, rejuvenation, and illumination.
Right here’s what you possibly can count on from this multitasker:
- Helps pure collagen ranges for firmer-looking pores and skin
- Protects in opposition to harm from each day stressors comparable to air pollution and UV publicity
- Softens the looks of tremendous traces and wrinkles
- Helps fade darkish spots and undesirable pigmentation
- Brightens and evens out pores and skin tone
One thing to remember: Whereas vitamin C offers some environmental protection, it doesn’t substitute sunscreen. Bear in mind to pair it with each day SPF.
Who ought to use vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a good addition to any skincare routine, particularly when you’re trying to tackle dullness, uneven tone, or early indicators of growing old. It usually works for all pores and skin sorts, although these with delicate pores and skin could need to put aside different potent skincare merchandise when getting began.
What different skincare substances can you employ with vitamin C?
Vitamin C + hyaluronic acid
Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid make a really perfect skincare duo. Whereas vitamin C brightens and protects, hyaluronic acid offers deep hydration, serving to to plump and easy the pores and skin. Collectively, they promote a bouncy, radiant look.
Vitamin C + melatonin
Antioxidants melatonin and vitamin C work collectively to assist restore and shield the pores and skin. Vitamin C brightens and defends in opposition to free radical harm, whereas melatonin helps nighttime pores and skin regeneration. Utilizing each may help optimize pores and skin restoration for an general glow.
Vitamin C + retinoids
Each substances supply highly effective well-aging advantages. Nevertheless, utilizing them collectively could also be an excessive amount of, particularly for delicate pores and skin. If you wish to incorporate this dynamic duo into your routine, strive utilizing vitamin C within the morning and retinoids at night time.
How one can use vitamin C in your skincare routine, step-by-step:
Step 1: Use a delicate oil cleanser
A radical cleanse leaves the pores and skin prepared for the remainder of your merchandise to get to work. Go for an oil cleanser within the morning to assist prep your pores and skin for the day forward, in addition to within the night to soften away air pollution and dust.
Why oil cleansers? This distinctive texture binds to undesirable oils, make-up, and sunscreen to assist remove them with out stripping away the pores and skin’s pure moisture. Plus some professional formulation supply extra antioxidant assist.
Step 2: Apply a focused eye contour cream
The pores and skin across the eyes is the thinnest on the face—which means it’s one space that may use a bit of additional assist. To finest look after this delicate pores and skin, go for eye lotions designed to fulfill the precise calls for of the day.
3. Add in your vitamin C serum
With sink-into-skin textures and concentrated substances, serums are among the hardest-working merchandise in a routine. And that’s simply why they’re the good format for vitamin C.
AM: After cleaning and making use of eye cream, easy just a few drops of a concentrated vitamin C serum onto your pores and skin. Our prime decide? Flavo-C helps brighten the pores and skin, enhance elasticity, and shield in opposition to oxidative harm from the solar, air pollution, and even stress.
PM: Within the night, flip to a vitamin C restoration serum. Analysis reveals that serums that includes a mixture of vitamin C, melatonin, and bakuchiol can supply seen youth-boosting results. You could find this highly effective trio inside Melatonik®️.
4. Lock in moisture
To assist preserve hydration and reinforce the pores and skin barrier, observe your vitamin C serum with a hydrating moisturizer suited to your pores and skin sort. This step ensures lasting nourishment and luxury.
Our advice: Discover out which moisturizer is finest for you with our fast quiz.
5. End with sunscreen
Regardless of the climate, the ultimate step of your morning skincare routine ought to all the time be high-SPF broad spectrum sunscreen. Layer it on after your moisturizer to assist shield pores and skin in opposition to the damaging results of the solar. Then, do your finest to reapply at the very least each two hours—it’s what dermatologists advocate!
Your questions answered
Is vitamin C protected for delicate pores and skin?
Usually, vitamin C is nicely tolerated. However when you have delicate pores and skin, you may need to keep away from different potent skincare substances when utilizing it.
Pause retinoids and exfoliating acids (comparable to glycolic) till your pores and skin feels comfy. Even then, attempt to give them some area. Strive utilizing vitamin C within the morning and retinoids or AHAs at night time. One final tip: your dermatologist is aware of your pores and skin finest—examine in with them when you have any doubts.
Can I exploit vitamin C day by day?
Positive! So long as your pores and skin appears joyful about it. Every day use of vitamin C in skincare may help enhance brightness and protection, morning and night time.
How lengthy does it take to see outcomes? Some brightening advantages could also be noticeable quickly after beginning. Nevertheless, for tone-unifying and firming results, constant use over at the very least just a few weeks is often really helpful.
Does vitamin C expire?
Sure. Like all skincare merchandise, vitamin C formulation have a sure shelf life. Search for an expiration date or PAO image (Interval After Opening) on the again or backside of your skincare container. Should you’re throughout the specified timeframe, you’re off to an incredible begin!
Right here’s one thing else to remember: many vitamin C formulation could be particularly weak to direct gentle and extreme warmth. Go for merchandise in darkish or opaque bottles and retailer them in a cool, darkish place to assist maintain issues recent.
Get glowing
Vitamin C is a powerhouse ingredient that may remodel your skincare routine by brightening and rejuvenating. Work it into your each day routine and pair it with SPF for the final word protection in opposition to environmental stressors.
And above all, love your pores and skin, look after it, and shield it, all the time.
Amy is a content material strategist who turned a part-time obsession with skincare right into a full-time ardour. Her expertise as a inventive storyteller features a vary of life-style and expertise subjects throughout Washington D.C. and Barcelona. What’s in her journey bag? Eye contour cream and sunscreen, all the time.
