Whether you’re a skincare connoisseur or new to the scene, vitamin C is a powerhouse ingredient you need to know about. Known for slowing signs of aging, preventing sun damage, and improving skin tone, vitamin C is an antioxidant that deserves the spotlight. Let’s breakdown exactly what makes vitamin C skincare work and how to incorporate it into your routine.
The Science Behind Vitamin C Skincare
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights harmful free radicals that come in contact with your body. Whether it's from external sources like air pollution and mold, or internal reasons due to metabolic processes, free radicals can damage your skin and speed up signs of aging.
Enter: Vitamin C skincare.
While vitamin C is something you can get in your diet (hello oranges and red peppers!), there’s no guarantee that will benefit your skin. That’s why you need topical vitamin C skincare products, like serums, to get the most skin-loving benefit from vitamin C. Speaking of benefits, let’s dive in.
Get to Know Vitamin C Serum Benefits
Outside of cleansing and moisturizing the skin, a vitamin C serum is hands down one of the best steps you can add to your skincare routine. Here’s everything it can do:
Brighten your complexion
Vitamin C can actually impede the production of melanin in your skin which contributes to your skin’s color. More on how this affects dark spots later, but with less melanin, your complexion appears brighter and less dull. That’s why vitamin C is often associated with that youthful glow we’re all after.
Reduce hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation refers to things like sunspots, melasma, age spots, and acne scars. These areas are often darker, but because of vitamin C’s ability to inhibit melanin production, these areas will begin to fade and even out with continuous use of vitamin C.
Promote collagen production
We’ve all heard that our collagen levels deplete over time, however, vitamin C is here to save the day. Collagen synthesis, the process of rebuilding collagen in the skin, can’t happen without vitamin C. Adding it to your routine can offer major better-aging benefits.
Protect against sun damage
Sun damage is caused by free radicals—remember those from earlier? Free radicals are atoms with a missing electron that wreak havoc on your skin while searching for an electron to steal. Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and these antioxidants “give” these free radicals the electron they’re looking for so your skin can remain healthy.
Reduce the appearance of under-eye circles
Because vitamin C is known for anti-aging benefits like reducing fine lines and wrinkles and it’s incredible at reducing dark spots, it’s effective when it comes to your under-eyes, too. When paired with a plumping under eye serum, you’ll love the results.
Hydrate your skin
According to a clinical study in 2017, individuals with healthy skin had high concentrations of vitamin C in the body. Topical vitamin C penetrates the skin best and has a hydrating effect on the skin. It also decreases your trans-epidermal water loss, meaning your skin can retain moisture even better.
Morning vs. Night: When to Use Vitamin C in Skincare Routine
It’s widely accepted that vitamin C can be applied one to two times a day, however most people recommend using it as part of your morning skincare routine. This is because a 2020 review found combining zinc (often found in mineral SPF) with vitamin C increased the bioavailability of the vitamin C serum 20 times more than if it were worn on its own.
With that in mind, we suggest the following routine:
- Cleanse
- Tone
- Apply vitamin C
- Moisturize
- Apply SPF (yes daily!)
How to Choose the Right Vitamin C Skin Care Products
There are a few different types of vitamin C on the market: L-ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. Formulations with these derivatives of vitamin C may cause irritation and might not be shelf stable.
That’s why we created a vitamin C serum with amla berry—a plant-based vitamin C alternative that contains 20x more vitamin C than an orange.
Can I Use Vitamin C Serum for Sensitive Skin?
Yes! Our vitamin C serum is specifically formulated for those with dry or sensitive skin as our shelf-stable plant-based vitamin C alternative is tolerated by all skin types.
What Are the Vitamin C Body Wash Benefits?
Dark spots and hyperpigmentation occur all over the body—not just on your face. A vitamin C body wash is great for brightening your skin and fading signs of visible sun damage on your arms, legs, and chest.
Expert Tips for Effective Vitamin C Skincare
If you want to maximize the absorption of your vitamin C skincare products, try these tips when doing your morning routine:
- Make sure you’re working on clean skin. Thoroughly remove makeup, dirt, and excess oil with a deeply cleansing face wash.
- Use a pH-balancing toner to prep (and dampen!) the skin for vitamin C.
- Apply 3-6 drops of your vitamin C serum to a damp face. When your face is slightly damp, your skin can better absorb the product.
- When applying, gently press the serum into the skin as opposed to rubbing the product.
- Spread the vitamin C serum across your face, neck, chest, back of the hands—anywhere you want to even out your skin tone.
- Wait 1-2 minutes while the serum absorbs into the skin.
- Once a few minutes have passed and your skin feels drier, apply your moisturizer.
- Finish with your SPF of choice and you’re ready for the day!