Vitamin C is one of the most sought after skin care ingredients, and for good reason, as it can have multiple benefits! There are different forms of Vitamin C, and lots of products on the market, so it is worth finding out which ones might suit you best. If you would like to incorporate vitamin C into your routine, but you aren’t sure how to use it and what to pair it with, read on to find out tips from our founder Laura. In this blog we’ll cover how to use vitamin C, the best forms of it for your skin, and what you can and can’t use together with it in your routine.
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is crucial for skin health. It is naturally present in the skin where it is used for the manufacture of collagen and it also protects the skin because of its powerful antioxidant properties. Human beings are among the only animals who can’t manufacture vitamin C inside their own bodies, which means we need to absorb it through our diet. However, consuming vitamin c through diet alone does not boost local levels in the skin effectively. The best way to boost the local levels of vitamin c in the skin is to apply topical vitamin C directly onto the skin.
What are the benefits of topical Vitamin C in skin care?
There are so many benefits of topical vitamin C for your skin! Here are the most important ones for you to know:
Boosts collagen production:
Collagen is an essential part of the skin and vitamin C is one of the important factors in helping the body with collagen synthesis. When we increase topical vitamin C, we help to support naturally healthy collagen production, making our skin look healthy and young looking.
Antioxidant Protection:
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which means that it can protect the skin from damage which could come from free radicals found in pollution and also protect it from sun damage caused by UV light and environmental stressors which cause premature ageing.
Hyperpigmentation Reduction:
Clinical studies show that vitamin C helps to prevent the formation of pigmentation deep in the skin which means it helps to reduce dark spots, fade hyperpigmentation and make the skin look healthy, glowing and luminous.
Anti-Ageing:
Because vitamin C helps to boost collagen production and protect the skin, it has anti-ageing benefits. It contributes to healthy skin and a younger looking complexion. It also helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties:
Vitamin C has been clinically shown to have an anti-inflammatory action, which means it reduces inflammation and redness in the skin, helping it be soothed, calm and healthy.
Hydrating effect:
Vitamin C also helps to increase certain parts of the skin barrier function and decreases transepidermal water loss helping skin to stay hydrated and healthy looking.
Which form of vitamin C is best for skin health?
Now you know all about the amazing benefits of vitamin C, it’s time to learn about the different types of Vitamin C found in skincare products.
Vitamin C TetraIsopalmitate:
This is a high-tech oil-based form of vitamin C which transforms into the active form of vitamin C on contact with the skin. This is 100 times more absorbable than ascorbic acid which means it can be used in a lower concentration.It also can be used at a neutral pH, which makes it much kinder to skin. At Evolve Organic Beauty we love using this form of Vitamin C! Experience the amazing benefits of this form of vitamin C in our Bio-Retinol + C Booster.
Ascorbyl Glucoside:
This is a stable form of vitamin C, which transforms into the active form on contact with the skin. It’s clinically proven to boost collagen production and protect against skin damage and cellular ageing at low concentrations. It can be used at a neutral pH making it gentler on the skin. We chose this stable and gentle form of Vitamin C for our new Miracle Vitamin C Mask, for smoothing and brightening skin in just 3 minutes! We also use this form of Vitamin C in our colour-changing Enzyme + Vitamin C Cleanser Powder.
L-Ascorbic Acid:
This was the first type of vitamin C that was used in skincare products. It’s highly effective but it’s also very unstable and sensitive to UV light and air. This means over time you find this form of vitamin C goes brown in the pot and it also makes it more likely to react with other ingredients. For it to work, it needs to be used in a high concentration and to be formulated with a very acidic pH which can make it irritating on the skin and that also makes it incompatible with other ingredients like AHA and retinol.
Ascorbyl Palmitate:
This is a stable form of vitamin C, but it is believed to be less powerful compared with ascorbic acid, and it may not penetrate the skin as effectively.
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate:
These are salts of vitamin C which are more stable and less irritating than ascorbic acid. However, they are not as well absorbed by the skin, and they may not provide the same antioxidant benefits as regular vitamin C.
Can Vitamin C be used with other ingredients?
Now you know about the benefits of vitamin C and the different types that are available, let’s find out how to use vitamin C in combination with other ingredients and incorporate it into your skincare routine.
Can I use AHA and vitamin C together?
AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acids. These are gentle fruit acids found in citrus fruits that are used to exfoliate the skin. Dermatologists advise these not to be combined with traditional forms of vitamin C like L ascorbic acid. This is because both ingredients can be quite irritating to the skin and used in acidic pHs, and if they are used together at a high concentration, this may make irritation more likely.
However, this is not an issue with newer stable forms of vitamin C, which are more gentle on the skin and neutral ph formulas which use both AHAs and Vitamin C at lower concentrations. In our Miracle Vitamin C Mask, we combine a gentle natural Alpha Hydroxy Acid blend with Ascorbyl Glucoside - a gentle and stable form of Vitamin C which can also be used at a neutral ph. We are able to use lower levels of Alpha Hydroxy Acids because we boost the efficacy of them by using Larch Extract to achieve a gentle and effective exfoliating action.
Can you use Vitamin C and Retinol together?
It is a similar story when vitamin C is combined with retinol. Retinol is a synthetic form of vitamin A that is used in skincare to boost cellular regeneration. It is an anti-ageing ingredient with great skin benefits, but it also comes with side-effects, including irritation and redness. Dermatologists do not advise combining retinol and vitamin C together because of the possibility of irritation.
What happens if you use vitamin C with Hyaluronic Acid?
Vitamin C can be safely combined with Hyaluronic Acid. Although hyaluronic acid sounds like a skin acid, it is actually a hydrating ingredient that forms part of the natural building blocks of skin. It can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water and it helps to plump up fine lines and wrinkles and hydrate the skin. When you combine Hyaluronic Acid with vitamin C this helps to enhance skin health, creating hydrated, glowing skin and a healthy and youthful complexion.
How should I use Vitamin C in my daily skin care routine?
Vitamin C is such an all-round helpful ingredient that it’s a great ingredient to incorporate into several steps of your skincare routine. It can be used every day and also used in the evening as an effective treatment ingredient. It’s excellent to apply before going in the sun to help defend the skin from sun damage.
Doing a patch test
When using Vitamin C or any other new skincare ingredient it’s always good to do a patch test. This is because any ingredient can cause skin irritation and everybody’s skin is different. To do a patch test apply a small amount of the product you want to test behind your ear, or in the crease of your elbow and then wait 24 hours to check for any itching, irritation or redness.
Vitamin C Cleanser
Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C Mask
What skin types is vitamin C good for?
Vitamin C is such a good all-rounder. It can be used by all skin types.
Is vitamin C good for sensitive skin?
Vitamin C can safely be used by those with sensitive skin, but it is important to choose a product with newer forms of stable vitamin C that are gentler on the skin like ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate or ascorbyl glucoside. These do not need to be formulated at an acidic pH which could irritate sensitive skin. Try our Bio-Retinol + C Booster vitamin C serum that is suitable for sensitive skin.
Is vitamin C good for anti-ageing?
Is vitamin C good for oily skin?
Vitamin C can be used by all skin types including oily skin, as long as you choose a formulation that will not overload your skin. Try our Enzyme + Vitamin C Cleanser Powder for an oil-free form of vitamin C that you can leave on the skin for an extra exfoliating boost and to deep cleanse the skin, leaving it glowy and radiant.
Is vitamin C good for dehydrated and dry skin?
Because vitamin C helps to restore the skin barrier layer it is great for use on dehydrated skin. Try Vitamin C serums that help to nourish the skin such as our Bio-Retinol + C Booster which contains a stable, oil-based form of vitamin C for extra nourishment.
