As far as skin nutrition goes, vitamin C takes the cake for being the most popular and widely used ingredient and that’s for good reason as well.
Research has shown that vitamin C helps in improving various issues such as fine lines, hyperpigmentation, dull skin tone, enlarged pores as well as improves collagen formation and reduces appearance of scars.
The marketplace is flooded with a myriad of vitamin C skin products with a huge variation in price range. For many consumers it’s hard to know what to choose.
In this article, I hope to break things down so that its easier to understand the various kinds of vitamins C preparations, how to use them as well as the best percentages you should be looking for in your skin care.
One of the most important skills I wish to impart on the consumer is how read the label. The label will tell you what sort of Vitamin C is being used in that particular skin care formulation. What sets apart a good product vs a less effective product is the percentage of vitamin C used as well as the type that is used as these will be what makes a product more or less effective.
Not all Vitamin C are made the same
When it comes to cosmetic ingredients not all vitamin Cs are made the same. We may have heard of ascorbic acid as the common from of Vitamin C and that is a popular ingredient in many vitamin C containing skin care. The numerous studies on this form of vitamin C have shown to be highly beneficial. There are some down sides to this as even through ascorbic acid is an amazing skin care ingredient it can quickly degrade and oxidize in heat and light to become ineffective and even cause irritation.
The usual percentage for effective ascorbic acid products is between 10 and 20%. The higher the concentration the more the brightening effect but more chances of the pH of the product becoming too acidic making it extremely drying and irritating for certain skin types. Ascorbic acid has an active pH of about 4.5 which is very acidic. In warm climates it also can degrade quickly if room temperature is anywhere between 26-30 degrees Celsius making it ineffective as well as a cause for skin irritation. When purchasing a product with ascorbic acid or its close derivative L ascorbic acid it is vital that it is sold in an air tight amber container as well as if in the tropics, sored in a cool environment ideally about 16-20 degrees.
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is another derivative of its cousins (active component) ascorbic acid. Even though it is slightly less active, its shelf stability as well as functional pH of 7 makes it a far more suitable skin care ingredient as it is less likely to cause irritation as well as can be on the shelf for much longer without degrading. Concentrations of 10-20% are what you should look for in your skin care to make them clinically effective to produce visible changes for your skin.
Another great thing about sodium ascorbyl phosphate is that its potent anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties make it suitable to sooth acne prone skin as well.
General Precautions
There are some general precautions needed when using products containing vitamin C derivatives. As vitamin C is degraded with UV light its preferable to use it at night. If you do use your vitamin C in the day it has to be topped off with an SPF to prevent UV sensitivity. When using vitamin C products its also advisable not to layer it with other products that may contain retinols or vitamin B3 (niacinamide). It’s advisable to use these products containing the above at different timings Eg, use niaciniamide in the day and vitamin C at night, or alternate retinol and vitamin C every other night.
Its undeniable that vitamin C is a power house of an ingredient to add to your skin care regime. With the right usage, you can obtain maximal benefits.
Noosh Naturals' C buck serum uses a 10 % concentration of sodium ascorbyl phosphate Vitamin C to ensure that you are getting the most shelf stable and effective form of vitamin C in the market.
By making the product in small batches it ensures that there is a short window between manufacturing till purchase. All our vitamin C is also kept refrigerated until it reaches you to ensure that there is no degradation of the product prior to reaching you the consumer.
To get the best of our vitamin C serum, pair it with our sea buck face oil by applying it after the serum. The oil helps keep moisture locked into the skin and prevents dehydration. It also supplies vitamin E which is a great synergist along with vitamin C to brighten the skin.
Keep nourishing and healing your skin naturally with Noosh Naturals.