I decided to write a post on vitamin C because it occurred to me how underestimated its powers and abilities are. Other vitamins like E or A (retinol) seem to be more popular in skin care, as we tend to treat vitamin C more like a food supplement that boosts the immune system rather than a nutrient that can improve the appearance of our skin.
It’s time to change that and start appreciating all the good things that vitamin C has in store for us!
Vitamin C. What is it?
Let’s start by briefly introducing the subject of my today’s post. What is vitamin C? Known as ascorbic acid or L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C is one of our bodies’ essential organic substances. This is also an antioxidant, it improves our immunity and makes blood vessels stronger. This is why vitamin C is commonly used in medicine, but it also has a lot to offer in beauty.
Applications of vitamin C
IN MEDICINE Most of us use vitamin C to treat a common cold because – as I’ve already mentioned – this organic substance has a positive effect on human’s health. It also appears that vitamin C offers a wide range of benefits for the cardiovascular system. There are also studies proving that vitamin C is able to minimize the risk of cancer, which makes it a super potent nutrient that we need badly.
IN BEAUTY The appearance-improving properties of vitamin C are much more interesting to me, as you can guess. Being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C is used in skincare to prevent premature aging. Furthermore, vitamin C also takes part in the collagen synthesis process, meaning that it fights off sagging. Lastly, this nutrient has a brightening effect on skin, making it an ideal constituent of creams and serums targeting blemishes, pigmentation spots and redness.
Which form of vitamin C should you choose?
Here’s some important news for you: there isn’t just one type of vitamin C used in beauty products. Being available in various forms, it needs to be found out which one works best for you. So, if you’re looking for some top-performing brightening skincare products, always check which form of vitamin C they contain, because:
- L-ascorbic acid is the basic, pure form of vitamin C; it’s water-soluble; unfortunately, it isn’t stable thus it breaks down when exposed to oxidize
- ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate is a well-tolerated by the skin that soaks it up in no time; it delivers stronger effects; is oil-soluble
- ascorbyl palmitate is another stabilized form of vitamin C; it transforms into pure vitamin C when applied to the skin
- ethylated ascorbic acid is the so-called etherified vitamin C; it’s proven to be the most effective erasing dark spots from the face; it absorbs into the skin easily
Which vitamin C-enriched skincare products should you choose?
Now it’s time to learn how to tell which vitamin C product is effective and good, and which one isn’t worth spending money on. Luckily, distinguishing such cosmetics is easy because only face serum works best among all other skincare products that we have at our disposal. Why is that? Because face serum is much lighter than other vitamin C products, thus it absorbs into the skin more easily and faster to work from the inside. Besides, face serums offer larger concentration of vitamin C than other skincare products.
The best vitamin C face serum
To save your precious time, I’ve prepared a short list of some cool products formulated with vitamin C. The thing is that we have a lot of vitamin C face serums to choose from, but only a few of them are really good. Here are the best vitamin C face serums I know.
1. Nanoil Vit. C Face Serum
I’ve tested it, checked it and now I can confirm that this is the best face serum for dark spots, acne, dullness and sagging. It contains ethylated ascorbic acid whose skin reviving effect is boosted by a plant-derived antioxidant. The texture is weightless because it has no oils. This means that Nanoil Vit C Face Serum neither creates a heavy film on the skin nor it clog pores. And it really works wonders! I felt the difference immediately after applying the serum for the first time: the skin felt fresh, was smooth and radiant. With time my complexion got brighter and even-toned. There is also no trace of fine lines on my face.
more information: www.nanoil.co.uk
2. La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C
One place behind is the face serum from La Roche-Posay that uses vitamin C not only to brighten the skin but also to rejuvenate it. This effect is possible due to the extra ingredients such as salicylic acid (stimulates cell turnover) and peptides (facilitates skin repair). When you remember to use this serum regularly, after a few weeks you will see the difference in the way your face looks. Smoother and visibly brighter complexion were two effects of the treatment that I noticed. From what I know, La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C handles even with more obvious wrinkles and fine lines, but I haven’t had the opportunity to witness this result because I just don’t have such problems yet. Downsides? Small size, big price.
3. Obagi Professional-C Serum
Since I’ve already mentioned an expensive face serum, let me bring out another pretty costly but highly effective skincare product launched by Obagi. In this cosmetic you have as much as 20% of vitamin C! Before you spend your money on that one, let me warn you that this is a very strong serum so if your skin is delicate and irritation-prone, then don’t be surprised if a reaction occurs. Just run a patch test before buying the regular product – that’s my advice. Once you get it, you will enjoy a blend of pure ascorbic acid and hyaluronic acid. You can feel how fast this serum replenishes moisture to the skin – in my case, it was three or four uses, I guess. Overall, I was very pleased with the results but I had to look for some other product because the price of Obagi Professional-C Serum is simply too high for me.
4. Olehenriksen Truth Serum
Another worth recommencing vitamin C serum is Olehenriksen Truth Serum. Here you get two anti-ageing ingredients: vitamin C and collagen. Both are able to fight sagging, leaving you with smoother skin that is able to defy signs of aging, such as wrinkles, of course. Apart from these two ingredients, this serum is enriched with orange extract and hyaluronic acid. Contrary to the three products I’ve reviewed above, this one has a slightly atypical texture – it resembles more of a regular face cream than a serum. However, it’s not thick, meaning that it absorbs into the skin quickly and leaves the skin feeling nicely hydrated. I consider Olehenriksen vitamin C serum one of the best brightening cosmetics, even though it has a few small drawbacks, including high price.
How to use vitamin C face serum correctly
When you finally get your ideal vitamin C serum, you need to know how to use it correctly to get the most of its properties. The good news is that the rules are simple and easy-to-follow. It’s best to apply any vitamin C face serum at bedtime – the skin carries out its self-repair processes at night, so when supplied with vitamin C, the chances of improving the appearance of your complexion are getting bigger.
At the same time I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that vitamin C face serum can be used twice a day. This means that you can also apply in the morning, but only if recommended by the producer – so always check what the directions for use say.
