How beneficial is your Vitamin C based skin care?

We have all heard about the benefits of using skin care products that contain Vitamin C but did you know that some forms of Vitamin C are not as stable in a cosmetic formula and therefore end up oxidizing very quickly leaving you with reduced benefits?  With summer upon us this ingredient can be one of your best tools to prevent sun damage and related signs of age but the key is to pick a product that uses the right form and concentration for maximum results. 

Why all the hype about Vitamin C for anti-aging? First I’d like to briefly mention why Vitamin C(ascorbic acid) is beneficial when used in cosmetic skin care formulas.  As we age our levels of free radical damage increase due to long term exposure to factors such as pollutants, the sun, chemicals, prescription drugs and a poor lifestyle.  In a nut shell these free radicals (unpaired and unstable electrons)  lead to cell damage causing loss of collagen, elasticity and causing wrinkling of the skin. To counter act some of the damage caused from the environmental exposure we turn to anti-oxidants which have been scientifically proven to bring results. Vitamin C is one of the most commonly used in cosmetics formulas in the form of L-Ascorbic acid however as mentioned overtime from exposure to the air and other factors the level of Vitamin C in the product can oxidize leaving you with a much lower percentage concentration.  Formulators/Cosmetic Chemists have been working on developing and utilizing different forms of Vitamin C  that appear to be more stable.  Despite this L-Ascorbic acid is still beneficial however in order for the product to be effective it should contain a higher percentage of this ingredient( effective formulas using L-Ascorbic add in between 5 to 20% depending on the product and formula) Here are some forms of Vitamin C you can look for in a natural skin care/anti-aging product which will oxidize much slower in turn providing you the anti-oxidant benefits your skin needs: Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate: Since this form of Vitamin C is water soluble is tends to be more stable in an aqueous or water based environment. As many creams and lotion products contain water this form of Vitamin C is ideal, however as with all vitamin C’s , it will still oxidize overtime from exposure to air and light.  This form is also less of a skin irritant so can often be used even with those that have more sensitive skin.   In addition, unlike L-Ascorbic acid a smaller percentage of this form of C is needed in a formula to bring results such as increased collagen. Other’s to look for in a quality anti-aging product are:  ascorbyl palmitate and  sodium ascorbyl phosphate Feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions about this or any other skin care related issues.