WINTER WONDER

Give your skin a daily dose of vitamin C to keep it looking radiant and protected from the environment.

EVEN BEFORE IT had a scientific label, we had a hunch that vitamin C did good things. When Captain James Cook went exploring, a lack of fresh food on board his ship also meant vitamin C deprivation: the first signs were fragile and discoloured skin, the last were too dreadful to detail and often fatal. Although he didn’t know why it worked, Cook fed his crew sauerkraut and lemon juice to help keep scurvy (caused by vitamin C deficiency) at bay. Since then, science has proven that vitamin C is abundant in foods like citrus fruit and fermented cabbage, and is essential for our skin and health: it plays a crucial role in stabilising collagen, a primary structural protein that we need for skin strength and our entire skeletal system for that matter; ascorbic acid (another name for vitamin C, it literally means ‘anti-scurvy’) also functions as a freeradical scavenger, mopping up the molecules that can damage our cells. But here’s the trouble: humans cannot make vitamin C or store this water-soluble vitamin for long, so we need a daily top-up in our diets. The recommended dietary intake in Australia is 45mg per day for an adult (more if you are pregnant or breast feeding), which is easily obtainable — one kiwifruit or orange will do the trick — but only a small portion of that will directly benefit your complexion. “Unfortunately, less than a third of the vitamin C that we ingest goes to our skin,” says Sandrine Carliez, Global Trainer for skincare company Guinot. “When you apply vitamin C directly to the skin using a cosmetic product, you get up to 30 times the results than if you take it orally.” Skin experts rave about vitamin C’s ability to brighten and even out skin tone. According to a study by Guinot, pigmentation is a skin concern for one out of two women, an issue that vitamin C can help erase. It works a bit like lemon juice on cut fruit: it stops it from going brown. “Even after the first week, you start to notice some changes in the skin,” says Sandrine. “After one to three months, your skin complexion is more even, the skin density and suppleness is improved, and the skin looks younger with a beautiful glow.” While expert opinion differs on the optimum strength, using a serum with between 10 and 20 per cent vitamin C in the morning, before applying sunscreen, is ideal. According to Skinceuticals, sunscreen only offers an estimated 55 per cent protection against UV rays, so there’s a substantial gap for vitamin C to potentially fill when it comes to preventing damage. “Once a properly formulated vitamin C serum penetrates the skin, it can’t be washed or rubbed off like sunscreen, and it provides supplemental protection against harsh environmental aggressors such as UVA and UVB,” says Becky Watkins, Associate Vice President, Global Education for Skinceuticals. If you have sensitive skin, beware that vitamin C can be a little drying. “Depending on the concentration, vitamin C can become an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), and can cause a little irritation if your skin is sensitive,” says Sandrine. Retinol and other acids (such as glycolic, salicylic and lactic acid) tend not to get along with vitamin C, so use these at night, then apply vitamin C in the morning. Natural vitamin C is an altogether temperamental ingredient — it needs to be stabilised to remain effective over time and it’s tricky to formulate in a permeable solution. Dr Sheldon Pinnell, founding scientist of Skinceuticals, claims to have been the first to patent a vitamin C formula using pure L-ascorbic acid that could penetrate skin. “Derivatives of vitamin C have been shown either to be unable to pass the skin barrier or to be inefficient to convert to L-ascorbic acid, which is necessary, in the right ph and concentration, to prevent damage from environmental aggressors,” says Becky. Some studies also indicate that combining vitamin C with other ingredients, such as ferulic acid and phloretin, enhances its ability to protect against UV irradiation. Storage is crucial for vitamin C-enriched skincare products, as they are sensitive to light, heat and oxygen and so require a cool, dark home. “If you see a product with vitamin C change to a brownish colour, it means that it has oxidised and is no longer as effective,” says Dr Naissan Wesley, a dermatologist and member of the Arbonne Scientific Advisory Board. Above all, you need to give your skin a daily dose of vitamin C to maintain results. “If you live on planet Earth you need a vitamin C antioxidant serum applied every morning... it is an unstoppable ingredient,” says Becky. And, just for good measure, take a cue from Captain Cook: a squirt of lemon juice or a side of sauerkraut might help put the zing back in your skin from the inside too.

Above all, you need to give your skin a daily dose of vitamin C to maintain results.