Ask the experts
Find out why vitamin C is considered the holy grail of skincare ingredients
Vitamin C serums are one of the trio of hero skincare products for a reason: they work. Along with sunscreen and retinol, any dermatologist will be quick to tell you that vitamin C is essential to every basic skincare routine.
So, what makes vitamin C so effective?
The antioxidant treats a number of common skincare concerns including dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin texture. But while vitamin C is extremely effective, you’ll only see results if you’re using it correctly. And just like any other skincare ingredient, it comes with some dos and don’ts.
What are vitamin C’s benefits for the skin? Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that neutralises free radicals, which can lead to premature signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines. The antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects against UV-induced damage caused by free radicals, which will prevent accelerated aging and skin cancer. The antioxidant can be used to treat dark spots and hyperpigmentation as well. How can you add vitamin C to your routine? First off, there are multiple forms of vitamin C. Ascorbate and ascorbic acid are naturally occurring forms of the antioxidant, while sodium ascorbyl phosphate is a synthetic, stable, watersoluble form of vitamin C that’s produced to use in skincare products. When shopping for a vitamin C skincare product, keep the following in mind: L-ascorbic acid is the most beneficial and effective of all forms. If you’re looking for a vitamin C product that will deeply penetrate the skin, pick one with oil-soluble tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a derivative of L-ascorbic acid. Generally, serums are the most common and popular vitamin C product category, but the ingredient is also found in moisturisers. You can use vitamin C products in your morning routine, allowing you to use retinol products at night, to avoid mixing the two. What are the side effects of using vitamin C? Unless you have a specific allergy, vitamin C is safe for all skin types. However, there are some ingredients you shouldn’t mix with the antioxidant. Using vitamin C and retinol together can cause irritation and deactivate the ingredients, which makes them ineffective.