Why You Need to be Using Vitamin C Right Now!
Image Courtesy: Dazed Digital
Want to know how people achieve naturally beautiful, glowing skin? The key lies in Vitamin C, an antioxidant that isn’t naturally produced by humans. Mostly found in citrus fruits, green vegetables, and supplements, Vitamin C can elevate your skincare in multiple ways.
Vitamin C protects your skin from everything like the sun, aging, and skin damage all the way to hyperpigmentation and air pollution. By using Vitamin C with sunscreen, damage from UVA and UVB sun rays is highly reduced. UVA destroys the collagen and elastin proteins in your skin and as a result, causes aging while UVB rays cause burns and lead to skin cancer. Vitamin C not only prevents collagen damage, but increases its production--preventing wrinkles and keeping skin looking youthful!
The way Vitamin C works is by combatting the effects of free radicals. Many vitamins are known as antioxidants, which are natural substances found in fruits and vegetables that prevent cell damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules which are produced through certain body processes as well as through environmental factors such as the ozone, air pollutants, and cigarette smoke. These molecules attack all kinds of body cells and as a result, create cell damage and disrupt your body’s internal processes. Antioxidants, like Vitamin C, are from sources outside of the body and help by stabilizing the free radical molecules.
When added with Vitamin E, another antioxidant found in foods like nuts, fruits, and vegetables, the effects of Vitamin C are heightened. The benefits from Vitamin C differ based on its intake and how you use it. Dr. Patricia Wexler, a New York dermatologist, claims that topical use is 20 times better than oral intake, and that serums provide higher absorption in comparison to creams and toners. It is recommended that products include at least a 10% concentration of the vitamin. However, it is important to pay attention to your skin type and not use too much of the vitamin. If you have sensitive or oily skin, it’s important to find a product that doesn’t increase oiliness or cause irritation.
Now we wouldn’t tell you all these benefits without listing some of the most highly-recommended products you can use to incorporate Vitamin C into your daily skincare routine. Here are some of our favorites!
Image Courtesy: Maelove
The Maelove Glow Maker was made by scientists at MIT and contains 15% Vitamin C and is made with Ferulic Acid, another product that helps with the intake of Vitamin C.
Image Courtesy: The Drunk Elephant
This Drunk Elephant serum contains 15% Vitamin C and especially helps with brightening and exfoliation.
Image Courtesy: Truskin
This highly-rated serum contains 20% Vitamin C and as an added plus, can be bought from Amazon and delivered in as little as two days!!
Image Courtesy: Sunday Riley
This serum is a staple which contains 15% Vitamin C. It contains a more powerful version of the antioxidant.
And as a last tip, make sure to not mix your product with products containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which destabilize Vitamin C!
With as many different benefits as it has, Vitamin C is an essential part of any skincare routine that will help take your skin to the next level!
Strike Out,
Writer: Lina Waseem
Nashville
