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September 24, 2024
Using vitamin C in the morning and vitamin A in the evening is a recommended skincare routine. Indeed, not only is vitamin C an essential skincare ingredient for healthy skin, it also provides a wide range of skincare benefits, making it a skincare ingredient recommended by all dermatologists
However, there are still many misconceptions about vitamin C in skin care. Whilst, many people have avoided vitamin C products altogether since experiencing sensitivity, redness, peeling, and stinging due to choosing vitamin C products that were not suitable for their skin.
Today, we will explain in detail the multiple skincare benefits of vitamin C, the different types of vitamin C used in skincare products, and address various myths related to using vitamin C for the skin.
When an apple is cut, oxygen is introduced into the plant tissue. The phenolase enzymes on the top then rapidly oxidise, form melanin and release free radicals. After a while, because of the chain reaction that the free radicals set off, the browning would extend from the surface, which is exposed to oxygen, to the whole apple.
Now, our bodies are more complex than an apple, so the harms free radicals can do to our bodies are much more extensive, and are in fact the main cause of aging.
On average, people are exposed to up to 300,000 free radicals daily. These free radicals, originating from factors such as UV rays, pollution, dust, pesticides, alcohol, smoking, and food, accumulate in the deep layers of the skin that are invisible to the naked eye. However, they gradually slow down and weaken our skin's natural regeneration process, leading to chronic inflammation, damage to skin DNA, and breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. Ultimately, this can result in dryness, dullness, loss of elasticity, wrinkles, sagging, hyperpigmentation, redness, itching, and even conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals and contribute to the skin's natural regeneration process. It helps repair damaged skin cells, keep the skin in a healthy state and reduce the various issues caused by free radicals as mentioned above.
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Collagen and elastin are naturally present in the skin and contribute to maintaining a plump, firm, and wrinkle-free appearance. However, collagen loss occurs at a rate of approximately 1.5% per year after the age of 25, while elastin diminishes by about 1% per year starting at the age of 20. As collagen and elastin deplete, aging signs such as wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and loss of elasticity gradually appear.
The synthesis of collagen requires two enzymes: prolyl hydroxylase, which stabilizes the collagen molecule, and lysyl hydroxylase, which provides structural strength to collagen. Vitamin C acts as an essential co-factor for these two enzymes, aids in the normal synthesis of collagen, and increases collagen production in the skin.
Research also indicates that the use of vitamin C skincare products helps promote the production of elastin in the skin, thereby reducing, slowing down, and preventing the aforementioned signs of skin aging.
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Melanin essentially, is a substance that protects the skin. However, factors such as UV radiation, free radicals, stress, acne, squeezing blackheads, excessive cleansing, friction (including using scrubs, cleansing brushes, rubbing towels against the skin, etc.), abd hormonal fluctuations (such as pregnancy or taking birth control pills), can cause inflammation in the skin. When inflammation occurs, the skin sends signals to the melanocytes to produce more melanin than usual to protect the skin. Over time, this accumulation leads to visible pigmentation, acne marks, and dull, yellowish skin tone.
Vitamin C can inhibit melanin production through the following mechanisms, thereby improving, reducing, and preventing pigmentation while promoting even skin tone:
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To maintain hydrated skin, a healthy skin barrier and the skin's water-retention function being at optimal level are crucial. Vitamin C can strengthen the skin barrier and water-retention mechanism, thereby reducing water loss through the following ways:
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Healthy wound healing can reduce the risk of inflammation, infection, and scarring. Research has found that a lack of vitamin C can prolong wound healing time, and there are four reasons for this:
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There are many causes of skin inflammation. When the skin experiences chronic inflammation, not only does it exhibit signs such as redness, itching, sensitivity, and acne, but can also trigger conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
Research indicates that vitamin C can exert anti-inflammatory effects through the following pathways, thereby alleviating skin inflammation issues:
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Many products prominently promote themselves as vitamin C products, but they often fail to provide detailed information about the specific type of vitamin C used in the formulation (although it is usually listed on the ingredient list). In fact, vitamin C is not a single entity but exists in various forms, each with different effects on the skin.
The following are five commonly used forms of vitamin C in skincare products:
LAscorbic Acid or Pure Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are commonly used ingredients in vitamin C products due to their high effectiveness. However, the problem is that they need to be in an extremely acidic pH of 3.5 or below to maintain stability and exert their effects, yet research has shown that our skin is healthiest at a pH of 4.7.
In other words, using the highly acidic L'Ascorbic Acid or Pure Vitamin C products twice daily not only easily irritates the skin, leading to sensitivity, redness, and increased blackheads, but can also disrupt the skin's lipid barrier and the delicate balance of the skin microbiome, which can trigger major breakouts and inflammations!
Furthermore, light, oxygen, and water can rapidly oxidize and render L'Ascorbic Acid or Pure Vitamin C ineffective. This process of oxidization is evident when the color of the product starts turning, which can range from light orange, orange, dark yellow, to even brown. In fact, this problem can even occur before the product is opened! Now, some skincare brands would actually add colorants to their formulations just so the color would remain yellow to conceal the fact that the product has oxidized and lost its efficacy.
Now, you can simply bin an oxidized product, but you cannot deal with other problems L’Ascorbic Acid has as easily. First of all, it does not only oxidize in the bottle, but actually also on the skin, leading to more blackheads. This is not it, however. Both L’Asocrbic Acid and Pure Vitamin C eventually oxidises to erythrulose, the same ingredient in fake tans which reacts with proteins in the dead stratum corneum to produce brown compounds called melanoidins that do not come off until the dead cells shred naturally. This is called a Maillard reaction, like the caramelizing reaction that happens when baked goods turn brown with heat. In other words, instead of brightening the skin, you may very well be tanning your skin. And worse this Malliard reaction actually generates free radicals and could accelerate sun and DNA damages, which is what you want to avoid by using Vitamin C products in the first place!
It is also worthy to note that most L’Ascorbic Acid is derived from GMO corn starch, corn sugar or rich starch, which can potentially have a negative impact on the skin.
In the past, we have observed that many customers troubled by acne issues had a habit of using L-Ascorbic Acid or pure vitamin C products. When we advised them to stop using these products, their acne problems disappeared pretty much immediately!
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a highly stable form of vitamin C that does not oxidize easily when exposed to light, oxygen, or water. Although it may not be as potent as L'Ascorbic Acid or pure vitamin C, SAP offers the same skin benefits as other forms vitamin c, and is known for its skin-friendly, non-irritating and non-sensitizing nature, as well as penetrability, as thus is suitable for use on all skin types without concerns. In fact, SAP has a unique characteristic that other forms of vitamin C lack——it has been scientifically proven to effectively improve acne.
SAP has been clinically proven to have skincare benefits including:
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Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD Ascorbate) is an oil-soluble form of vitamin C. It is highly compatible with the skin and helps to fight free radicals, promote collagen synthesis, brighten skin tone, fade hyperpigmentation, strengthen the skin barrier, promote wound healing, and reduce inflammation, all without the drawbacks and side effects of L'Ascorbic acid or pure vitamin C.
What sets it apart is its ability to promote ceramide production.
Ceramides are natural lipids present in the skin's stratum corneum and play a crucial role in maintaining the skin barrier function. They fill the gaps between skin cells, forming a strong and protective barrier that prevents moisture loss and shields the skin from irritants, bacteria, and toxins, thereby keeping the skin hydrated and healthy. Unfortunately, as we age, the levels of ceramides in the skin naturally decline, leading to issues like dryness, tightness, and wrinkles. What's worse, skin with a compromised or weakened barrier is also more prone to sensitivity, redness, inflammation, and acne breakouts, and conditions like eczema and rosacea are more likely to recur.
Due to its ability to promote ceramide synthesis, THD Ascorbate not only strengthens the skin barrier to prevent moisture loss and enhance the skin's defense against external irritants but also helps maintain hydrated and healthy skin!
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Ascorbyl Glucoside is a water-soluble and highly stable form of vitamin C. Like other forms of vitamin C, it effectively provides antioxidant benefits, promotes collagen synthesis, brightens skin tone, fades pigmentation, strengthens the skin barrier, promotes wound healing, and reduces inflammation, all without the drawbacks and side effects of L'Ascorbic Acid or pure vitamin C.
However, compared to the aforementioned Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP), Ascorbyl Glucoside falls short due to the following reasons:
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP), is another water-soluble and highly stable form of vitamin C. Like other forms of vitamin C, it effectively provides antioxidant benefits, promotes collagen synthesis, brightens skin tone, fades pigmentation, strengthens the skin barrier, promotes wound healing, and reduces inflammation, all without the drawbacks and side effects of L'Ascorbic Acid or pure vitamin C.
However, again, when compared to the aforementioned Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP), Ascorbyl Glucoside falls short due to the following reasons:
Vitamin C does not inherently absorb light or cause skin darkening and is, in fact, an excellent antioxidant that can protect the skin from free radicals and damage caused by UV rays. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for use in the morning to help skin cells defend against surrounding free radicals, and at night to rejuvenate the skin.
The myth that vitamin C absorbs light and darkens skin likely stems from the fact that L'Ascorbic Acid can Pure Vitamin C can quickly oxidize and change color when exposed to sunlight.
Indeed, we have discussed how L'Ascorbic acid and Pure Vitamin C can oxidize not only inside skincare product bottles but also on the skin, which then turn into erythrulose. This compound, commonly used in self-tanning products, undergoes a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction with the proteins in the skin's stratum corneum. This reaction leads to the formation of brown nitrogenous melanoidin compounds on the skin's surface, which will only disappear naturally as the top layer of the skin sheds. Therefore, using L'Ascorbic acid or Pure Vitamin C in the morning when sunlight is present can indeed temporarily make the skin appear "darker". Additionally, it is important to note that the Maillard reaction actually generates a lot of free radicals and can potentially accelerate UV and DNA damage.
With that being said, other forms of vitamin C, especially the highly stable and skin-friendly sodium ascorbyl phosphate, do not cause any of the above issues, and thus are recommended for use both in the morning and evening, but especially during the day.
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When it comes to skincare ingredients, high concentration does not necessarily equate to high efficacy. In fact, due to the highly acidic nature of L'Ascorbic acid and Pure Vitamin C, the higher the concentration, the greater the potential for skin irritation.
In reality, the overall formulation, absorbability, penetrability, and stability of a skincare product are more important than the concentration of a single ingredient! For instance, a product with lower vitamin C concentration but higher penetrability will be more effective in delivering noticeable results compared to a product with higher concentration but lower penetrability.
Of course, when it comes to sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which is known for its high absorbability, penetrability, stability, and skin-friendliness, even high concentrations can be safely used without causing any skin irritation even on sensitive skin.
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It all depends on which type of vitamin C you choose to use. If you opt for sodium ascorbyl phosphate, for example, not only can you use it simultaneously with retinol, niacinamide and acids, their synergistic effects can actually increase the overall skincare effects!
On the other hand, even individuals with healthy skin are likely to experience side effects when using L'Ascorbic acid or Pure Vitamin C on a daily basis. Therefore, it's best not to use them together with retinol, niacinamide or acids in the same morning or evening routine. In fact, since L'Ascorbic acid or Pure Vitamin C has so many disadvantages and side effects, why not choose products with sodium ascorbyl phosphate instead? Then you wouldn't have to worry about all these at all.
Many skincare brands like to use phrases like "Instantly Brighten" or "Fades Pigmentation in 7 Days" to catch people's attention. First of all, you won't see these claims in advertisements in countries like the United States, Japan, or Korea because they are not legal. It's only in Hong Kong where the regulations are more relaxed that you see such gimmicky advertisements.
In reality, it is true that the antioxidant effects of vitamin C are instant, and the antibacterial effects of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate are also immediate. However, when it comes to aspects related to skin cells and structural issues such as brightening and evening out skin tone, reducing pigmentation and acne marks, promoting collagen production, strengthening the skin barrier, and reducing inflammation, it takes at least 3 to 12 weeks of continuous morning and evening use to see real results.
Think about it, even cough medicine doesn't guarantee to stop coughing in 7 days. So, expecting to significantly reduce pigmentation and acne scars that have been with you for months or even years in just 7 days is a bit unrealistic, no?
Of course, you may see improvements after using a product continuously for 7 days, but the lack of improvement after 7 days doesn't mean the product is ineffective.
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