Vitamin C is as famous as it gets and we’re pretty sure it doesn’t need a formal introduction, so today we're going to dive right in to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this fantastic ingredient and by extension, about our latest launches that feature it: our Vitamin C Serum and our Serum Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Alpha Arbutin.
For those who aren’t already aware, our Vitamin C Serum is formulated with 10% Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and our Serum Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Alpha Arbutin is formulated with 10% sodium ascorbyl phosphate, 4% niacinamide and 2% alpha arbutin alongside bearberry and mulberry extracts. More to follow about both products in future content across all our social media platforms.
What does vitamin C do?
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that has many roles in our body. It is needed by the enzymes that make collagen for them to be able to work. It is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants are molecules that help destroy cell-damaging compounds called free radicals in your body. This is essential since high levels of free radicals can lead to premature skin ageing and have also been linked to many diseases, including cancer.
What are the benefits of vitamin C serum for skin?
As we age, the levels of vitamin C in our skin naturally decline, making the ingredient a useful addition to any anti-ageing skincare routine. Vitamin C has three main benefits in skincare:
As already discussed, vitamin C is an antioxidant. Environmental stressors like pollution and UV rays generate free radicals that damage skin cells. Vitamin C helps to kill these off and thereby, minimise the damage they do.
Vitamin C is necessary for the enzymes that produce collagen to be able to work. It thus, also helps increase the synthesis of this important protein leading to skin that is firmer, plumper and more resistant to the signs of ageing.
Lastly, vitamin C also helps reduce your skin’s melanin production, where melanin is the pigment that gives skin its colour. This makes vitamin C beneficial for skin brightening, and for fighting hyperpigmentation. On a side note though, pigmentation is a highly complex process and studies have shown that it is best battled with a combination of pigment fighting ingredients as opposed to just one. This is why in addition to our Vitamin C Serum, we’ve also launched our Serum Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Alpha Arbutin, which contains five potent ingredients that work in sync to fight pigmentation. This serum also, obviously, helps brighten the skin and protect against the signs of skin ageing.
Who should use vitamin C serum?
Vitamin C can be used by anyone and is a fantastic ingredient to introduce into your skincare routine in your 20s since this is when, for most people, the signs of skin ageing first begin to appear. It’s also great for people who want to combat pigmentation and want to experience its skin brightening benefits.
How to use vitamin C in your skincare routine
Depending on how much vitamin C your skin is able to tolerate and on what else you have going on in your skincare routine, vitamin C can be used in the morning, at night, or both in the morning and at night. Our favourite time to use vitamin C though, is before applying sunscreen during the day since research has shown that the antioxidant properties of vitamin C help boost the UV protection offered by sunscreen.
What is sodium ascorbyl phosphate?
Vitamin C in its pure form, ascorbic acid, is highly unstable and degrades quickly when exposed to air, light or heat and is notoriously difficult to stabilise in skincare products. Because of this, ingredients known as vitamin C derivatives are also popular in skincare formulations. All of these are not created equal but a good vitamin C derivative, such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate, the derivative we’ve used in both our serums that contain vitamin C, is more stable than pure ascorbic acid and offers the same benefits even if it is somewhat less potent. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is also less irritating than ascorbic acid since it doesn’t need to be formulated at very low pH. This means that it is better tolerated by more sensitive skin types. Some research has also shown that it has some anti-acne benefits.
Can vitamin C and niacinamide be used together?
A lot of popular skincare blogs, and unfortunately, even some dermatologists will tell you that these two star ingredients in skincare can’t be used together. This is a myth however, and it is perfectly safe to combine the two. This myth stems from the fact that when niacinamide is combined with low-pH ascorbic acid, it converts to nicotinic acid, which causes the skin to flush, but still does give the skincare benefits associated with niacinamide. While this flushing of the skin isn’t particularly desirable, it isn’t harmful. In our Serum Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Alpha Arbutin however, we’ve used SAP which doesn’t need a very low pH to be stable, so this concern is avoided entirely.
Are there any ingredients I should avoid with vitamin C serum and can I use topical vitamin C if I’m pregnant?
You should avoid using benzoyl peroxide and products containing copper with vitamin C as these destroy the ingredient and make it useless. And yes, vitamin C is pregnancy safe!
That’s it for now guys! We hope you found this useful. If you have more questions about vitamin C for skin, drop them in the comments below or WhatsApp us and we’ll get back to you. I've linked two of our products that contain vitamin C below for you to explore. Until next time!