The Real Deal on Brighter, Smoother, Younger – Looking Skin

We’re not even going to try to gatekeep this because the secret is out! People who are serious about their skincare routines know that vitamin C serums are your golden ticket towards achieving bright-looking skin that glows. No, we’re not talking about Edward-Cullen-diamond skin, but the kind of bright skin that radiates health, vitality, and youth. Yes, you don’t have to be a vampire to look young and glowing, all you need is a vitamin C serum added to your daily skincare routine. 

If you want to know all about this magic potion, you dived into the right article.

Let’s Talk About Vitamin C Serum

If you’re thinking that vitamin C is only good for when you have cough and colds, or to double up on your dosage when flu season is in, then think again. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and can be absorbed by the body in different forms if it is formulated properly and applied carefully. This means that you can’t just apply citrus slices to your eye bags to brighten them up or rub lemon slices on your armpits. When you do-it-yourself or DIY, you let go of having control over the quality, dosage, and effectiveness of vitamin C. This is why it’s infinitely better for your skin to choose a vitamin C serum that has been carefully formulated and designed to give protection and benefits to your skin. 

I take vitamin C supplements every day, isn’t that enough? 

When you take vitamin C supplements, whether through pills, effervescent tablets, infused tea, or other ingestible forms, it comes as an ascorbic acid wherein it is absorbed by the body as it is digested. However, our skin only gets a small portion of this vitamin when it is distributed throughout our bloodstream. This is why it’s recommended to apply vitamin C directly onto the skin when it is in the form of a serum, a cream, a lotion, or some other form of externally applied formula that’s been chemically altered to be absorbed directly by the skin. We’ll talk about all the benefits of vitamin C for the skin in just a minute.

Doesn’t our skin naturally produce vitamin C? 

Unlike plants and other animals, humans are unable to synthesise vitamin C due to the lack of the enzyme L-glucono-gamma lactone oxidase, which makes us entirely reliable to supplementing vitamin C either through ingesting it in L-ascorbic acid form or by applying it directly on the skin. But just remember that through ingestion, a small fraction of vitamin C will only be retained and biologically available in the skin. 

What are the benefits of vitamin C serum?

• It is a potent antioxidant for the skin. Natural environmental factors such as exposure to sunlight and UV/B rays, pollution, smoking, dust, artificial and toxic chemicals can drastically alter your skin and result in observable damage like sun spots, dark spots, large pores, fine lines, and wrinkles, or what we dermatology experts call “oxidative stress.” All of these factors and more can essentially make your skin look drab and aged. As a combative factor to the signs of skin damage, vitamin C serum is a highly effective antioxidant that naturally combats oxidative stress through electron transfer and donation into the skin. 
• It is capable of reversing the side effects of ageing. While it’s impossible to actually reverse your biological age, it’s certainly possible to look younger than your actual age, especially if you know how to take care of your skin. Vitamin C serum contains the essential collagen composition and also directly activates the transcription factors in collagen synthesis. In other words, vitamin C serum encourages tissue inhibitors to produce more collagen in your skin, which in turn reverses the signs of ageing like dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and lack of radiance. In fact, a daily application of a topical vitamin C formula leads to a relevant increase in collagen production in the skin. 
• It restores your skin’s vitamin E composition. Vitamin C serums actually help your skin replenish its vitamin E content. Vitamin E is a lipophilic antioxidant, which protects your skin cells against oxidative stress and encourages consistent collagen production in the skin. When you are exposed to sunlight, vitamin E together with vitamin C rapidly depletes, which is why it’s essential to be consistent in applying sunscreens right after you apply this serum. 
• It alters skin pigmentation.  Vitamin C serum is an effective brightening agent for your skin, specifically because it inhibits the enzyme that is responsible for the conversion of tyrosine into melanin. Clinical studies have shown that people who have had topical formulations of vitamin C have significantly reduced melanin production and contributed to having brighter skin. 

How do I choose the best vitamin C serum for me?

So now you’re ready to add this serum to your cart, but which product should you choose? Go for something that obviously works for your skin, but we’re also going to help you with the science of it all. When it comes to choosing a vitamin C serum, choose a formula with 7%-15% L-ascorbic acid, with vitamin E, and it comes in a dark glass or tinted bottle. The reason for the latter is that vitamin C loses its potency when exposed to UV light, which is why dark glass bottles are the only packaging that vitamin C serums should come in. 

How should my skincare regimen include vitamin C serum? 

If you already follow the cleanse-tone-moisturise step to skincare, whether morning routine or nighttime routine, it’s easy enough to integrate vitamin C serum into your routine. Apply your serum after you’ve applied your preferred toner, just before you moisturise your skin. The vitamin C serum minimises the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and balances the pigmentation of your skin as well, brightening it when you are consistent with the vitamin c application. Don’t forget to use sunscreen as well. In fact, your vitamin C serum will work wonders when it is paired with the consistent use of sunscreen as well. Choose a formula with an SPF of 50 or higher to really maximise the level of protection for your skin when you step out of the house. 

The Bottomline

It’s the perfect time to level up your skincare regimen by adding a vitamin C serum to your routine. It offers astounding benefits, and it ultimately helps you achieve more beautiful, radiant, and youthful-looking skin.