Bottled glow.
There's a holy trinity when it comes to skincare: SPF, retinol and vitamin C. According to the top experts, if you're armed with all three, you're pretty much guaranteed brighter, smoother, healthier skin.
It's no wonder then that Vitamin C has been the most searched-for skincare ingredient of 2020 so far, according to data analysed by Cult Beauty. "What does vitamin C do for your skin?" dominated Google searches.
No, vitamin C isn't new, it's been a skincare staple for yonks, but a new influx of high-tech serums, oils and moisturisers have fine-tuned the notoriously unstable ingredient (which degrades when subjected to air, light and heat and doesn't play ball with retinols and AHAs) to create even more powerful, reliable and user-friendly solutions.
Here's what you need to know about one of skincare's top hitters.
Where can we get vitamin C from?
"L-Ascorbic acid (better known as Vitamin C) is essential for humans as we cannot synthesise it by ourselves," explains Linda Blahr, Head of National Training at SkinCeuticals. "You can implement Vitamin C in your daily diet by eating vegetables & fruits with a high concentration of Vitamin C. However, the skin is the last organ addressed within the digestion process, so there is a need for ‘topical Vitamin C’ formulations that work efficiently within the skin’s metabolism." It means while our bodies can get vitamin C from our food, our skin needs topping up with our skincare.
What does vitamin C do for skin?
Vitamin C is one of the most potent sources of antioxidants. "It strengthens skin cells to fight against environmental aggressors such as UV, infrared radiation and pollution, which are the main culprits of oxidative stress in skin," says Linda. In practice, it helps to neutralise much of the damage our environment causes our skin, which includes dull-looking complexions, dark spots and accelerated ageing.
It also supports the production of collagen, the protein that makes skin look bouncy and youthful.
So, if you incorporate a vitamin C serum into your everyday routine, expect skin that looks fresher, firmer and brighter. Not bad for an unassuming bottle of serum.
Here are a few recommendations:
This originally appeared on GLAMOUR UK | Author: Elle Turner
