Beauty

Is Vitamin C The Superfood That Your Skin Needs?

• By All That Trending
• 11-08-2021
• 12.86K

In recent years, the buzzword 'vitamin C' has revolutionized the skincare world. Every beauty influencer out there is promoting vitamin C serums for glowing and healthy skin, but what's the deal with it? Why is everyone recommending vitamin C? Is vitamin C really the superfood that your skin needs? Keep on reading as we tell you the ABCs of vitamin C! 

Vitamin C - what's that? 

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is rich in antioxidant properties. If you consume antioxidant-rich foods in your diet, they will aid your body in fighting off free radicals; in the same way, vitamin C aids your skin's regeneration process and helps in repairing damaged skin cells, leaving your skin rejuvenated and young. Besides bringing the glow back to your skin, vitamin C also helps protect skin from precancerous change, which is caused by the constant exposure of our skin to harmful UV rays. 

Benefits of using vitamin C

Incorporating vitamin C in your daily skincare routine has following benefits:

• It triggers the skin to accelerate the production of collagen and elastin.
• It helps in preventing premature ageing on the skin, retaining the youthfulness of the skin.
• Since vitamin C has a property that inhibits skin's melanin production, it helps in preventing dark spots from forming in the first place.
• It reduces wrinkles and acts like a armour against pollution and other free radicals.

Which is the best vitamin C serum out there?

Well, the Indian market is filled with various vitamin C serums, but one must indulge in a little product research before choosing the vitamin C serum that will work for their skin. These are the points that you must keep in mind:

• Form: Vitamin C has several different names, but the one that is the most appropriate for you is - L-ascorbic acid. Whenever you pick any vitamin C serum, make sure that the ingredient is  in the first five ingredients.
• Concentration: If you are a beginner, look out for serums with a concentration level between 8% - 10%. If your skin is already used to vitamin C as an ingredient, the ideal concentration level to go for is anywhere between 10% - 20%. However, going overboard (more than 20%) can lead to irritation.
• Ingredients: The ideal ingredient list you must look out for includes - vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), vitamin E (tocopherol), and ferulic acid. Apart from the ingredient list, one must also study the packaging of the product. If the product comes in a transparent bottle, don't buy it as exposure to air, light, and heat can degrade your vitamin C serum. Instead, go for a serum that comes in a dark glass bottle and has a medicine dropper delivery.
• Expiry: The best way to check if the serum is expired is to study the colour of the serum. If your product has taken on a dark or orange hue, it's time to change it because it has gone bad. If your serum was clear and turning yellowish now, it's a sign that the serum is oxidizing and eventually get less effective. 

Note: Always do a patch test before using the product on your face. 

Guide to using vitamin C

Since vitamin C protects your skin from pollution and other environmental aggressors, it should preferably be used in the daytime. For using vitamin C, you don't need a 10-step skincare routine; you can incorporate it into your daily life skincare routine. 

• Start by cleansing your face using a cleanser or face wash.
• Put on 1-2 drops of the vitamin C serum and pat it into your face.
• Apply a moisturizer followed by sunscreen. 

Note: Avoid using any exfoliating acids immediately after applying the vitamin C serum. One can use exfoliating acids in the evening and vitamin C serum in the morning. One should also refrain from using niacinamide right after using vitamin C; one can use it as a part of the nighttime skincare routine. 

Is there any side effects of using vitamin C?

Generally, vitamin C is a well-tolerated ingredient, but one must lookout for products that don't have too many ingredients since they can mess with your skin and cause allergic reactions. Though if you have super sensitive skin or are allergic to certain ingredients, consult a dermatologist before using vitamin C rich products. 

• Tags