Vitamin C in Skin Care Products

Much has been written about vitamin C and all its health benefits, but I would like to concentrate a bit more on what it can do for your skin.

The application of topical vitamin C has been proven to increase collagen production (collagen is what give your skin it elasticity and suppleness), reduce the appearance of pigmentation (skin discolouration), helps the body’s repair processes, reduce inflammation and help the skin to heal quicker. It has also been shown to assist the skin in withstanding the onslaught of UVA and UVB rays.

Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant that slows down the effects of free radicals in our skin and body.  Free radicals are unstable molecules that “bump” into healthy cells and cause skin damage like dryness, fine lines and wrinkles.  

Vitamin C also reverse age-related damage to skin and a recent study has shown that ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a derivative of vitamin C also reverses DNA damage (University of Leicester)

Research done at the University of Maryland’s Medical Centre, (University of Maryland Medical Center, Bouchez), has shown that vitamin C may also contribute by reducing skin cell deterioration (sunburn damage) due to overexposure to UVB rays. The study also suggests that it may prevent the effects of long-term sun damage. Vitamin C assists with combating the production of melanin, the process in which your body manufactures darker skin colour due to UVB exposure.

Please do not take this as a go-ahead to not use proper SPF protection when outside, but if you use vitamin C both orally and topically, it will help to heal and repair the skin much more effectively.

The problem with vitamin C in beauty formulations is the fact that it is very unstable and can lose its efficacy if it is exposed to heat, oxidation or come in contact with metal ions that are in many cosmetic products, therefor making it very difficult to use.

Breakthrough ingredient

However, a Japanese company have overcome this problem by manufacturing a stabilised vitamin C derivative called L-ascorbic Acid 2-Glucocide, and is sold under the trade name AA2G. This breakthrough ingredient is very new on the market and does not degrade.

The company produces AA2G by combining a vitamin C molecule with 2 starch molecules (glucoside). The glucoside part act as a carrier and a stabiliser for the vitamin C. When AA2G comes into contact with the skin cell membranes, an enzyme on the surface of the cell membrane (glucosidase) dissolves the bond between the vitamin C and the starch, allowing the pure vitamin C to enter the cell therefor retaining all the biologic activity that helps the skin to become brighter, lighter and reduce early signs of ageing.

Now, for the first time, pure vitamin C can be delivered directly to the deeper layers of the skin for maximum benefit.

Vitaderm Radian-C Serum contains this breakthrough ingredient and is one of my new best friends as far as beauty formulations go. In addition to AA2G, it also contains botanical extracts of passion flower, bear berry, liquorice root and orange blossom, thereby enhancing the effects of the ascorbic acid.

The Radian-C Serum is suitable for all skin types.

Please have a look at my website www.agbeautysalon.co.za for info about the Vitaderm Radian-C Serum