Vitamin C Skincare? This is What Vitamin C Does for Your Skin
A beautiful and healthy skin is the result of self-care and skincare: this is how you radiate from the inside out! Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals daily to support your skin? Biotin, iodine, copper, vitamin B2 and B3, vitamin A, E, zinc, and vitamin C are essential building blocks. Particularly, vitamin C gives you that stunning glow. We'll explain how this works!
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin renowned as the immune booster. Besides benefitting your immune system, your skin also loves vitamin C, especially for the formation of collagen! This is a protein (and an important component of your connective tissue) that naturally occurs in the skin. Collagen literally holds the skin together like glue, providing firmness, structure, and helps reduce the visible signs of ageing.
What Does Vitamin C Do for Your Skin?
Besides being a co-factor for collagen formation, vitamin C has an antioxidant function. What does this mean? It neutralises free radicals in our cells. A free radical is an unstable molecule that can attach to other molecules, causing damage to cells and tissues (which consist of molecules). The more free radicals formed, the higher the risk of damage.
Vitamin C protects healthy body cells from oxidative damage caused by free radicals from within, but also from external influences such as air pollution and UV radiation.
An easy but important way to get vitamin C and support your skin is through your diet. The highest concentrations of vitamin C are found in bell peppers, blackcurrants, Brussels sprouts, parsley, kale, chicory, kiwi, and strawberries. For more information on foods rich in vitamin C, read our blog on this topic. In addition to a healthy diet, you can opt for a vitamin C supplement if you find your skin or health needs extra support.
Vitamin C as Skincare: How Does It Work?
As mentioned, vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for the skin, both internally and topically (through the skin). You can not only consume vitamin C, but you can also apply it! The vitamin is found in high concentrations in the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) and in the inner layer of the skin (dermis).
Vitamin C as Serum, Cream, or Booster for Best Skincare
To nourish your skin with vitamin C, application is essential! But what should you apply to your skin for the best result: a serum, booster, or cream with vitamin C?
A serum with vitamin C is often a thin substance and contains a higher concentration of active ingredients than, for example, a cream. It spreads easily, penetrates deeply into your skin, but often does not provide a protective layer on the skin.
While the serum adds active ingredients to the skin, a cream protects the skin so that those active ingredients remain in the skin. Serum is active, day cream is passive. Without cream, your skin remains vulnerable to external influences.
A booster usually contains a high concentration of one important ingredient for your skin and is applied to address a specific issue, such as a treatment. A vitamin C booster is ideal to use for a certain period, such as when your skin looks dull during a seasonal change or as extra protection against delayed skin damage from UV radiation.
The key to optimal skincare is layering on a well-cleansed skin. After cleansing, first apply a booster followed by a serum, and finish with a day or night cream. Want to know more? Read here the best order for your skincare.
Collagen and Vitamin C: A Good Combination for Your Skin
As you have read before, collagen is a component of your connective tissue and skin. Your body produces collagen itself, but as you age, lead an unhealthy lifestyle, and expose your skin to too much sun, its production decreases. By taking extra collagen, you support your skin in this ageing process. Add to that a diet rich in vitamin C, possibly supplemented with a vitamin C supplement, for an internal boost.
Despite taking (extra) vitamin C, only a portion of the vitamin C is bioavailable and active in the skin. Therefore, it is important to also absorb vitamin C through the skin in addition to ingestion. So, make sure to apply it!
Should You Combine Vitamin C with Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, and Niacinamide?
Vitamin skincare goes beyond just vitamin C and collagen. Research shows that combining different vitamins yields the best results for a radiant, healthy skin. Find out which combination suits you best.
Retinol and Vitamin C
Retinol is a form of vitamin A that you can use for visible skin ageing and blemished skin. Causes range from excessive sun exposure and air pollution to stress and natural ageing.
As we age, cell renewal, collagen production, and the natural repair of our skin slow down. The result? Visible signs of skin ageing such as (pigment) spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. The solution? Vitamin A! Retinol stimulates healthy cell division and the production of collagen and elastin. It also inhibits the enzymes that break down collagen and elastin.
Research has shown that combining retinol and C is a perfect way to protect, maintain, and smooth your skin. Vitamin C enhances retinol's effectiveness. It protects retinol from oxidation when it penetrates the skin. This ultimately means more anti-ageing benefits for your skin! You can choose a skincare product with retinol and naturally opt for food rich in vitamin A.
Foods with vitamin A that we can immediately absorb in the body (retinol):
- Eggs
- Milk
- Liver
- Carrots
- Pumpkin
- Spinach and other green vegetables
Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C
Does your skin feel looser and drier than usual, and do you see fine lines you’re not happy with? As you age, the amount of hyaluronic acid in our body decreases. Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan – or a complex carbohydrate chain – that your body naturally produces. Hyaluronic acid is mainly found in your skin and can hold up to thirty times its own weight in water. This helps your skin retain its moisture content. Fortunately, there are ways to stimulate the production of hyaluronic acid. Through diet, for instance.
Foods for more hyaluronic acid:
- Leafy greens (like kale)
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Tofu
- Lemon
- Almonds
- Bone broth
When you apply a skincare product with hyaluronic acid to your skin, it has the same effect but very locally. Hyaluronic acid and vitamin C have a very powerful effect as a team.
Niacinamide and Vitamin C
Besides collagen, retinol, and hyaluronic acid, niacinamide (vitamin B3) is a much-discussed product in skincare. Niacinamide promotes the production of ceramides and free fatty acids. Both are natural components of your skin and a crucial part of the outer protective layer of the skin. By using a skincare product with niacinamide, your skin loses less moisture and is better equipped to withstand external influences.
Furthermore, niacinamide increases collagen production, just like vitamin C does, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Vitamin C and niacinamide can be used together very effectively for even better results. In your skincare and on your plate!
Foods rich in vitamin B3:
- Poultry
- Fish
- Beef and pork
- Nuts and seeds
- Green leafy vegetables
- Eggs
- Whole grain products
Can You Apply Vitamin C, Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, and Niacinamide Together?
Are you a bit confused after reading about all the ingredients you can use to support your skin? That's understandable. The use of these different components in your skincare routine depends on your age and the condition of your skin. We provide an example of a skincare routine to give you an idea.
Always start with a well-cleansed skin as the foundation. Then dry your skin thoroughly and start applying the products. Wait a moment between applications to give the product a chance to properly absorb into the skin.
- Start with a vitamin C booster
- Next, apply a serum or booster with hyaluronic acid
- Then choose a serum or booster with retinol and/or niacinamide. If using separate products, use niacinamide first, followed by retinol.
- Finish with your day or night cream
Do you have questions or need advice on vitamin C skincare? Visit a store near you. We are happy to help!
Good to Know
Vitamin C is excellent for a healthy body and a radiant skin! It supports collagen production and, in combination with retinol, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, is the remedy against skin ageing and for velvety soft peach-like skin. The best source of vitamin C? Nutrition and application.
Sources
- Pullar, J. M., Carr, A. C., & Vissers, M. (2017). The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients, 9(8), 866.
- Bolke, L., Schlippe, G., Gerß, J., & Voss, W. (2019). A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study. Nutrients, 11(10), 2494.
- Kim DU, Chung HC, Choi J, Sakai Y, Lee BY. (2018). Oral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide […]. Nutrients, 10(7).
- Bae-Hwan, K. (2010). Safety Evaluation and Anti-wrinkle Effects of Retinoids on Skin Toxicological Research. Pages 61-66
- Oe, M., Sakai, S., Yoshida, H., Okado, N., Kaneda, H., Masuda, Y., & Urushibata, O. (2017). Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 10, 267.
