Vitamin C Serum for the Face: What is It & What are the Benefits

Given that interest about the ingredient is seemingly at an all-time high, we felt a deeper dive into the wonders of vitamin C was warranted. Here are the best ways to reap its many benefits.

Vitamin c serums are legendary for a good reason: They really work. Uneven skin tone, rough texture, fine lines, acne scars, general dullness ó you can name just about any common complexion concern and there's a good chance that vitamin c is a recommended treatment.

Given that interest about the ingredient is seemingly at an all-time high, we felt a deeper dive into the wonders of vitamin C was warranted. Here are the best ways to reap its many benefits.

What is vitamin C?

As far as your skin is concerned, vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals. Because of its antioxidant properties, vitamin C aids in your skin's natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells.

So, in the same way that consuming antioxidant-rich foods aids your body in fighting off free radicals, topical antioxidants do the same for your skin by helping to offset daily aggressors like UV damage and exposure to air pollution. This free-radical fighting power isn't just important for helping to keep signs of premature aging at bay. In neutralizing these free radicals, vitamin C may also help protect skin from precancerous changes caused by UV exposure.

Benefits of vitamin C

Vitamin c's plethora of other skin-healing properties is what makes it worthy of a permanent place in your beauty cabinet. For one, because it's highly acidic, when vitamin c is used topically the skin is triggered to heal itself by accelerating the production of collagen and elastin.

Collagen and elastin are both naturally occurring protein fibers that help keep skin plump and firm. So, in helping to promote collagen production, topical vitamin c can help prevent premature aging of the skin.

Another cool thing about the ingredient: It contains a property that inhibits your skin's melanin production, which is what causes skin discoloration like dark spots and hyperpigmentation. With continued topical use, vitamin c can help prevent dark spots from forming in the first place. It's a superior brightening agent that works to fade brown spots without altering normal skin pigmentation.

 

How can you add vitamin C into your daily skin-care routine?

The best vitamin c skin-care product to use is serum, because serums are more effective than creams or toners. Moreover, adding vitamin E into the mix is like a one-two wonder punch of skin-saving goodness.

This is why you'll very often find the two antioxidants formulated together in serums, such as Pure Fiji's Kakadu Super C Brightening Serum Hyaluronate and Bakuchiol.

Here are 12 key benefits of Kakadu Super C Brightening Serum:

  1. Dramatically brightens skin and increases luminosity leaving skin glowing
  2. Reduces fine lines & wrinkles
  3. Boosts Hyaluronic acid
  4. Evens skin tone
  5. Helps fade dark spots and any discoloration
  6. Stimulates collagen in the skin
  7. Extreme hydration
  8. Skin firming and tightening
  9. Smooths and plumps skin
  10. High in vitamins A, B, C & E
  11. High in Antioxidants
  12. Skin rejuvenating & revitalizing

As a general rule its best to; cleanse, then tone, apply vitamin C serum, and then moisturize.

If you feel a slight tingling sensation upon application, it's completely normal. Vitamin c can be used on all skin types but because the PH of the product is low, sometimes it can have a slight stinging sensation. Those with sensitive skin may feel that more than others, so we recommend you work your way up as your skin grows more accustomed to the ingredient.

Vitamin c is effectively an acid, so layering it with AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, or lactic acids is a big no-no.

Who should avoid vitamin C?

Those with very sensitive skin may have allergies or redness from vitamin C. If you tend to have very sensitive skin try a test area first to make sure that no allergy exists.

Summary

Keep in mind that it can take two to four weeks of daily usage to see results, so keep a close watch on your skin. If it starts looking brighter, that's a sure sign your vitamin c products are working.

Source: Allure Chantelaine