Text: Marina Motornaya VITAMIN C - HERO OF MANY BEAUTY SUMMARY. The honors given to him are not accidental: Ascorbic acid works for the benefit of the skin more than any of its vitamins. THEREFORE, A RULE OR SEPARATE MEANS WITH IT IN THE COMPOSITION IS A RULE OF GOOD TONE AMONG THE PRODUCERS. So, why, why, and most importantly, how? NEW WAVE
In fairness: Vitamin C has always been used in cosmetics. It is an excellent antioxidant and stimulator of collagen production, which means it fights free radicals and wrinkles. But recently, the world is increasingly concerned about the effect of the sun on the skin, photoaging is the top topic of dermatological forums and beauty research in contrast to it. Therefore, the "ascorbic" with its restoring and anti-pigment abilities has gained new popularity. Finally, it was fixed by the trend for natural radiance of the skin.
"Agent C" works perfectly on this front, it is in him in the vitamin family that the mission of the person responsible for complexion is assigned: strengthens the capillaries, evens out tone, fights dullness, energizes cells, brightens. That is, it does a lot to increase the ability of the skin to reflect light.
FORMULAS
The vitamin itself is very unstable in its pure form, so there are many of its cosmetic forms. By the way, the development of science and the huge budgets in the laboratory also contributed to the C-boom, because scientists managed to find ways to "hide" it in liposomes and thereby achieve a deeper penetration into the cells and maximum absorption. The language of chemistry is a complex language, but to summarize, stabilized ascorbic acid in its pure form is considered the gold standard. She is most effective in beauty formulas and the most studied. The labels appear as L-ascorbic Acid or simply Ascorbic Acid. Other popular representatives, but far from the only ones, are magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) and sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP).
IMPORTANT CHOICE
In the case of vitamin C, the principle "the more it is in the composition - the more effective and better" does not always work. We explain: if we deal with pure acid, that is, with L-ascorbic Acid, then it is approximately the same. Approximately, because there are risks: at high concentrations, irritation, pinching, itching, a very sad outcome - dehydration, peeling, and even a burn can occur. Therefore, recommendation No. 1 is to determine the form of vitamin you need, no matter how difficult it may sound. The marker is simple: with normal and oily skin, you can use all derivatives, with sensitive or dry - it is better than MAP and SAP, they are more “soft”, do not irritate the skin. This implies recommendation No. 2 - always do a sample of the product on a small area of the skin and do not start with high concentrations, a couple of weeks with "low rates" will be enough to assess the skin reaction. And also recommendation No. 3 - with L-ascorbic Acid in daily care it is better to stay in the range of 5-15%, with MAP and SAP - up to 20% is possible. All this is dictated by the rule: it is not the percentage that matters, but how much vitamin C is needed for your skin, both for the results and for the principle of “do no harm”.
Nuances
Pay attention to the packaging. Vitamin C is rapidly destroyed, and even its stabilized forms go the same way over time. Not only does the product lose effectiveness, but scientists noted another fact: an oxidized cream after application provokes the formation of free radicals in the skin. Therefore, as a rule, C-containing products are offered in a non-illuminated jar / tube, even better - with a pipette-dispenser, as an option - in ampoules.
Use makeup until it turns yellow. As soon as this happened (it happens even before the expiration date), it means that vitamin C oxidized, collapsed, and the cream turned into a "dummy". It happens that the manufacturer adds dye to his product. No wonder: a light orange hue is associated with citrus and vitamin C, that is, this is a marketing move.
But this is not entirely ethical in relation to competent buyers: it is impossible to determine the “working" status of this cosmetics: who knows, maybe it was oxidized on the store shelf? Therefore, initially it is better to dwell on the white or colorless version. Evaluate "neighbors." Better if vitamin C is paired with vitamin E. They enhance each other's effectiveness. Also very good is the union with hyaluronic acid. This tandem is now one of the most effective in the anti-age line. Of the plant extracts, green tea, rosehip, aloe vera, and ferulic acid are often found as a supplement.
Do not forget about funds with SPF. Although ascorbic acid increases the local immunity of the skin against negative environmental factors (temperature extremes, city air, hard tap water, etc.), it does not replace sunscreens. By the way, due to its restorative qualities, it is often included in after sun products.
