The use of Vitamin C for natural skin care gets a lot of hype nowdays. Many different skin care products’ manufacturers are trying to monetize on the new trend. Unfortunately for the consumers not all products are created equal. Since vitamin C is very unstable, it gets oxidized quickly and looses it’s anti-aging value. Read on to learn what Nurse Practitioner, Tara Smith recommends.
Vitamin C for Natural Skin Care
Vitamin C skin-care products are all the rage today. These products are advertised to clarify the skin using protective antioxidants for an instant glow. The use of topical vitamin C is supposed to reduce fine lines, wrinkles and sunspots and support healthy skin regeneration. Vitamin C applied topically has been proven to protect the skin from damaging free radicals as a result of sun exposure. Vitamin C will support the healthy structure of the skin to help your complexion age naturally and rejuvenate skin that has already been damaged by outside elements.1
While these are wonderful benefits that so many of us are looking for in anti-aging skin care, topical vitamin C products pose one little-known issue. Vitamin C as a product ingredient is highly unstable. That doesn’t mean that topical vitamin C can’t benefit your skin, but it can quickly oxidize when exposed to air over and over again.
And when vitamin C oxidizes, it loses its skin protection benefits and can actually cause free radicals to form.
What many people don’t realize is that the majority of topical vitamin C products out there oxidize during manufacturing. The products may be exposed to air before being packaged and sealed, meaning that they’re completely ineffective and even harmful by the time they hit the shelves.
Topical vitamin C cream in a jar is the most unstable packaging method. You will be exposing the product to air every time you open it. It’s best to buy topical vitamin C in a pump to prevent oxidation.
To find a potent vitamin C product that hasn’t oxidized, a product package should be opaque. The product itself should be white or off-white in color. If a product has turned dark yellow, then it’s already too late.
The easiest way to get the benefits of fresh vitamin C is to use fresh fruit face masks. When you’re enjoying your papaya, save a piece, mash it up and apply to your face. Another way to exfoliate and tone your skin is to apply a few drops of fresh orange juice to your skin after washing it at night. You can leave it on all night and enjoy the benefits of vitamin C for natural skin care by the morning.
