Vitamin C serum in summer skin care
Vitamin C is best known for its anti-aging properties and is considered the holy grail of skincare. Although you can always consume vitamin C in vegetables or fruit, this is not the only way to enjoy its benefits for your skin, as it is also often used in cosmetic products.
If you care about your skin, you've probably heard of vitamin C serums. Vitamin C is one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients on the market and the key to smooth, even, and radiant-looking skin.
Table of Contents
The impact of summer on the skin
Vitamin C serum - an indispensable skincare product for the summer months
Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate - a stable derivative of Vitamin C
Correct use of Vitamin C serum
The Impact of summer on our skin
When summer arrives, our everyday changes. The evenings get longer, we spend a lot more time outdoors and we often indulge in dessert. Add to that the effects of higher temperatures, air conditioning, and sea or chlorinated water and it's easy to see why all this can affect our skin. But how does summer actually affect our skin?
High temperatures and increased humidity
High temperatures and humidity make the skin oilier, as the sebaceous glands are more active in hot weather. This increases the likelihood of breakouts due to the increased amount of sebum on the skin. Acne and pimple breakouts are also more likely if you use the wrong sunscreen and don't remove it properly.
High temperatures also cause excessive sweating, which affects more than just your face. The combination of sweat, bacteria, and friction from clothing can also cause breakouts on your back and chest.
UV rays
We are all aware of the harmful effects of UV rays. Although we all like a slight tanner complexion, the sun can do a lot of damage to our skin. Overexposure to UV rays can cause puffiness, irregular pigmentation, wrinkles, and other signs of premature ageing.
Chlorinated water dries out the skin
Swimming is a great way to cool off in summer, but the chlorine in the water strips the skin of its natural moisturizing oils. This can cause your skin to dry out and peel after an afternoon dip in the pool, or even cause an itchy rash.
What is vitamin C serum?
Facial serums are light liquids or gels based on oil or water. They contain high concentrations of active ingredients that moisturize and/or nourish the skin and are easily absorbed when applied to the skin.
Facial serums are considered indispensable skincare products. Why? Because they are designed to penetrate deep into the skin and deliver targeted ingredients. This means that they have a much stronger and deeper effect on the skin than a face cream alone.
Facial serums typically address a variety of skin concerns, such as anti-aging and skin brightening. Serums are designed to penetrate deep into the skin and deliver targeted active ingredients.
Facial creams, on the other hand, help to firm the skin's surface, bind skin cells more effectively, and work on the skin's surface to increase its hydration. A facial serum is therefore not a substitute for a day or night cream, but only complements the action of other facial care products.
Vitamin C serum - an indispensable skincare product for the summer months
Vitamin C is best known for its anti-aging properties and is considered the holy grail of skincare. Although you can always consume vitamin C in vegetables or fruit, this is not the only way to enjoy its benefits for your skin, as it is also often used in cosmetic products.
Vitamin C is an extremely powerful antioxidant that protects your skin against harmful free radicals from the environment, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and gives your skin an even, radiant complexion.
Did you know that skin contains high concentrations of vitamin C, which supports important functions, stimulates collagen synthesis, and helps with antioxidant protection against UV damage? This is why vitamin C serum is so important.
Skin is exposed to many challenges on a daily basis that affect its structure, functionality, and appearance. However, vitamin C can be unstable and break down in the sun. This means that it is important to choose a skincare product with vitamin C that is specifically designed for use during the summer months.
Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate - a stable derivative of Vitamin C
There are many products on the market containing different forms of vitamin C, but not every form is equally effective. The two most common forms of vitamin C found in cosmetic products are ascorbic acid and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, better known as a vitamin C derivative.
Ascorbic acid is an unstable molecule that is rapidly oxidized, with almost half of it being degraded within 30 minutes. It can be stabilized to a certain extent by maintaining a low pH (acidic) or by adding other antioxidants such as vitamin E.
Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate is a stable derivative of vitamin C that penetrates the skin up to three times faster than ascorbic acid. Once absorbed into the skin, it is converted into free vitamin C. Studies show that it can stay in the skin forty to eighty times longer than ascorbic acid and has up to four times the effect.
Benefits of vitamin C serum
1. Suitable for all skin types
Compared to ascorbic acid, which often causes peeling, burning, irritation, and dry skin, vitamin C derivative is suitable for all skin types. In fact, most people can apply vitamin C serum to their skin without any adverse reactions.
2. Reduces hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation refers to all skin imperfections such as sun spots, age spots, and melasma, which are caused by the overproduction of melanin in certain areas of the skin.
Melanogenesis is the process of melanin production. Melanin is a skin pigment produced by melanocytes. It is made up of a number of pigments, collectively known as melanins. These give color to our eyes, skin, hair, and hair shafts. They are also often found in the area of fine scars caused by acne.
Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate can inhibit the action of the enzyme tyrosinase and the process of melanogenesis, both of which affect the production of melanin in the skin. Therefore, vitamin C can help to reduce hyperpigmentation and prevent the formation of new dark spots on the skin.
3. Stimulates collagen production
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the skin, the production of which decreases over the years. Lower levels of collagen in the skin lead to a loss of skin tone and the appearance of the first wrinkles. Vitamin C acts as a cofactor in the body for proline and lysine hydroxylase (enzymes that stabilize the molecular structure of collagen).
In simple terms, this means that it stimulates collagen synthesis. Studies show that the amount of collagen produced increases by as much as 6x when vitamin C is added to the body.
4. It can protect the skin from UV damage
Excessive exposure to oxidative stress (air pollution, UV rays, etc.) is associated with low levels of vitamin C in the skin. Vitamin C levels are also lower in older or photo-damaged skin (skin of a person who is overexposed to the sun).
Overexposure to UV rays causes the production of large amounts of free radicals, which vitamin C effectively neutralizes, thus protecting cells and DNA from the damaging effects of free radicals.
It can help reduce redness and scarsVitamin C can help reduce skin redness and inflammatory conditions if you suffer from acne. It reduces the swelling and redness that often occur when you have acne, which can help improve the appearance of your skin.
In addition, vitamin C can also reduce the appearance of acne scars as it promotes the synthesis of collagen, a protein that is mainly responsible for the repair of healthy skin and its structure. Using vitamin C in skin care can therefore help to speed up the healing of acne scars or wounds.
Correct use of Vitamin C serum
Dermatologists recommend making vitamin C serum a regular part of your daily skincare routine. There is a lot of debate about whether vitamin C serum should be used in the morning or at night.
It all depends on what kind of skin you have and which routine is best for you. Some people prefer to use the serum in the morning, as its antioxidant properties provide all-day protection against free radicals and pollution.
If you use the vitamin C serum in the morning, make sure you apply it with a moisturizer and SPF to protect against sun damage.
If you have a very sensitive skin type, we recommend that the best time to use vitamin C serum is at night. This is because the skin naturally renews itself while you sleep. This is the period when the vitamin C serum has the strongest effect on the skin and gives optimal results.
Using the vitamin C serum every night before bed will allow the serum to be fully absorbed into the skin, giving you smoother, naturally brighter skin. If you use vitamin C serum in your skincare routine, don't forget to protect your skin from the sun.