The Benefits Of Vitamin C

Read about one of the most popular skincare ingredients...

Everyone has heard of Vitamin C, right? If you're a skincare junkie, you've probably seen multiple posts on social media. Every skincare influencer raves about it, often doing product reviews of serums or creams. Even dermatologists take time to spread the word about this powerful antioxidant, making sure that everyone knows what the hype is about. Besides coming from skincare products, Vitamin C is found in a plethora of foods. From fruits such as oranges and strawberries to veggies like Brussels sprouts and broccoli, this popular skincare ingredient is found all around us.

Okay, so why is it so popular? What's the hype? Well, to understand that, you'll first have to understand what Vitamin C is. So, there are 13 essential vitamins we need for our body, and Vitamin C is included in the mix. A vitamin helps the body to grow and function, from a cellular level to... well, a noncellular level.

We're looking at Vitamin C more closely than the others, right now. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant, which you've heard us previously mention. An antioxidant is a substance that helps to protect our cells from damage, especially from free radicals. Now, we really don't want to get into the deep science of things, so we'll explain it plain and simple. A free radical is an unstable molecule that can build up in our cells. It has the absolute pleasure of wreaking havoc on the other parts of the cell, such as DNA.

We love antioxidants. These guys are like hunters! They search and neutralize any free radicals in their path. So, as Vitamin C does its job as an antioxidant, you'll see the changes in your skin! Down below, we list reasons why Vitamin C is the G.O.A.T.

Reason #1 - Hydrating

When you think of hydrated skin, your mind probably drifts to the thought of water. When our skin is becoming more hydrated, that means that the amount of water in our skin cells is increasing. So, how does Vitamin C relate to this? Well, Vitamin C allows our skin to retain moisture and become more plump. By strengthening our skin barrier, this vitamin decreases the water loss from our skin.

Reason #2 - Skin Brightening

Have you heard of melanin? It's a pigment in our eyes, hair, and... skin. We know that our skin can take damage from the Sun. But... did you know our skin has its own "self-defense system" built in place? It sounds weird, but hear us out.

People go out all the time and get tans, whether it be from the Sun or tanning beds. Either way, our skin is trying to protect itself from damage by creating more melanin. This is going to cause your skin to look darker or more tanned. However, sometimes, the skin can produce more melanin in some areas than others. Now, you have dark and uneven spotting on your face.

Vitamin C can help to even out the skin tone and fade hyperpigmentation, which will lead to overall brighter skin. So, how does it happen? It's simple. This antioxidant restrains that melanin production, so all these other great benefits take place.

Reason #3 - Boosts Collagen Production

Wrinkles, fine lines, spots... the list goes on. But, what does this have to do with collagen? Let us explain. Collagen is a protein found in our bodies, specifically in bones, connective tissues, and... skin. This protein is what helps our skin to look plump, smooth, and young. However, as we began to age, our collagen production slows down. This leads to our skin elasticity decreasing as well, which leads to sagging skin and wrinkles.

Our good friend, Vitamin C, can help us boost and stimulate collagen production. It can keep our existing collagen happy and healthy, while also preventing the breakdown and damage of the protein. So, look no further to have plump and smooth skin, once again!

Reason #4 - Helps With Acne

Oof. We all know what acne is, right? Pimples, blackheads, and bumps galore! Vitamin C can be an absolute game changer when it comes to this. Okay, before we start, Vitamin C does not directly target acne. This skincare ingredient contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which are helpful to reduce the appearance of acne. When used topically, on the surface of the skin, Vitamin C helps to lessen the redness and swelling around breakouts. A win is a win, right?

Reason #5 - Protects Against Sun Damage

If you've read our recent post about why sunscreen is important, you'll understand a lot of what we're talking about. For our newbies, here's a quick explanation. You see, the Sun lets off ultraviolet rays, which you may know as UV, a form of radiation. We're not going to get into the deep science of it, but just know, that it can cause a bunch of issues for our skin.

As an antioxidant, Vitamin C has the power to neutralize UV radiation from the sun. So when it's paired with sunscreen, they both combine to become a powerful force! Vitamin C can increase the effect of the SPF of the sunscreen, the sun protection factor, and offer more protection to the skin.

So, that's pretty much it! We've told you all you need to know about Vitamin C. It's a powerful ingredient that makes your skin look and feel amazing!

Citations:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6204628/#:~:text=Vitamin%20C%20has%20an%20essential,prolyl%20hydroxylase%20and%20lysyl%20hydroxylase.&text=These%20enzymes%20catalyze%20the%20hydroxylation,stable%20collagen%20triple%2Dhelix%20conformation.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/vitamin-c-for-skin-5084225

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