Custom BlendsI remember as a little girl, my mom would place in my palm my daily Vitamin C tablet while telling me how strong and healthy my body would be with the supplement. But looking down at the pill with my large, little girl eyes, all I saw was a bulky piece of chalk that tasted like something from a chemical plant.
So with my conniving little self, I would quickly sneak the pill into the pocket of my little dress  and take a large gulp of water all the while squeezing my face to reflect a bitterness taste surging through my body, and guess what, she bought it! Little did she know of a secret stash somewhere in my closet where I quickly tucked the supplements away.
Well years later, joke’s on me because as I’ve come to learn about the powerful antioxidant properties of Vitamin C and I have not only included the supplement in my daily diet (thank goodness for whoever invented the chewable kind), I also love using Vitamin C topically.
Benefits of Vitamin C applied Topically
Research has shown that long-term and consistent use of Vitamin C on the skin can lead to collagen regeneration, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and other textural imperfections like scars, acne marks and so on.
Vitamin C has also been shown to have skin lightening effects and are a great way to lighten dark spots or hyper pigmented areas on the skin. It is widely used in many skin care formulations but they are not all the same as there are different types of Vitamin C and in different concentrations.
It ranges from 5-20% with 20% being the most potent and the highest concentration that can absorbed by the skin. In addition, for a Vitamin C solution to be absorbed into the skin, the formulation would have to have a pH of 3.
One major problem with Vitamin C is that it oxidizes rather quickly and when this happens it turns into a yellowish tone and loses its effectiveness. It is often recommended to store Vitamin C in a dark container and in a cool, dark area to maintain its effectiveness.
To help keep the Vitamin C formulation longer, many times silicones and other potentially irritating ingredients are added to the formulation and this can create problems for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin. So before applying any Vitamin C topical, it is always a good idea to check the ingredients first and do a patch test. It is also recommended to start with a lower percentage and build up to reduce chances of irritation.
If you are struggling to find a Vitamin C formulation that works for your skin or simply want to create your own, you can find the recipe HERE.
