The benefits of vitamin C for the skin

• Vitamin C is a nutrient that is essential to the human body, although the body cannot synthesize it on its own; it must therefore come from diet, supplements, or cosmetics.

• Within the skin, it has a favorable effect on collagen production, liver spots, and the skin barrier. It helps combat the signs of aging.

• However, Vitamin C is a particularly fragile ingredient. This is why FILORGA prioritizes stabilized forms of vitamin C in its formulas.

Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in many of the human body’s physiological processes. It’s a water-soluble vitamin that’s destroyed by air, light, and heat. This detail is particularly important, and we’ll come back to it later. 

The effects and functions of vitamin C on and within the human body

Vitamin C plays a role in many vital functions, the main ones being:

• Helping the immune system function properly, thus bolstering the body’s natural defenses.

• Playing an essential role in the formation of collagen, a protein that’s important not only for the structure of skin but also of bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage!

• Contributing to a healthy energy metabolism, thus helping to reduce fatigue.

• Promoting iron absorption.

• Protecting cells from oxidative stress, thus countering cellular aging.

• Supporting a healthy nervous system and ensuring proper cognitive function.

• Helping heal wounds and fractures.

Severe vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy, an illness formerly common among seamen who had no access to fresh fruit and vegetables on long voyages.

How do we get vitamin C?

As with all water-soluble vitamins, vitamin C is not stored in the body (unlike fat-soluble vitamins like E and D, which can be stored in adipose tissue). This means we need regular intake through our diet.

The best foods for a good dose of vitamin C are:

• Exotic and tropical fruits like guava and kiwi.

• Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons.

•  Berries like blackcurrants, strawberries, raspberries, and redcurrants.

•  Green vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and spinach.

•  Bell peppers.

It should be noted that vitamin C levels vary according to freshness, season, and how the ingredients are prepared. Cooking and exposure to heat can reduce vitamin C levels, so it’s best to eat fresh, raw fruit and vegetables.

Over time, due to its many properties, vitamin C has become an indispensable ingredient in cosmetics.

Anti-aging benefits

As mentioned above, vitamin C is essential for the production and organization of collagen fibers. Known for its tensile strength, this molecule plays an important part in retaining the skin’s firmness. 

Fibroblasts, the cells located within the dermis, synthesize collagen, elastin fibers, and hyaluronic acid. Collagen synthesis is dependent on vitamin C, which acts as a cofactor for the enzymes involved in its production.

As we age, fibroblasts lose efficiency, leading to a reduction in the quantity and quality of the collagen they produce. The result is a loss of suppleness and resistance in the skin and a reduction in its ability to regenerate, leading to the appearance of wrinkles.

So, stimulating collagen production through vitamin C applied topically is an effective way of combating wrinkles and skin aging.

Antioxidant benefits

Alongside its anti-aging benefits, vitamin C also plays a significant role in neutralizing the free radicals generated by oxidative stress. 

Oxidative stress is a natural phenomenon that the body can easily cope with if it’s kept in check. However, certain factors like pollution, UV radiation, and lack of sleep can cause it to grow beyond the body’s ability to cope on its own. This is where vitamin C comes in.

Last but not least, to further combat oxidative stress, vitamin C provides additional protection against damage caused by UV radiation, even though it does not, of course, replace the need to use good sunscreen.

Complexion-clearing, anti-blemish benefits 

Vitamin C also inhibits the production of melanin. Localized excess of this substance is the cause of liver spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation. This is why we use vitamin C for its complexion-clearing properties, which even out skin tone and texture. 

For further information on this subject, read our article on skin blemishes and the mask of pregnancy.

Protective benefits

In addition to all of the benefits above, vitamin C also bolsters the skin barrier.

While the body needs vitamin C to function properly, and we get sufficient amounts of it from food and high-quality supplements, these amounts are generally not sufficient to have a visible effect on the skin. Particularly as we age and/or are regularly exposed to external aggressors. 

This is when it makes sense to use skincare products containing vitamin C on a daily basis to slow down skin aging. It’s also one of the first recommendations made by aesthetic doctors to complement procedures such as mesotherapy injections or chemical peels. 

Does vitamin C increase photosensitivity?

You may have heard that vitamin C increases photosensitivity, meaning it makes the skin more sensitive to the sun. This is completely UNTRUE! Vitamin C does not make the skin more sensitive to the sun; quite the opposite, it is recommended to help combat oxidative stress caused by UV radiation. So where did this misconception come from? It actually stems from confusion regarding vitamin C’s inherent sensitivity to light. So, in a nutshell, vitamin C does not increase our sensitivity to light, but it is itself highly sensitive to light. Vitamin C is indeed quite a delicate molecule, and due to its antioxidant properties, it oxidizes in air, light, and heat. 

In cosmetics, vitamin C’s unstable character poses real challenges. It means it can become ineffective if not formulated correctly. This is why many beauty product manufacturers use stabilized forms of ascorbic acid to guarantee its effectiveness in serums and creams.

This means that treatment formulators have access to a variety of lab-developed synthetic compounds. They determine which to use according to the final pH of formulas (depending on the acidity or basicity required by other active ingredients, for example) and adjust concentrations appropriately (in this context, “more” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”). The packaging is also designed to block UV radiation and protect the vitamin C from light. 

An example: ascorbyl glucoside

In this active ingredient, vitamin C is combined with glucose to form ascorbyl glucoside. The glucose actually shields the vitamin C, and it’s only once within the epidermis that the α-glucoside enzyme (which occurs naturally in the body) breaks down the glucose, releasing the vitamin C and allowing it to deliver its antioxidant benefits, boost collagen production, and regulate melanin production to reduce the risk of liver spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation.

We would like to conclude this article with an introduction to our HYDRA-AOX [5] serum.

This moisturizing treatment contains 5 different active antioxidants, including the ascorbyl glucoside mentioned above. It’s contained at a concentration of 2%, which guarantees effectiveness without damaging the skin.

HYDRA-AOX [5] also contains hyaluronic acid to moisturize the skin and correct the initial signs of aging. It protects the skin from the damage caused to hyaluronic acid and collagen by external aggressors such as UV radiation and pollution, thereby warding off skin aging.  

HYDRA-AOX serum [5] is suitable for all skin types, brightens the complexion, restores radiance, improves skin texture, and smooths fine lines.