Vitamin C For Nutrition & Skincare

Fun fact, it was recently Vitamin C Day; yes, that’s really a thing NATIONAL VITAMIN C DAY.

I love highlighting vitamin C for both nutrition and skincare.

During an average lifetime, skin is exposed to many challenges that can affect structure, function, and appearance, including:

• Normal aging contributing to a loss of elasticity and wrinkle formation.

• Exposure to the elements, leading to discoloration, dryness, and accelerated wrinkling. Pollutants and sunlight synergistically damage the skin. Potentially worse damage if you grew up in the 70’s tanning with baby oil while lying on tinfoil (Guilty)!

• Chemicals, including exposure to oxidizing beauty and cleansing products (hair dyes, soaps, detergents, bleaches)

• Smoking

• Direct injury, as in wounds and burns

That's a lot of wear and tear on your biggest organ.

Healthy nutritional status is vital for maintaining collagen synthesis. Vitamin C helps produce collagen, which keeps skin firm and reduces the appearance of wrinkles Several reports have indicated that vitamin C levels are lower in aged or photo damaged skin. When we’re young, vitamin C levels in the skin’s outermost two layers (epidermis and dermis) are abundant, but these levels naturally deplete as we age. Unprotected sun exposure (UV damage) and pollution all accelerate this decline, leading to skin looking and feeling dull, uneven, and less firm than it once was.

In addition to boosting collagen production, the mother lode antioxidant, vitamin C, helps neutralize free radicals (a type of molecule in your body) that in excess can cause damage to your cells.

Vitamin C is well studied and well-tolerated at high potencies, allowing for maximum impact. I usually suggest taking a supplement but no more than 2,000 mg a day. Although too much dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be harmful, megadoses of vitamin C supplements can cause diarrhea.

In addition to eating vitamin C in fruits and vegetables and supplementing, there is quite a bit of research on the benefits of applying a topical vitamin C. Despite high doses of oral supplementation, only a tiny fraction of vitamin C will be biologically available and active in the skin. Therefore, we can turn to external supplementation, such as topical application. Due to its antioxidant, neocollagenesis, and skin-lightening properties, vitamin C's clinical applications range from anti-aging to anti-pigmentation to helping shielding skin from environmental stressors, including free radical damage. That's a hard working vitamin.

Think ACE. Studies show that repeated topical application of a preparation containing both retinol (vitamin A) and vitamin C can reverse, at least in part, skin changes induced by both chronologic aging and photoaging. Additionally, vitamin C is particularly effective at reducing oxidative damage to the skin when used in conjunction with vitamin E.

With an excellent safety profile, vitamin C has become a wildly popular cosmeceutical agent. The challenge for chemist lies in finding the most stable and permeable formulation.

Consuming, supplementing, and applying Vitamin C may provide significant protection against healthy skin challenges and promote skin regeneration, which is a goal for many of us. There is absolutely nothing wrong with aging naturally, but Vitamin C is a workhorse if you want your skin to look as good as you feel. So eat up those oranges, greens, and bell peppers to help keep wrinkles and sagging at bay (along with good fats, sufficient protein, and proper hydration). If you want to up your skin product game, start applying vitamin C serum (pro tip: buy one that is in a dark bottle as they oxidize quickly!) Vitamin C is extremely sensitive to air and light and will break down over time (oxidize) if routinely exposed to them.