Antioxidants: Vitamin C
Antioxidants are superstars in skincare health, protecting, preventing and limiting free radical damage. Over the next couple of months we’ll be doing a deep-dive into some of the most powerful antioxidants, prevalent in some of our favourite products. First up, the anti-ageing skin saviour, Vitamin C
What is it?
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can be used topically to counteract the effect of oxidative stress on the skin and neutralise damaging free radicals.
What is it good for?
Lots of things! It has an antioxidant action to protect the skin from UV damage, it’s an important factor in the production of collagen, reduces pigmentation, improves hydration and reduces inflammation to produce a glowing, youthful complexion and even out skin tone.
How is it applied?
Vitamin C is best applied in the form of a serum - where there’s a much higher proportion of active ingredient - in the morning before sunblock. L-ascorbic acid is the most effective synthetic form of Vitamin C but can be more irritating for sensitive skin and is highly unstable. Magnesium and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate are less irritating derivatives but are less potent and may not provide the same anti-oxidant effect.
What’s the most effective Vitamin C variant?
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a form of vitamin C which has been modified to be soluble in oil or lipids. In fact, it penetrates the skin faster and deeper than any other form of vitamin C to produce effects in the dermis as well as the epidermis. THD ascorbate converts to L-ascorbic acid and behaves in exactly the same way as L-ascorbic acid, but without its limitations. It provides powerful antioxidant protection by destroying free radicals that cause premature ageing of skin, reduces the amount of skin pigment by almost 80%, boosts collagen production and stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid . Most importantly though, THD ascorbate is stable, safe, effective and suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.
Products we trust
Our Revision 30% Vitamin C serum is formulated with THD Ascorbate, along with a line-up of other antioxidants such as Vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10.