Let’s find out why one product with this component is much more expensive than its analogue.
A good morning is the key to a positive day. And proper care is the key to beautiful skin. We asked dermatologists to find out which ingredient is best to start your day with. Spoiler alert: they all say you need vitamin C.
This is the first thing you should apply to your face after cleansing and applying toner.
How does vitamin C work in cosmetics?
Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin that is easily synthesized in the body of almost all animals, but, unfortunately, is not produced at all in the human body. Therefore, it is important to ensure its constant supply through food, supplements, and care products.
It has a wide range of beneficial effects for the skin:
- participates in collagen synthesis
- reduces melanin synthesis and has a brightening and smoothing effect
- reduces the harmful effects of sunlight
- increases the protective abilities of the skin and reduces the intensity of inflammation
Vitamin C is indispensable in anti-aging products and cosmetics for the care of oily and problem skin. And also in products for radiance, lightening tone and reducing age spots.
It is used in sunscreens, but in dosage, as it can increase skin sensitivity to sunlight.
What skin type is vitamin C suitable for?
Vitamin C is suitable for all skin types. But it is important to choose the form that will best solve her need (daily care – stabilized forms, intensive course – a form of pure vitamin). “Pure” forms should be used with caution if you have sensitive skin: to ensure the stability of the formula, it is made very acidic, which can cause irritation.
Why you can’t use vitamin C tablets from the pharmacy
Vitamin C must be used in a specific form and concentration, and be evenly distributed throughout the skin. It will be difficult to achieve these conditions on your own. The safety of such a cocktail also raises a big question.
What names to look for in the composition
Vitamin C is used in three main forms.
In its pure form, it is ascorbic acid, the most active form of the vitamin, but also the most unstable. It is usually used if you want to achieve quick and noticeable results.
Most daily care products (creams, serums) contain stabilized vitamin C, which is less active compared to pure vitamin C, but is more resistant to light and oxygen. It acts more delicately and provides a cumulative effect.
The most studied and frequently used forms are sodium/magnesium salts of ascorbic acid or its compounds with fatty acids. For example, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate.
Sometimes the source of vitamin C in formulas is plant extracts. For example, sweet orange extract in My Payot Peeling Éclat and My Payot New Glow peeling essences.
What concentration is the most effective?
Adherents of orthomolecular medicine, followers of Linus Pauling, who used high doses of vitamin C in the treatment of various diseases, claim that this vitamin penetrates the skin best at a concentration of 20%.
But in this case there is a high probability of irritation. Therefore, we at Payot believe that the optimal concentration of vitamin C in home care should not exceed 15%. Moreover, if pure vitamin C gets on the skin in this concentration, it immediately goes into action and gives a quick visible result.
But if stabilized forms are used at the same concentration, then before they can act, they must be transformed into ascorbic acid, and its concentration will noticeably drop.
In other words, at the same concentration, the degree of effect of pure and stabilized forms of vitamin C will be different.
What affects the cost of vitamin C products?
The cost of the product is influenced by many factors – the form of the substance, the degree of its purity, concentration, other neighboring components in the formula, as well as the design of the packaging (for example, the stability of the vitamin before opening is ensured by a special container located in its lid).
Therefore, small ten-milliliter bottles for course care are much more expensive than creams for daily use in 50-milliliter jars.
Indeed, thanks to, firstly, the most active and bioavailable form of vitamin C and, secondly, high concentration (15%), in just seven days we get the result that when using a classic cream we will get in three to four weeks.
What is vitamin C made from?
Most often it is obtained by chemical synthesis from glucose; much less often it is extracted from plants. For example, rose hips, walnut fruits and leaves, pine needles, fruits, berries (for example, black currants), citrus fruits.
When is the best time to apply vitamin C products?
It is important to remember that during periods of active sun, vitamin C can increase skin sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, adequate sun protection is necessary during the day. It is advisable to follow this rule when using almost all forms of vitamin C.
But if the product contains ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) in high concentrations (10–15%), then the rule becomes mandatory, even if you use the product only in the evening.
