Should I Use a Vitamin C Serum?
This is a common question in the office. It’s not as simple as Yes or No, so let’s explore.
What is Vitamin C? Vitamin C is one of our major antioxidant water soluble vitamins. It plays a role in skin health primarily by functioning both as an antioxidant and by providing one of the necessary components for collagen synthesis.
Should I take Vitamin C by mouth to help the skin? There is very little scientific data to support taking Vitamin C solely for skin health reasons. Like all other building blocks, Vitamin C will be degraded in our GI tract and definitely not make it intact from our mouth to our skin. That said, a good multivitamin with 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is always a good idea. Even better, eat those fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin C. Scurvy is one skin disorder that comes from Vitamin C deficiency.
What are antioxidants anyway? Antioxidants are a group of vitamins and compounds that work to seek what is called ‘free radicals”. Free radicals occur in the skin and other parts of the body as a result of environmental injury. Antioxidants scavenge and repair these free radicals to move our bodies toward health. There are TONS of antioxidants that can be taken orally and applied topically. Common sources of antioxidants are brightly colored fruits and vegetables, green tea and even coffee.
Which antioxidants are the most “powerful”? Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Ferulic acid are some of the most common antioxidants for the skin. However, the most powerful of all antioxidants is one can astaxantin.
What are the things to look for in a topical Vitamin C? Stability, Safety and Irritability.
Stability is a big one. Because Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it is easily “oxidized” or degraded before it every reaches the skin. With Vitamin C, packaging matters with a closed vacuum pump being the most effective in providing stable Vitamin C delivery to the skin. While serums in dropper bottles look cool, they are easily oxidized with exposure to the air and temperature variations. Vitamin C serums in translucent bottles should be kept in a cool, dark place. Due to the high cost of Vitamin C serums, I personally would no longer purchase one that is not in a vacuumed pump.
Safety is a new one. While Vitamin C is VERY safe, some recent studies have discovered that the most common form of Vitamiin C, L-ascorbic when applied topically can have one deleterious effect. IT DEGRADES ELASTIN. Elastin is the molecule in our skin that gives us stretch and bounce. UGH! I need a lot of that. There is one newer Vitamin C serum by Alastin that uses a novel form of Vitamin C that does not degrade Elastin-it’s my new favorite.
Irritability. If you didn’t catch it yet, Vitamin C is L-ascorbic ACID. Because of it’s acidic nature, most potent vitamin C serums are very irritating, especially to rosacea patients.
How much should a Vitamin C serum cost? Vitamin C alone in its L ascorbic acid form is commonly incorporated into lots of products. Honestly, unless it has real scientific studies showing it’s efficacy I wouldn’t pay more than $20. Most of these serums are not stable and degrade very quickly before ever impacting the skin.
Based on the criteria of Stability, Safety and Irritability, the clear winner is Alastin’s Vitamin C Serum (Retail $196). Containing a novel form of Vitamin C and 14 other antioxidants, it is my top choice because of its formulation that does not degrade elastin.
Close second, and my top pick prior to the elastin revelation, was SkinBetter Science Alto Defense which actually contains 17 different antioxidants (Retail $165). From an antioxidant standpoint, this product outperformed the traditional winner SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic (Retail $182) in scientific studies.
Whoa, that’s expensive! Do I really need it? Depending on your environmental exposures, a topical antioxidant is a great idea. But need? I’m too honest for that. Vitamin C serums are for those who want to take their skin to the next level. If skin texture, tone, even color and a glow are your goal, you will likely be impressed by adding a vitamin C serum to your skin care regimen. You may be able to say it’s a need. Priorities.
Still searching for that perfect addition to your skin care regimen. You will find many of these skin care products and more in our Spring Boutique. Our staff and Dr Rosenberger can help you find the optimal products for your skin health and beauty.
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