With pollution, environmental toxins and more, keeping your skin healthy and hydrated is no easy feat. Environmentally-stressed skin is known to be a major cause of ageing. But, don't just slather on sunscreen and hope that it'll do all the work for you!
There are several powerful vitamins and supplements that can work wonders for the long-term health of your skin, one of which is vitamin C! So sit back, relax, and let’s get acquainted with the benefits of vitamin C for mitigating environmental damage and restoring your skin's health and appearance for the long-term…
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help protect the skin from environmental stressors like pollution and UV rays. It can also help repair damage caused by these stressors, and nourish the skin to keep it healthy and looking its best.
There are many different formulations of vitamin C serums on the market, so it can be confusing to know which one to choose. But don't worry, we've got you covered. In this article, we'll discuss the benefits of vitamin C for the skin, and recommend our top picks for the best vitamin C serums (hint: keep reading).
What Are Environmental Stressors And How Do They Impact Our Skin?
When it comes to our skin, environmental stressors are anything that can cause damage and premature ageing. These can include things like pollution, UV radiation, and even harsh weather conditions. While we can’t always avoid these stressors, we can take steps to protect our skin from their damaging effects.
One of the best ways to do this is by using a vitamin C serum. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help to repair and protect skin from environmental damage. It can also help to brighten and even out skin tone, giving you a more radiant complexion.
When choosing a vitamin C serum, it’s important to look for one that contains L-ascorbic acid, which is the most active form of vitamin C, and is able to penetrate the skin barrier best. You should also look for a serum that has a concentration of 8% to 20% vitamin C. A good vitamin C serum can be applied every day, both in the morning and at night, for the best results.
How Does Vitamin C Serum Combat Environmental Stressors?
The beauty world is always looking for the next big thing to help combat the signs of ageing. While there are plenty of new products and ingredients on the market, sometimes the best thing to combat environmental stressors is something that’s been around for a while: tried, tested and proven effective skincare ingredients. That’s where vitamin C comes in.
Vitamin C serums have long been lauded for their ability to brighten skin and help repair damage from sun exposure and other environmental stressors. But how exactly does vitamin C help protect and nourish stressed-out skin?
First, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help fight damage from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to cells, leading to inflammation and premature ageing. By fighting free radical damage, vitamin C can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots.
In addition to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C also helps boost collagen production. Collagen is a protein that helps keep skin looking plump and smooth. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, which can lead to sagging skin and wrinkles. By increasing collagen production, vitamin C can help improve the appearance of wrinkles and give skin a more youthful appearance.
Top 6 Anti-Aging Beauty Benefits of Vitamin C
While we now know that Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to protect your skin from the harmful effects of environmental stressors like pollution and UV rays. However, it can also help to repair the damage that has already been done with nourishing properties that can help to keep your skin looking young and healthy.
Here are the top six anti-ageing beauty benefits of vitamin C:
- Vitamin C can help to protect your skin from environmental damage.
- Vitamin C can help to repair the damage that has already been done to your skin.
- Vitamin C can help to keep your skin looking young and healthy.
- Vitamin C can help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
- Vitamin C can help to brighten your skin tone.
- Vitamin C can help to boost collagen production.
Vitamin C Serum versus Enhanced Vitamin C Serum
One of the best ways to get the benefits of vitamin C for your skin is through a vitamin C serum! Vitamin C serums have become a popular skincare treatment in recent years, and with good reason.
Two of our favourite vitamin C products are the Neutriherbs Vitamin C Serum for Brightening and Glow, and the Neutriherbs Enhanced Vitamin C Brightening & Firming Serum.
The Enhanced Vitamin C Serum has a higher concentration (20%) of vitamin C than the Vitamin C Serum (15%). Both types of serum contain high levels of vitamin C but have different ingredients that boost the products’ efficacy in different ways.
The Vitamin C Serum for Brightening and Glow (15%) contains active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and aloe vera. These ingredients work together to create a powerhouse of a product:
- Hyaluronic acid is another antioxidant with amazing anti-ageing properties;
- Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B that builds the skin barrier from the inside out and protects the skin against environmental damage;
- And aloe vera provides a deeply nourishing, soothing and smoothing finish!
On the other hand, the Enhanced Vitamin C Brightening & Firming Serum (20%) is recommended for acne-prone, normal, mature, combination and oily skin types. It contains active ingredients like vitamin E, ferulic acid and arbutin. These ingredients provide additional benefits like:
- Vitamin E adds essential moisture to the skin while working synergistically with vitamin C to protect skin against environmental damage;
- Ferulic acid provides sun protection and anti-ageing properties, like preventing the breakdown of collagen;
- And arbutin is an awesome skin ingredient that leaves you with a more even, brighter skin tone (and that ultimate glow!)
If you're looking to add a vitamin C serum to your skincare routine, be sure to choose one that's suited for your skin type and needs. And remember, always apply sunscreen when you'll be spending time outdoors to protect your skin from damage.
So How Much Vitamin C Do You Need to Prevent Signs of Aging in Your Skin?
Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer. The amount of vitamin C you need will depend on your individual skin type and the severity of your exposure to environmental stressors.
That said, most experts agree that using a vitamin C serum with at least 10% concentration is a good place to start. If you have particularly sensitive skin or are exposed to high levels of environmental stressors, you may need a higher concentration. And if you don't see results after using a vitamin C serum for several weeks, you may need to switch to a higher concentration or try a different product altogether.
Vitamin C And Retinol
So now that we know the power of vitamin C, what are other potent compounds that can work together with vitamin C to take your skin to the next level? You guessed it: retinol!
Retinol is another antioxidant that can help improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, boost collagen production and give the skin a healthy glow. Retinol is a form of vitamin A that is commonly used in over-the-counter skincare products. Vitamin A is an important nutrient for the skin, and retinol is one of the most bioavailable forms of vitamin A. This means that it is easily absorbed by the skin and has a high efficacy.
One of the main benefits of retinol is that it can help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It does this by stimulating collagen production and increasing cell turnover. Retinol can also help to improve the texture of the skin and make it appear smoother. In addition to its anti-ageing benefits, retinol can also help to treat acne. That’s because it helps to unclog pores and decrease inflammation.
Combined, vitamin C and retinol are powerful ingredients that protect the skin against environmental stressors while giving your skin a more youthful appearance (win-win!).
So there you have it — the low-down on how vitamin C helps environmentally stressed skin, while giving your skin the smooth, even appearance and ultimate glow! Remember to always consult with a dermatologist or skincare specialist before making any major changes to your beauty routine. Taking care of your skin should be a priority, so make sure you are doing everything you can to protect it from damage.