Vitamin C has always been touted as something that is good for you, but you probably didn’t know that it offers many types of benefits for the skin because it is also an antioxidant so it will keep it protected. Everyone is looking for the skin that they had when they were young but you can keep your skin younger by using Vitamin C in many different ways.

The reason that Vitamin C is so prevalent in skin care products is that it does so many good things for your skin. Let’s take a look at all the ways that Vitamin C helps your skin to be as fresh and radiant as you want it to be:

Collagen production – As we age the production of collagen in the skin is reduced which is what causes the visible signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines. The collagen is beneath the skin and is what keeps the skin taut and firm. Vitamin C is an essential substance to enhance the production of collagen thus reducing and minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and expression lines.

Moisturizer – Vitamin C actively helps the skin to keep hydrated and replenished as when the skin gets dry it causes fine lines and wrinkles to form. Keeping the skin moisturized is another essential to radiant skin.

Exfoliation and cleanser – Vitamin C helps in the exfoliation of the skin to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores of excess oils and debris so that the skin is thoroughly cleansed at all times. This in turn keeps the skin healthy and more radiant.

Softener – Vitamin C helps to soften the skin so that it is more youthful looking. Softer skin means that the texture is smoother and more refined thus the skin will always look more radiant.

Antioxidant

Vitamin C is most of all an antioxidant that protects the skin and although it will not block the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, it will prevent the growth of melanin in the skin which causes dark spots that are formed from exposure to the sun. A sunscreen should always be worn during the day to avoid more damage to the skin.

Vitamin C by Other Names

If you look carefully at skin care product labels, you will almost always see Vitamin C listed but it could be in different forms than just plain Vitamin C. Here are some other forms of Vitamin C that you will find on most skin care products:

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate – This is a derivative of Vitamin C that is becoming more and more popular because it is more stable than Vitamin C and less acidic but unless it has a high concentration in your skin care product it will not enhance the production of collagen.

Ascorbic Acid or L-Ascorbic Acid – This is often found in exfoliates that work to remove dead skin cells and essentially cleanse the skin of debris. It is the basic form of Vitamin A from citric acid but it is not used directly on the skin especially for those who have sensitive skin as it will irritate it.

Ascorbyl Palmitate – This is the most common derivative of Vitamin C used in skin care products because it is not as acidic as Vitamin C.

Tetrasubstituted Lipophilic Ascorbates – These are becoming more popular as they are cheaper than other forms of Vitamin C and they are thought to have the same effects on the production of collagen as Vitamin C – making them a big plus.

Vitamin C will continue to be a viable and important skin care ingredient that can be counted on to boost the production of collagen and to exfoliate the skin. There are constantly new derivatives of Vitamin C being introduced on the market that are seeing promising results but they vary by product and by user. The future looks bright for these Vitamin C derivatives as many of them have the attributes of Vitamin C and seem to be more stable with less irritation to the user.