Hyaluronic acid, retinol, collagen, vitamin C...the list of skin care must-haves are seemingly neverending. After all, this is the age of the skin care connoissuer. We hear an avalanch of advice on all fronts; social media, youtube, magazines and more. In the end, all we have is a disoriented consumer. However, it's important to know not every touted and praised miracle substance is necessary for everyone. If your primary concern is hyperpigmentation and achieving brighter skin, then Vitamin C might be your go to ingredient.
Collagen Synthesis
To understand the importance of Vitamin C you must know the importance of collagen. Collagen is what keeps skin looking supple, full and young. It's the slowdown of collagen production in the body with age that leads to clear signs of aging. Vitamin C is vital in collagen synthesis, or how the body produces more collagen to maintain its youthful appearance. Vitamin C is required for the body to create the compounds hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine. These two are major components of collagen's structure and its stability. If you're taking a collagen supplement, then you'll want to supplement it with vitamin C. Vitamin C stabalizes the RNA of collagen, thus supporting and maintaing the amount of collagen between cells.
Hyperpigmentation
Vitamin C can help fade hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation occurs when melanin is overproduced in the skin . Melanin is a pigment that's naturally occuring in the hair, eyes, and skin. When skin heals from acne too much melanin can be produced, leading to darker spots on the face. Vitamin C can impede the production of the skins melanin due to damage and fade dark spots.
UV radiation
Vitamin C also plays an important role in sun protection. The sun is one of the biggest culprits of the skin showing signs of aging. Vitamin C can protect against free radical damage due to UV radiation. Applying Vitamin C has been shown to prevent and treat the damage caused by UVB rays. It can do this by supressing cell death, DNA damage and working as a potent antioxident.
Antiaging
Signs of aging such as wrinkles and age spots occur due to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress happens when the amount of free radicals, highly reactive oxygen containing molecules, outweigh the amount of antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C neutralize these free radicals and slow down these destructive processes.
Skin already contains plenty of Vitamin C. It's an integral component necessary in various bodily processes. If you haven't used Vitamin C yet and want to try it out, invest in a serum and up your daily intake through dietary measures. Vitamin C can be found not only in citrus fruits but peppers, strawberries, broccoli and more. It might even boost the current products you use such as hyaluronic acid or collagen.
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