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Whats the deal on Vitamin C in skincare

Whats the deal on Vitamin C in skincare

Most people know that taking Vitamin C supplements  or eating Vitamin C rich food helps build immunity to fight winter colds and viruses. Some of you may also know that Vitamin C ingestion is crucial for wound healing, skin integrity and skin repair. A Vitamn C deficiency was recognised in as the cause of scurvy which was why sailors were given limes to drink and British sailors were called 'limeys'. If you look at a list of symptoms if Vitamin C you can see how important its role is in skin integirty. Symptoms include brusing easily, slow healing wounds, dry skin, rough or imflammed skin, cracks at the side of the mouth, coarse hair that spirals (due to the damage to protein in the hair) and hair will also break off. Vitamin C is a water soluble viatmin and is usually taken internally in the form of abscorbic acid. The kidneys filter out any excess very quickly which if you tak vitamins you may see your urine colour change the same day you take the vitamins. Supplements are only needed if the dietary intake is inadequate as the body doesn't store surplus Vitamin C so any excess is quickly excreted.  Ascorbic acid is one of the most common forms of Vitamin C and is a completely natural and plant derived ingredient and has value in being taken in normal doses internally.

Ascorbic acid however is very acidic (the give away is in the name) , is very unstable in air and light (breaks down and turns brown) and is irritating to the skin. So is it even worth applying Vitamin C externally? As ascorbic acid is water soluble it actually doesn't penetrate through the lipid bilayer in the skin so any effect is only superficial. From a formulation point of view though ascorbic acid is tricky to deal with and can cause a product  to change colour or at worse irritaties the skin. It often needs a lot of other ingredients such as ferrulic acid to help stabilsie is, or it may be encapsulaled in something else which makes for an expensive formualtion.

Another option, better suited to skin care is Vitamin C ester (ascorbyl palmitate), which is a more stable form of Vitamin C. As it is both water and oil soluble this means it can penetrate the skin’s barrier layer. It is not acidic, which means it is non-irritant and actually has an anti-inflammatory effect; and it does not break down or oxidize quickly, so its benefits last much longer than both in the bottle and on the skin than l-ascorbic acid. It has been added to the Rosalux Rose Surge OIl along with hyaluronic acid  (HLA) to supercharge this luxurious product. This form of Vitamin C helps stimulate elastin and collagen production which helps with skin showing signs of ageing and can improve the appearance of wrinkles.  

Combined with a daily dietary intake of ascorbic acid such as what is found in citrus fruits and kiwfruits or a suitable supplement, regular (2-3 x week) use of a Vitamin C enriched skincare product gives your skin the best chance to shine. HLA used externally has been shown to reduce skin moisture loss and again improve the appearance of wrinkles and inflamed skin. There is also an internal form of HLA and it is used in some injectable cosmetics.

Smoking rapidly depletes vitamin C absorption which is very difficult to replace. This not only affects the collagen in the skin, but also vascualr stability which is one of the factors that contributes to increased heart disease. Next time you see a smoker have a sneaky look at their skin and see how devitalised it looks, with very little 'glow'. Notice how there are often deep drag lines around the mouth again showing a depletion of collagen. Whilst taking and apply vitamin C can;t repair years of skin abuse from smoking, it may help a little, especially if you give up! In New Zealand there is a free service to help you quit, called QUITLINE

Mention this blog when you order and you will receive a free 2 ml travel bottle of the Rose Surge oil with added vitamin C and hyalauronic acid.

100% VEGAN

Posted: Wednesday 5 June 2019

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