Vitamin C Skin Care Facts

A lot of people are aware of the vitamin C skin care benefits that can be obtained. Unfortunately many end up believing that it does not really matter what type of vitamin C is included in a product as long as it is vitamin C. It should have the same effect, right? The answer to that question is no. The truth is that vitamin C is included in skin care products in various forms. The effectiveness of the product is based on concentration, type and storage. While the concentration and storage problems are easy to solve, the one factor that is rarely considered is type. Let us think about the various types of vitamin C that are included in skin care products.

One of the most used forms is L-ascorbic acid. This is considered the natural vitamin C form. When this ingredient is well stored and fresh it will work very well with sensitive skin. The problem is that there are some downsides to using this vitamin C form in skin care products. For starters, it can cause irritation and it is not at all that stable. The problem is that L-ascorbic acid will oxidize fast if faced with air exposure. If vitamin C is oxidized then it will not bring in skin care benefits. To make everything worse, it can even have a damaging effect as it will increase the formation of free radicals. Never use L-ascorbic acid if you are not aware of storage and age.

Another form of vitamin C used in skin care products is magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, also known as MAP. It s a derivative and comes with basically the same effects of L-ascorbic acid. The real difference stands in the fact that it is a lot more stable. It is also a lot gentler when dealing with sensitive skin. Nowadays we see MAP becoming quite popular among manufacturers. This is because people started to learn about the possible disadvantages of using L-ascorbic acid. The problem s that even MAP ends up degrading in time. This is exactly why you need to understand that the same storage attention needs to be kept with skin care products that contain magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.

The last common form of vitamin C used with skin care is ascorbyl palmitate. It is also a derivative but one that does not have MAP’s advantages. The biggest problem stands in the fact that you will need higher doses of ascorbyl palmitate in order to gain the same vitamin C effects as with MAP. A lot of specialists actually claim that the concentration used in skin care products is not enough to aid in collagen creation. On the other hand, ascorbyl palmitate is the most stable form of vitamin C currently used in skin care products.

There is no denying in the fact that vitamin C skin care benefits should not be put aside. We are talking about a great ingredient but at the same time the form in which it is included does have an impact on effectiveness. The safest possible form of vitamin C in skin care products is MAP. On the other hand you can also consider L-ascorbic acid capsules. They are effective in giving an increased radiance to your skin although you should only use them for around one month daily. Taking such capsules for longer periods of time might not have the effects you wanted. The good news is that manufacturers are aware of the facts mentioned above. There are many that actually have vitamin C skin care products split into an entire line of creams and lotions. Always read the label and learn how to properly use the products you are buying.