Role of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in Skin Care

Vitamin C skin care is attributed with its property of aiding collagen formation and its anti-oxidant nature. Collagen constitutes 75 percent of our skin and is also responsible for smooth, young, and healthy appearance of skin, and thereby responsible for improving skin texture. Collagen formation in body decreases with aging. Ascorbic acid can regulate collagen production by stimulating type I procollagen synthesis in cultured human skin.

Ascorbic acid is a common and important ingredient for many skin rejuvenation and anti-wrinkle products. Besides skin care, Vitamin C is effective in treating many skin related disorders. It is helpful in providing photo-protection and treating photo-damaged skin, pigmentation disorders in skin. Antioxidant nature of ascorbic acid enables it to reduce the harm caused to skin due to its exposure to sunlight. Vitamin C provides skin care by reducing the damage to skin caused by free radicals, which are highly reactive oxygen molecules present in atmosphere and produced by the interaction of sunlight with cell membranes, and skin tissues. Vitamin C neutralizes the effect of free radicals from the skin.

Vitamin C does not absorb light and cannot be used as a replacement of sunscreen to ensure skin care rather Vitamin C should be considered a good companion to sunscreen products. Vitamin C skin care holds the first place among all skin care methods. Vitamin C skin care can be achieved by using Vitamin C lotions or Vitamin C creams.

Sources of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Human body does not produce Vitamin C and it needs to be taken in diet or as food supplements. For skin care Vitamin C can also be applied topically. Vitamin C/ Ascorbic acid can be taken from plants and animal sources. Mostly all the fruits and vegetables contain Vitamin C but most rich plant sources of ascorbic acid include vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, emblica officinalis (amla), green and red peppers, potatoes (with skin), tomatoes, and fruits such as guava, papaya, orange, and mango. Animal sources include calf liver, beef liver, pork, and cow milk. Ascorbic acid can also be taken through synthetic sources, in the form of drinks, capsules, and tablets and can be applied to skin in the form of lotions and creams.

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is highly soluble in water and can be easily lost while cooking because often cooking water is discarded while cooking. Ascorbic acid is also destroyed when foods are exposed to oxygen, light, and heat. Oxidation in foods takes place, when the foods are exposed to air. Vitamin C rich food must be stored in a dark and cool place, in a non-metal container.

For skin care Vitamin C can be taken in dietary as well as in topical form. Vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic acid is useful to both body and skin. L-ascorbic acid breaks down rapidly and is therefore difficult to produce for topical application and to produce skin care products. However once absorbed by the skin, L-ascorbic acid stays in the skin for up to 72 hours, and prevents UV immunosuppression, which causes skin cancer. Ascorbic acid cannot be washed, rubbed, or perspired off from the skin.