Everyone knows what a powerful antioxidant Vitamin C is. We take Vitamin C orally to help boost our immune system during travels and flu season to give our bodies a little added protection. This is a preventative measure that many of us take, but did you know using a vitamin c topically is also a preventative measure for your skin? Our skin is constantly under attack by the environment itself. Take the sun for example; it is the sole corporate to photo aging. What is photo aging you may ask? It is the result of the UV rays hitting unprotected skin causing DNA changes at a cellular level. This can lead to skin cancer and pre-mature aging.
Wearing sun screen daily can help protect your skin. However, wearing Vitamin C under your sunscreen will maximize your protection. Not only will your skin be more protective but Vitamin C can fight against Free Radicals. Free Radicals are damaged skin cells that corrupt healthy skin cells. Electrons like to be in pairs, so these atoms, called free radicals, scavenge the body to seek out other electrons so they can become a pair. This causes damage to cells, proteins and DNA. Once free radicals are formed, a chain reaction can occur. The first free radical pulls an electron from a molecule, which destabilizes the molecule and turns it into a free radical. That molecule then takes an electron from another molecule, destabilizing it and turning it into a free radical. This domino effect can eventually disrupt and damage the whole cell.
Over time, free radical damage leads to visible signs of accelerated skin ageing including fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and laxity. This science is known as the free radical theory of ageing (FRTA). Vitamin C, helps protect against this damage by “donating” electrons to neutralize damaging free radicals, in turn helping prevent the appearance of premature ageing. Talk to your Esthetician during your next visit to discuss the Vitamin C best for your skin.