Vitamin C, The Holy Grail of Skincare Ingredients

Edwige Gandin, beautician at Pastels Salon Jumeirah, Dubai gives us the lowdown on the powerful beauty ingredient you need to know, Vitamin C!

Whatever your skincare issue - uneven skin tone, rough texture, fine lines, acne scars, general dullness - the chances are that vitamin C-based products can help, leaving your skin brighter, clearer, and smoother!

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals that help your skin's natural regeneration process, which in turn helps your body repair damaged skin cells. A topical antioxidant such as vitamin C can offset daily aggressors such as UV damage and nasties common to air pollution, but this free-radical fighting power is not just used to keep signs of premature ageing at bay. In neutralizing these free radicals, vitamin C may also help protect skin from precancerous changes caused by UV exposure too.

Quite remarkably, in addition to its antioxidant status, vitamin C boasts numerous other skin-saving benefits. As it is highly acidic, when vitamin C is used topically the skin is triggered to heal itself by accelerating the production of collagen and elastin, the protein fibres that help keep skin plump and firm. Vitamin C is a commonly used skin brightener as it contains a property that inhibits your skin's melanin production, which is what causes skin discoloration.

Usually, the vitamin is found listed as ascorbic acid because this is the most stable and effective form of vitamin C in skincare. Another thing worth noting is that when vitamin C and vitamin E are combined, they form a true powerhouse that offers double protection against free-radical damage.

This is the case in Eminence Organics’ Citrus and Kale Potent C Plus E Serum. Applying a few drops of this potent serum before your moisturiser will really transform your skincare regimen and take it to the next level.

Those with sensitive skin may have allergies or redness from vitamin C, so it is recommended using a product with a low vitamin C concentration and increasing it as your skin gets used to the product.