Many people understand aging skin as a natural and inevitable aspect of life. While this is partially true, there are actually factors outside of biology that damage our skin and lead to an aged appearance prematurely. Free-radical damage is one
of the leading contributors to aging skin and unfortunately we’re exposed to it every day. UV exposure, pollution, stress, smoking, poor diet, alcohol consumption, even hormonal changes can cause free-radical damage to our cells. We all have
that friend or relative who worshipped the sun (or worse – the tanning bed) in their younger years and now looks much older than their actual age – free radical damage is to blame. Luckily, in conjunction with avoiding sun exposure and wearing
sunscreen, the daily use of a topical antioxidant will combat this damage and help to keep our skin looking youthful and healthy. Let’s take a deeper dive into antioxidants.
What are antioxidants and which one should I choose?
There are a variety of antioxidants found in skincare products today. Some of the most prevalent include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A (Retinols/Retnoids), Niacinamide, and Resveratrol – just to name a few. Vitamin C is the most popular of the group and has been proven to be incredibly effective. Since our skin is experiencing free-radical damage on a daily basis, we want a product like Vitamin C that is safe to wear during the day and won’t sensitize our skin to the sun, like Vitamin A. In addition to providing protection from free-radical damage, Vitamin C brightens the skin, evens out tone and texture, and plays a huge role in collagen production. While Vitamin A products are certainly a powerhouse anti-aging category in their own right, it’s not solely due to their antioxidant power. We will dive into Vitamin A in a later blog post.
What to look for in a Vitamin C product?
Checking the ingredient list is key when choosing an effective Vitamin C product. You want the Vitamin C to be in the form “L-Ascorbic Acid USP.” L-Ascorbic Acid is the form of Vitamin C that is bioavailable to our body – it means our cells can put it right to work and get the maximum benefit from the product. Many products on the market contain what’s called a Vitamin C ester. Products formulated with Vitamin C esters are not as effective and don’t offer the same brightening properties as L-Ascorbic Acid USP.
Some Vitamin C esters you may come across are ascorbyl palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, sodium acorbyl phosphate. The “USP” is also an important piece to this puzzle. A USP ingredient certification denotes that the ingredient is 99.9% pure. USP products ensure you’re getting a consistently strong, effective product bottle to bottle. Each Vivier antioxidant serum contains between 8%-12.5% L-Ascorbic Acid USP, depending on which you choose.
Additionally, it is best to use a concentrated L-Ascorbic Acid USP serum every day, especially in the morning, versus a cream or lotion-based product. While Vitamin C creams and lotions are available, they are typically formulated with a Vitamin C ester and aren’t nearly as effective as a concentrated serum. Your skin has to work to convert the Vitamin C ester to L-Ascorbic Acid, so a lotion-based product that lists 30% Vitamin C may only end up delivering 2% L-Ascorbic Acid to your skin.
A third key factor in Vitamin C efficacy is penetration of the product into your skin. The two top layers of our skin are called the Epidermis and the Dermis. Vivier has a patented technology called the Intradermal Delivery System or IDS. Vivier’s IDS allows L-Ascorbic Acid USP to penetrate deep into the dermis which is a huge differentiating factor when comparing Vivier serums to other products. In clinical trials, Vivier serums had 4x the penetration into the dermis than the leading competitor.*
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Let’s Talk Vitamin C blog where we will take a closer look at Vivier’s Vitamin C serums and how to choose the right one for your skin type.
Until next time!
Stay safe, stay healthy.
By Claire Ashley
A Vivier Skin Care Expert.*Data on file.
