I'm Breaking Up With Synthetic Vitamin C

Vitamin C (scientifically known as L'acorbic acid) is widely touted in the skincare for its uses in neutralizing environmental damage through antioxidant protection, helping to foster collagen production, and assisting in healing hyperpigmentation, and just adding more glow and a feel of vitality to the skin. Indeed I have tried, tested, enjoyed, and reviewed a few targeted Vitamin C products in my time, and while I initially thought I received benefits from them, texturally and visibly on my skin, I have come to learn and further understand some things about the ingredient that makes it not all it claims to be. Note, within this article, I am mainly referring to the direct use of L'ascorbic acid or a lab-created derivative of Vitamin C. Many plants used in skincare have naturally occuring Vitamin C compounds also, and these plants offer a host of benefits, clariifying, antioxidant protection in other forms and more, just maybe not from their Vitamin C alone. So in those cases I'm open to using and will still continue to seek out products like that.

Stability: As a general rule, it is often best that any and all skincare is packaged in opaque bottles and tubes that are air-tight or able to be sealed very tightly and, regardless, to always store your skincare in a dark, cool place, as light and heat (as well as moisture) can cause ingredients to degrade in effectiveness and potentially the product to spoil long before it otherwise would. Vitamin C, however, is an ingredient particularly suspectible to this phenomenon, and when it turns, it not only loses potency, it also becomes damaging to the skin, Rancid Vitamin C can easily cause chemical burns on the face and other irritation-based breakouts and reactions. Now many other ingredients-- once spoiled-- can also cause these things, but the problem with Vitamin C is that its shelf life is particularly short. Many products say they are good for only up to six months-- even when the product is packaged and stored in the most ideal manners-- nd in my experience, Vitamin C-heavy products often seem to turn long before that. You can see this often by the product itself turning darker or simply brown in color, though many companies use dyes or other colorants to try and make this less noticeable. Another way to tell is, if the product smells differently or stronger than it has previously, particularly more metallic, its a sign that the Vitamin C component is turning and the rest of the formula is too.

Irritation: Not only can spoiled Vitamin C products cause undue irritation to the skin,fresher Vitamin C items can too. What may seem-- and feel-- like a stimulating jolt of healing to the skin, zapping zits, firming texture, and just overall putting the peop back in your skin's step, may actually be too much in the long run to use the product consistently and especially before the formula is sure to go off. Also, if trying to address areas of hyperpigmentation from acne scars or sun damage, the Vitamin C product must be used consistently and often to reach the deepr layers of the skin where the pigmentation sources from. But while it may be good for addressing a spot here and there, the general effect of the Vitamin C used so frequently may cause too much stimulating and leave you with more breakouts, flushing, or dryness for you to deal with later, creating in some cases even more long-term hyperpigmentation to deal with later. Thus, the vicious cycle continues.

Hyperpigmentation: Though primarily touted for skin tone evening and renewal, Vitamin C products may not be as effective in truly resolving hyperpigmentation for everyone. A video recently posted on YouTube by esthetician Nayamka (through her channel the LA Beautyologist) explains a lot about Vitamin C and how it may not be the most effective for addressing hyperpigmentation, especially on herself as a person of color as well as those who share her skintone. From there, she also points out about how the ingredient is neither the only nor the best solution for the things it tries to accomplish for skin quality overall. You can watch the video here to learn more.

While there is rarely a clear yes or a clear no as to what ingredients work well or are intolerable or ineffective for skin as a whole, I am personally choosing to minimize my skin's exposure to synthetic Vitamin C items overall. The benefits I've seen from it are just not as long-standing as I would hope, and I seek to find other, more consistent, and better options out there.