Underground Health Reporter focuses quite a bit on radiating health from the inside out, but when it comes to saving your skin with vitamin C, studies have shown it’s most effective to apply C topically. As we age, our stores of vitamin C diminish. As a result, collagen production declines and skin is left more vulnerable to sun damage and inflammation. That’s why it’s imperative to apply a protective vitamin C cream to skin, especially as we age. It takes less than a minute and will take years off your face!
Three Skin-Saving Forms of Vitamin C
Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and ascorbyl glucoside are three vitamin c derivatives that have proved potently stable when it comes to preventing and repairing lackluster skin. All three help protect against sun damage by:
- Neutralizing free radicals that stimulate the production of enzymes responsible for destroying collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin make up your skin’s structural matrix, and when collagen and elastin break down, your skin begins to sag and wrinkle.
- Protecting against lipid peroxidation that destroys skin cell membranes. Lipid peroxidation occurs when free radicals steal electrons from lipids in cell membranes.
- Stifling the inflammatory response that injures DNA, triggers cell death, and suppresses a healthy immune response.
- Repairing sun-damaged skin by converting into L-ascorbic acid in the body. L-ascorbic acid helps increase collagen production, thereby rejuvenating skin and lending a youthful and radiant glow.
Let’s take a look at the individual potency of each of these three vitamin C forms.
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate for Hydration
As we age, our skin loses its ability to sufficiently lock in moisture, which is why the skin’s surface can appear dry and flaky with age. Research suggests that magnesium ascorbyl phosphate may help retain moisture in the skin. In a controlled human clinical trial, participants applied magnesium ascorbyl phosphate to the skin of their forearm once a day for four weeks and exhibited increased hydration in both the surface and deeper layers of the skin. These results were confirmed in a second study.
Ascorbyl Glucoside for Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation manifests when your skin puts out too much or too little of its main pigment melanin. Ascorbyl glucoside has been shown to help fade hyperpigmentation by suppressing the action of tyrosinase, which is an enzyme that activates melanin output.
A clinical trial made up of 30 to 50 year olds with facial hyperpigmentation showed that applying ascorbyl glucoside to one side of the face every day for four weeks resulted in 70% of patients reporting lighter skin.
A second study showed that twice daily application of ascorbyl glucoside for three months resulted in a 14.2% average reduction in age spots at two weeks, an average that increased to 21.2% after three months.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate for Acne
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate can help those with sensitive, acne-prone skin. A randomized, double-blind controlled study made up of 50 patients with moderate to severe acne showed that when sodium ascorbyl phosphate was applied twice a day for 12 weeks, acne spots decreased by 21%. And when pitted against the popular acne treatment benzoyl peroxide, sodium ascorbyl phosphate showed a 76.9% improvement while benzoyl peroxide only showed a 60.9% improvement.
Add in Some Ferulic Acid
You can spruce up your vitamin C cream even more by making sure it also contains ferulic acid, which helps to destroy free radicals before they can inflict damage on your skin. Ferulic acid has been shown to inhibit the breakdown of vitamin C and double your protection against sun damage.
