It is important that you use a Vitamin C serum in your skincare routine to protect your skin cells from free radicals.
What are Free Radicals?
Free radicals form when an oxygen molecule splits into single atoms with unpaired electrons. Since electrons like to be in pairs, these free radicals seek out other electrons so they can become a pair. This process causes damage to cells, proteins and DNA.
How do Free Radicals Affect my Skin?
Free radicals can damage your skin by trying to take an extra electron from atoms in your skin. When an atom is taken away from a molecule in your skin, it causes damage to your skin’s DNA. This can speed up skin ageing and lead to wrinkles and brown spots forming. See this article from Dermatology Research and Practice on Free Radicals and Extrinsic Skin Aging
Your skin is constantly under attack from free radicals that come from UV light, pollution, cigarette smoke and the air around you.
How Can Vitamin C Serum help?
Vitamin C is an antioxidant which can neutralise free radicals. This means using a Vitamin C serum regularly can dramatically reduce the damage that oxidative stress can cause to your skin.
Proof that it works!
To show the antioxidant effect that Vitamin C serum has I conducted an experiment using an apple. When an apple is cut in half and exposed to oxygen in the air it will start to oxidise. One of the signs that this is happening is that the apple will start to go brown.
I took an apple, cut it in half and applied a thin layer of Vitamin C serum on one side of the apple. I used the same amount of serum that I would normally apply to my face. In the experiment the Vitamin C serum I used was the Indeed Labs Vitamin C24 serum which contains 22% Vitamin C.
After applying the Vitamin C serum to the left side of the apple I left the apple for 30 minutes. When I came back the left side of the apple was still completely white but the right side had started to go brown.
The effect that the vitamin C serum had on the apple is the same as what happens when you apply it to your skin. Just as the serum stopped the left side of the apple from oxidising, it also protects your skin cells from oxidation.
Since I think it is so important to have a Vitamin C serum in your skincare routine, I have written another article about what to look for when choosing a Vitamin C product. In the article I also list 10 facts about vitamin C in skincare. This article can be found at the link below.
Recommended Vitamin C products
INDEED LABS VITAMIN C24
The product I used in this experiment was the Indeed Labs Vitamin C24 serum, but I found 22% vitamin C a bit too drying for my skin.
BEAUTY PIE SUPERACTIVE CAPSULES PURE DOUBLE VITAMIN C & VITAMIN E
My favourite vitamin C product is the SUPERACTIVE CAPSULES PURE DOUBLE VITAMIN C & VITAMIN E SERUM by Beauty Pie which has 10% vitamin C and is combined with Vitamin E (a great combination).
CLINIQUE FRESH PRESSED™ RENEWING POWDER CLEANSER WITH PURE VITAMIN C
Another great product to try is Clinique’s Vitamin C powder which is a water-activated powder enriched with fresh Vitamin C to cleanse your skin. My friend Rasi has written a fantastic article on the Clinique Vitamin C Powder at her blog Wacky Vanilla. Check it out here.
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Vitamin C Serum FAQs
What does vitamin C serum do for the skin?
Vitamin C serums can protect the skin from free radical damage and therefore delay skin ageing. It also stimulates production of collagen.
What Vitamin C serum is the most effective?
I recommend either SUPERACTIVE CAPSULES PURE DOUBLE VITAMIN C & VITAMIN E SERUM by Beauty Pie (10% vitamin C) or Indeed Labs Vitamin C24 serum (22% vitamin C) depending on how strong you want it to be.
Can I use Vitamin C serum everyday?
Yes you can use it every day but it should not be used at the same time as acids (AHAs, BHAs or glycolic acid).
Do you need vitamin C serum?
I advise incorporating a vitamin C product into your skincare routine because of the amazing antioxidant properties Vitamin C has.