In your 30s, 40s and beyond, vitamin C takes a more active role in both slowing signs of damage while helping to treat emerging concerns – those first visible fine lines, an uneven skin tone and dullness. Photo: Freepik
Ask The Expert is a column where we get experts to answer questions on topics related to fashion and beauty.
This time around, Drunk Elephant founder and chief creative officer Tiffany Masterson answers all your vitamin C related questions.
What is the science behind using vitamin C in skincare, what are the benefits? — Marlia, KL
As a category, vitamin C is a multi-talented active. In your 20s, vitamin C can play a vital role as a preventative for skin, offsetting the damage that contributes to wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and loss of firmness later in life, while also improving skin vibrancy and glow in the present.
In your 30s, 40s and beyond, vitamin C takes a more active role in both slowing signs of damage while helping to treat emerging concerns – those first visible fine lines, an uneven skin tone and dullness.
There are many types of vitamin C, and each has varying degrees of benefits for skin. (Some varieties can even help fight breakouts, too!)
The key is to always look for forms of vitamin C that are research-supported and consider the concentration – because that is directly tied to their ability to address concerns – and just as important, look for formulas in airless packaging to protect those actives.
How should I incorporate vitamin C into my skincare routine? — Jane, PJ
The great thing about vitamin C as an ingredient category is that it’s as versatile as it is beneficial for skin.
There truly isn’t a single best or right way to incorporate it into your routine, especially because it can come in many forms – in moisturisers, serums, fluids, even eye-area treatments.
The simplest approach is to just follow the directions of whichever vitamin C product you’re considering.
Read more: Ask The Expert: Are you new to skincare? Here's to getting your basics right
One absolute rule is to wear sunscreen every single day, otherwise the vitamin C won’t have much benefit for skin, because it will be too busy trying to repair the damage of unprotected sun exposure. Photo: FreepikWhat should I keep in mind when choosing a vitamin C product? — Esther, Kuching
The first consideration is the type of vitamin C, because they’re not all identical in their respective benefits for skin.
Ascorbic acid is the best overall form of vitamin C, because its wide-ranging benefits for skin are the most supported in terms of published research.
It can also stand on its own in a formula – if you have a good amount in a serum or moisturiser, 10-15%, then you really don’t need much else to gain benefits like firmer skin, reduced hyperpigmentation and it pairs well with other actives, too.
It’s the most potent though, which may be a challenge for some in terms of skin tolerance, and how well it pairs with other actives in their routine.
Then there are derivatives – such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl glucoside, etc. – which are also very good for skin, however they aren’t as powerful overall as ascorbic acid.
There is a tradeoff though, as vitamin C derivatives tend to have unique talents that ascorbic acid does not share, such as reducing blemishes, being gentler on skin, providing hydration to skin, etc.
The concentrations to look for will depend on what results you’re after, and the form of vitamin C in question.
Once you have the form of vitamin C chosen, be sure to get it in packaging that protects the formula from light or air exposure. Vitamin C is a mighty ingredient, but frequent exposure to free radicals (present in both oxygen and light) will gradually deplete its antioxidant benefits for skin.
So, avoid vitamin C formulas that are sold in open-face jars or droppers.
Next, try to avoid silicones. Silicones form a barrier on skin that traps moisture and other substances as well as slowing the penetration of other ingredients.
For example, when ascorbic acid is formulated into a silicone base, very little can penetrate your skin – which means it can’t do what it’s supposed to (and what you paid for).
Lastly, do your best to avoid vitamin C formulas that contain silicone, which can obstruct or slow its bioavailability to skin (reduced bioavailability translates to reduced benefits) and those that contain essential oils, fragrances or dyes, or drying alcohols, which would increase the potential for sensitisation and reduce its effectiveness on skin.
FYI: Vitamin C does not smell anything like oranges. In skincare, only fragrances and essential oils can smell like oranges.
Are there any types of skincare products that cannot be used in the same skincare routine as Vitamin C (such as retinol)? — Samantha, KL
Retinol and vitamin C actually make a wonderful duo. The research is very clear that when retinol is paired with vitamin C and worn during the day under sunscreen, the two ingredients work together to provide powerful protection against UV-generated free radical damage.
Those benefits are in addition to their other benefits for skin (boosting and preserving collagen production as well as improving both texture and tone).
When it comes to pairing vitamin C with other products, there are no absolute rules, because this is more about what works for your skin specifically.
Some may be able to pair 15.0% ascorbic acid with a high-powered AHA/BHA exfoliant and retinol, while others may not.
The best advice here is to experiment to find what works personally for your skin.
If you’re brand new to using vitamin C, particularly powerful formulas, go slow, and pay close attention to how your skin responds.
Well, wait, there is one absolute rule: Wear sunscreen every single day, no exceptions. Without that, vitamin C won’t have much benefit for skin, because it will be too busy trying to repair the damage of unprotected sun exposure.
Also, wearing vitamin C under your sunscreen during the daytime will have the added benefit of boosting its broad-spectrum protection abilities.
Due to its potency, is Vitamin C alright to be used for all skin types? — Hui Ling, KL
Vitamin C is literally necessary for your health, meaning our bodies cannot synthesise it, so you need to supplement it as part of your diet. No one is allergic to it, and everyone can benefit from it.
Choosing the vitamin C that suits your needs is about considering your main concerns. If you’re looking for the strongest, most effective form of vitamin C for more advanced concerns, like wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, loss of elasticity/firmness, then 15.0% ascorbic acid is the way to go.
However, if you’re interested in a more gradual approach, that may be a bit more of a fit for sensitive skin, or routines in which you’re already balancing multiple potent actives, a vitamin C derivative could be a better fit. Look for concentrations around 10.0%.
Beyond that, go slow and pay close attention to how your skin responds.
Read more: Ask The Expert: Bro, what's your skincare routine? Do you even moisturise?
How long do Vitamin C skincare products take to work/when will I see visible results? — Sharmilla, Selangor
In terms of how long you’re going to need to wait to see results from your vitamin C, that depends on the results you’re after.
Differences in hydration levels, smoother skin, a boost in glow and calmer skin can happen pretty quickly – within days to a week or two.
More stubborn concerns, such as uneven skin tone, texture and breakouts may take longer to improve, and the consistency of your routine and the severity of those concerns will also play a role.
It can take decades for the effects of sun damage to show up in your skin, for example, and so it’s going to take some time to start to turn those signs of damage around.
Give it time to do its job. Vitamin C is a long-term relationship, like retinol, and its benefits take time to show up in skin. Use it daily, wear sunscreen every day too, and be patient.
Do I need to keep my Vitamin C products in the fridge, or somewhere cold? Or is room temperature okay? — Fifi, KL
You can keep your vitamin C in the refrigerator if you like! It won’t hurt anything, and it can provide a nice cooling sensation when applied to skin.
If you find that the room where you keep your products is 30 degrees Celsius or warmer, then yes, keep that vitamin C in the refrigerator.
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