Speak to any beauty expert and you can guarantee that one of their top recommendations for healthy, bright, beautiful skin is vitamin C!

While nowadays there are so many ingredients that purport to help improve everything from elasticity to collagen production and brightness, few are more studied or widely accepted than this star antioxidant. The research supporting its benefits also continues to mount so if you’re still on the fence about adding this powerful ingredient to your skincare routine, this blog’s for you.

The Different Forms Of Vitamin C
In skincare, there are various forms of vitamin C that are regularly included, but the most popular is called L-ascorbic acid. “L-ascorbic acid has long been the gold standard for vitamin C in skincare, because it is the raw form of vitamin C. However, it can oxidise quickly with exposure to light, air, or if the formula lacks stability,” says Erin Larson, Director of Education at HydroPeptide. If it oxidises before being applied to the skin, it is not going to provide the benefits normally expected from vitamin C, and you could actually be damaging the skin instead of helping it. Oxidised vitamin C is also a “pro-oxidant” meaning it does the opposite of an antioxidant, encouraging free radical damage to the skin.

Another form of Vitamin C is sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP.) This form of vitamin C has grown in popularity because of the higher stability and better pH balance levels on the skin. “SAP must be converted by the skin in order to become effective. This means it remains stable much longer,” says Larson.

What Are The Benefits For Your Skin?
While many know vitamin C is famed for its brightening effects—and proven to assist with pigmentation issues by inhibiting the enzyme tyrosinase—in higher doses, vitamin C is actually a powerful anti-ageing ingredient as it helps to stimulate collagen production, protect against damaging free radicals and protect skin from the ageing effects of oxidative stress. This means that no matter your skin concern, vitamin C can be a useful tool in your skincare arsenal and one that should take a starring role in both your morning and nighttime skincare routines.

Experience the benefits of vitamin C with our LumaPro-C Face Serum.