Isn’t all Vitamin C the same? No ways! Vitamin C in any of its forms is a vulnerable anti-oxidant. This is why extra precaution needs to be taken to ensure the best quality of Vitamin C is to be maintained. Vitamin C in any form is more susceptible to air, light and heat changes. So, where do we find the happy medium then?
Stability, stability, stability!
Stability comes in all shapes and sizes and we have ensured that our products are formulated with stabilised ingredients. Our unique formulation keeps the product quantity for a longer shelf life without the compromise. Our packaging has also been developed with stability at the forefront of our formulations. When you stabilise a formulation, you ensure the quality can be maintained over longer periods and you remove the risk of your ingredients becoming inactive.
It is one of the reasons we use tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (Yes it is quite a mouth full). This form of vitamin C is lipid soluble, which means that it is more effectively and quickly absorbed into the skin. This will then stimulate collagen production and is a function that pure Vitamin C cannot perform. It is well known that lipids (fats) is one aspect in our body that is exposed to the most to oxidative stress, thus making it so important to replenish where we can.
Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate not only serves as an anti-oxidant but also as a collagen stimulator. Oxidation in dermatology will decrease functional capacity of the body and is influenced by external stressors and the natural physiological ageing process. When we are exposed to external stressors such as UV rays and pollution, our skin goes into overdrive and draws on our anti-oxidants. When we don’t have enough anti-oxidants in our body to combat the external stressors then our cells change. The cells in our skin will try repair the cells but when we don’t have enough to repair, that is when the damage to our skin happens. There are many external stressors we cannot control, so we utilise any means to combat oxidative stress that are gentle on the skin.
One very important way is to use an SPF. We cannot say this enough. USE. SPF. EVERYDAY. SPF gives your skin another defense mechanism and your epidermis is the most vulnerable but also your best chance at repairing damaged skin. Our sensitivity to sunlight is determined by our skin pigmentation (this will be covered in another article). Pigmentation is truly is unique to each person.
There is another myth that the higher the dosage, the better it works. This cannot be further from the truth. As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. In a study published by the Dermatology Associates of San Diego, Double-blind, half-face study comparing topical vitamin C and vehicle for rejuvenation of photodamage Fitzpatrick RE, Rostan EF. (2002), a dosage of 10% of ascorbic acid that was water soluble was studied against a 7% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate that was lipid soluble. It was scientifically proven that the lower dosage of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate served a greater function over a 12-week period than a higher dose of water-soluble ascorbic acid.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is one of our bodies main antioxidant molecules and is distributed in different quantities and different ways throughout our body. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is also a more gentle form of Vitamin C and is better tolerated topically. It is well documented that different forms of Vitamin C are not all tolerated the same, so a gentle form is vital.
Each part of our body functions like a well-oiled machine. When one part isn’t working properly we don’t run so well. So we learn to balance. We need to balance our physiological needs like any other aspect in our life. When our skin is balanced, our inner beauty can truly shine.
Bibliography with research
Dermatologic Surgery : Official Publication For American Society For Dermatologic Surgery [et Al.]. 28(3):231-6, MAR 2002
Rinnerthaler, Mark et al. Oxidative Stress in Aging Human Skin. Ed. Michael Breitenbach and Peter Eckl. Biomolecules 5.2 (2015): 545589.
Gianeti MD, Maia Campos PMBG. Efficacy Evaluation of a Multifunctional Cosmetic Formulation: The Benefits of a Combination of Active Antioxidant Substances. Molecules. 2014; 19(11):18268-18282.
Protective Effects of Topical Vitamin C Compound Mixtures against Ozone-Induced Damage in Human Skin Valacchi, Giuseppe et al. Journal of Investigative Dermatology , Volume 137 , Issue 6 , 1373 1375
Silva, Silas Arandas Monteiro e, Bozena Michniak-Kohn, and Gislaine Ricci Leonardi. “An Overview about Oxidation in Clinical Practice of Skin Aging.†Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia 92.3 (2017): 367374.
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