AESTHETIC TREATMENTS
Topical vitamin C
Effective and safe treatment for sun-damaged and ageing skin with multiple benefits.
- Fades pigmentation, freckles and age spots
- Reduces skin roughness and fine wrinkles
- Protects against sun damage
Topical vitamin C is one of the most potent and cost-effective skincare products. Its effects include fading skin pigmentation, reducing wrinkles and making skin smoother. It’s a useful addition to sunscreens, reducing the amount of ultraviolet damage to structures in skin cells.
How does vitamin C work?
Vitamin C has several mechanisms of action:
- It’s an antioxidant that neutralises potentially toxic compounds caused by ultraviolet radiation. This results in less visible sun damage and ageing.
- It protects against immune suppression caused by ultraviolet radiation. This may protect against skin cancers1 and reduce the severity of those skin cancers that do occur2.
- It stimulates the production of collagen fibres, which assists wound healing and reduces wrinkles and roughness3.
- It inhibits enzymes that produce melanin resulting in fading of skin pigmentation3.
Benefits
Clinical studies have shown that Topical vitamin C has multiple skin benefits:
- Improvement of wrinkles, skin texture and appearance.
- Protection against ultraviolet damage.
- Fading dark spots.
- Reduction of acne symptoms.
- Improved healing after skin injury4.
How to apply
Vitamin C often comes in a serum or concentrated cream. You need only a few drops of serum or an amount of cream about the size of a pea. Because this is a very small amount, it can be convenient to combine vitamin C with another product (e.g. moisturiser or sunscreen) by mixing them together before applying.
Vitamin C is best applied in the morning, to take advantage of its protective effects against UV radiation.
Some vitamin C formulations can be expensive. While these pricier options might have certain advantages, less expensive formulations containing ascorbic acid without additional active ingredients are still highly effective and likely offer better value for money.
For a cost-effective solution, consider purchasing ascorbic acid powder and mixing a small amount with your sunscreen or moisturizer before applying. We recommend Propaira 25% Vitamin C Serum for an excellent balance of quality and affordability.
Side effects and warnings
Vitamin C is mildly acidic, and it sometimes causes a stinging sensation when applied. This is normal and doesn’t mean you need to stop using it.
If you are about to have a laser, IPL or microneedling treatment, we recommend pausing vitamin C application for a few days before and after your treatment.
Some forms of topical vitamin C are highly prone to oxidation, which means they loste their potency quickly on exposure to air. To avoid this, we recommend purchasing vitamin C in a sealed container with a pump.
Dark patches on the skin have many causes including sun exposure, dermatological and medical conditions. Treatment for lightening dark patches varies according to the cause. Light-based treatments such as laser, IPL and BBL can be useful, but in some cases, topical products are more effective.
More infoReferences
- Al-Niaimi F, Chiang NYZ. Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2017 Jul;10(7):14-17.
- Pinnell S, Madey D. Topical Vitamin C in Skin Care, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 18, Issue 6, November 1998, Pages 468–470.
- Griffiths T, Watson R, Langto A. Skin ageing and topical rejuvenation strategies, British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 189, Issue Supplement_1, October 2023, Pages i17–i23.
- Nathan N, Patel P. Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health? Staying Health blog, Harvard Medical School. 10 November 2021.
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