Vitamin C, when used topically in a serum, is extensively acclaimed as among the finest components for brightening pores and skin, boosting collagen manufacturing, and defending pores and skin towards environmental harm. It’s so standard that even on the 2024 Medical Spa Show that I attended, vitamin C was an enormous matter of dialog. Nevertheless, not everyone seems to be as constructive about it as it’s possible you’ll suppose. Whether or not you’re an esthetician, dermatologist, or only a skincare fanatic, you’ve probably heard of 1 main downfall in the case of this ingredient: the vitamin C acid burn.
So, what is that this? Sure vitamin C formulation, when utilized to the pores and skin every day, could cause a burning and stinging sensation, together with redness, pores and skin that’s sizzling to the contact or a common feeling of irritation. This happens as a result of a topical vitamin C is eliciting a nervous neural response in your pores and skin. As your pores and skin senses publicity, it tries to warn you towards one thing it doesn’t need– on this case, a low pH product. Nevertheless, I don’t imagine this facet impact ought to discourage you towards vitamin C fully– let me clarify.
Advantages of Vitamin C In Your Skincare Routine
The addition of a topical vitamin C serum into your skincare routine might be extraordinarily helpful on your barrier and enhance general pores and skin well being. Listed below are probably the most notable explanation why.
- Brightens Pores and skin Tone
- Seemingly probably the most revered profit, vitamin C lessens pigment manufacturing in pores and skin, making it look brighter.
- Boosts Collagen Manufacturing
- Not solely does this ingredient assist defend the collagen you have already got by inhibiting enzymes that typically break it down, but it surely additionally aids in more healthy collagen manufacturing.
- Protects In opposition to Environmental Injury
- Vitamin C’s highly effective antioxidant properties neutralize free radicals and defend the pores and skin from harm attributable to UV radiation, air pollution, and different environmental stressors.
- Enhances Pores and skin Hydration
- This ingredient has additionally been proven to have moisturizing properties, serving to enhance hydration ranges and plump pores and skin.
Understanding Vitamin C Sensitivity
Let’s resolve why this painful burning and stinging sensation generally happens– and what you are able to do about it!
Why Does Vitamin C Burn or Sting?
The burning sensation is usually attributable to three issues:
- A extremely low pH. Low pH ranges of two.5-3.5 can doubtlessly irritate the pores and skin. They will enhance the acidity of a serum, resulting in a compromised barrier and a better potential for stinging, particularly for delicate pores and skin.
- A excessive amount of ascorbic acid. This ingredient must have a minimal of 8% to have any efficacy in pores and skin. At round 22%, the pores and skin stops with the ability to take up it. So most of those vitamin C serums that sting have a low pH and excessive amount of ascorbic acid. This acid is a really small molecule, so it will probably simply get into the pores and skin and disrupt its pure pH stability.
- A compromised barrier or latest use of actives. Individuals who use lively components (retinol, retinoids, exfoliating acids, and so on.) and folks with compromised obstacles usually tend to really feel a stinging sensation. It’s because if you use exfoliating acids or retinoids, you expertise numerous pores and skin turnover, which means that the pores and skin on high is extra uncooked and uncovered. If you have already got a lowered barrier and proceed to make use of vitamin C, you gained’t have sufficient lipids in your pores and skin to assist defend it from a product with a low pH. That is going to trigger a extra damaging expertise, and in flip, can really result in extra irritation.
Don’t Give Up – There’s a Answer!
Simply because it’s possible you’ll be coping with a vitamin C acid burn, doesn’t imply it’s important to forego the ingredient fully. There are nonetheless methods to obtain the entire advantages of vitamin C– with out the acid burn! Let’s focus on.
- What to keep away from
- Low-pH Merchandise- These can result in long-term irritation within the pores and skin, inflicting accelerated indicators of getting older and elevated pigmentation (as soon as your physique receives a sign that there’s irritation, elevated pigment manufacturing could happen). Search for formulation with a ph vary of 5.0-5.8. A good model ought to inform you the pH if it’s not publicly listed.
- A No-Ache-No-Acquire Philosophy- Not like retinol, ache (ie stinging) isn’t an indication of vitamin C efficacy however could possibly be an indication of irritation.
- Vitamin C Sandwiching- Whereas a retinol sandwich is a good way to obtain the entire potent advantages of a retinoid with none of the dryness, flaking, or irritation, the identical can’t be mentioned for this ingredient. When sandwiching a vitamin C serum between two layers of moisturizer, it really simply impedes the flexibility of the ascorbic acid, quite than minimizing the potential unwanted effects of vitamin C.
- What to do
- Search for Options- There are many vitamin C types utilized in skincare, and which one you select undoubtedly issues. If you’re experiencing a vitamin C acid burn, it’s time to search for a extra steady components. Maintain studying to find out which one is best for you!
Discovering Stability
Searching for out a steady vitamin C is one of the simplest ways to keep away from a vitamin C acid burn, however what precisely does this entail?
What Does A “Steady Vitamin C” Imply?
Once you hear {that a} type of vitamin C is “steady,” this refers back to the capacity of the product to take care of its effectiveness over time and publicity to air, gentle, and temperature. A steady vitamin C will usually keep its efficiency longer, be much less susceptible to oxidization, and can probably comprise supporting components that enhance efficacy.
Ever seen your white or beige serum start to show yellow or gentle brown? This implies the product has change into unstable and begun to oxidize, which means you might be not receiving the whole lot of its meant advantages.
It’s necessary to notice that all skincare ingredients eventually expire, even probably the most steady of vitamin C serums. Ensure you use it earlier than you lose it!
Why Do Vitamin C Formulations Matter?
Choosing the proper vitamin C remedy could seem a bit sophisticated, however since vitamin C doesn’t always work the same, it’s necessary to grasp their variations. Vitamin C formulations matter as a result of they will drastically affect the soundness, effectiveness, and general efficiency of the vitamin C product. Components resembling lively versus inactive types of vitamin C, pH worth, further components, and even texture, scent, and general really feel can drastically have an effect on how your pores and skin responds to a particular product.
What Makes Vitamin C&E Remedy Completely different?
What’s nice about Vitamin C&E Treatment is that it doesn’t use excessive portions of ascorbic acid and it has a extra skin-friendly pH. Utilizing each lipid and water-soluble types of vitamin C, this serum supplies potent antioxidant exercise deep throughout the epidermal layers.
Using tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD), this skin-brightening cream ensures a slower launch time than water-soluble molecules, which means an extended window of lively vitamin C and a decrease potential for irritation. When you’re trying to profit from all the advantages of vitamin C with not one of the burn, this long-time best-seller is the one for you.
Suggestions for Selecting Steady Vitamin C Merchandise
As intimidating as it might be, attempt to not be discouraged by the huge array of vitamin C merchandise available on the market. Listed below are a number of ideas for avoiding the ache and discovering the right serum for you.
Ingredient Verify
In terms of frequent types of vitamin C in skincare, there are 4 that come to thoughts: L-ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate. Right here’s how they differ.
- L-ascorbic acid: Regardless of being a tried and true ingredient, this isn’t your greatest wager in the case of antioxidant safety. The one lively type of vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid is extremely unstable and, because it’s an antioxidant, it needs to react with virtually every thing in its atmosphere. This implies this ingredient has a excessive likelihood of oxidizing earlier than it will get an opportunity to make it into your pores and skin.
- Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate: A fantastic choice for skin types that battle from breakouts, this has been confirmed to help improve acne, however can nonetheless be fairly reactive.
- Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate: A posh mix of many compounds quite than only a easy vitamin C by-product, this kind has been proven to strengthen the membrane of pores and skin cells and have improved supply into pores and skin.
- Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate: That is one among my private favorites (and the star ingredient in Vitamin C&E Remedy) as it’s the solely oil-soluble type of vitamin C that I’ve talked about up to now. Due to this, it gained’t react till it comes into contact with the oils in your pores and skin, making it probably the most steady type of these 4. Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate can be identified to penetrate pores and skin 20x greater than ascorbic acid!
Packaging Issues
As I discussed, vitamin C serums might be extremely unstable, reacting to virtually every thing from gentle and warmth to oxygen, water, and metals. That is why product packaging could make all of the distinction.
This ingredient must be packed in opaque or tinted bottles that defend the product from gentle publicity, as gentle, particularly UV gentle, could cause it to degrade and change into much less efficient. Ideally, the product also needs to have an airless pump to reduce air publicity, conserving the serum recent longer. Each of those may also scale back the chance of contamination, making certain it will probably ship its desired results to the pores and skin.
Vitamin C Utility Strategies for Comfy Use
Wish to begin your journey towards one of the best vitamin C for you however anxious in regards to the penalties? Right here’s one of the simplest ways to get began!
Patch Testing
Whereas looking for the appropriate vitamin C product for you, it might take a little bit of trial and error– however you don’t must destroy your pores and skin barrier within the meantime. At any time when anybody is attempting out a brand new product, the very first thing I do is advocate a patch test. Apply vitamin C to your neck (the place pores and skin is probably the most delicate) to assist decide what sorts of merchandise or components will trigger a damaging or allergic response in your face. This may assist slender down which skincare product or ingredient to check out sooner or later.
In conclusion, whereas vitamin C is a extremely praised skincare ingredient identified for its capacity to brighten pores and skin, increase collagen manufacturing, and defend towards environmental harm, some folks could expertise the dreaded vitamin C acid burn. This burning or stinging sensation might be attributed to components resembling low pH ranges, excessive concentrations of ascorbic acid, or a compromised pores and skin barrier. Nevertheless, I don’t suppose this could deter you from reaping the advantages of vitamin C. By understanding the causes of sensitivity and selecting steady formulations, you’ll be able to incorporate vitamin C into your skincare routines successfully and comfortably. With the appropriate strategy, vitamin C generally is a helpful addition to any skincare routine, selling more healthy, extra radiant-looking pores and skin.
I hope you discovered this put up informative! And as all the time, #obeyrenee
Movie star Esthetician & Skincare Skilled
As an esthetician educated in beauty chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching pores and skin, educating her viewers, and constructing an award-winning line of merchandise. Her hands-on expertise as an esthetician and trusted skincare professional has created a real-world resolution — merchandise which might be formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get precisely what it must feel and appear its greatest. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives across the globe, her huge real-world information and fixed analysis are why Marie Claire calls her “probably the most passionate pores and skin practitioner we all know.”