You'll want to apply your vitamin C serum to clean, dry skin. “As far as active ingredients go, vitamin C is quite unstable, and it's easily affected by outside elements such as air, light and moisture,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger.
Apply to clean, dry skin. You are going to want to apply your vitamin C to clean, dry skin right after washing or applying toner. It's important that your skin not be wet when you apply it. Vitamin C (especially L-ascorbic acid) is very unstable which means it loses potency when exposed to air, light, and water.
If all is well, you can begin using the product as recommended. Vitamin C-based products are suitable for both morning and night use. Apply it to a clean face before moisturizer and SPF if using it in the morning. Vitamin C is known to degrade when exposed to UV light, so it's important to protect your skin with SPF.
Making an ascorbic acid rinse
Add 2 tablespoons of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) powder, and stir until the powder is dissolved. For easier application, pour the mixture into a squeeze or spray bottle. Wet hair with warm water and apply the ascorbic acid solution to your hair, making sure to saturate all of the dyed hair.
STEP 4: WAIT UNTIL YOUR SKIN IS DRY
It's essential to make sure to wait until your skin is dehydrated before moving on to applying your retinol. If you use it on wet or even damp skin, there is a greater likelihood that you'll experience irritation.
Many people around the world face many issues with their skin daily. While these issues may differ, vitamin C is the key ingredient in many skincare solutions. Over time, the researchers have found that vitamin C is an ingredient that can be beneficial for both dry skin and oily skin folks.
Beta Hydroxy Acids
So that salicylic acid of yours should not be mixed with your vitamin C serum. It won't be able to help you with discoloration, collagen production, or protect you from UV rays. Additionally, combining the two can cause irritation and dryness.
For the best results, dermatologists recommend applying your vitamin C serum first. Let it dry so your skin has the opportunity to absorb the ascorbic acid, and then move on to the niacinamide product.
Vitamin C helps fight the bacteria on the scalp. It wards off dandruff and helps to get rid of the follicles' debris and encourages the growth of new hair. It also helps with dry and itchy scalps because of its antiviral properties.
Vitamin C serums are notoriously sensitive to light, air, and heat. Exposure to these elements can cause the serum to degrade, leading to reduced effectiveness. Unfortunately, this is a mistake that many people overlook.
If you have more normal skin, go for a vitamin C serum with a lower pH of around 3.5 for optimal absorption. For sensitive skin, stick with something closer to the skin's pH level, at around 5 or 6. But sometimes, the product's pH levels may be hard to track down.
Acids, vitamin C serums and retinoids can all cause purging. Purging is an initial acne breakout that can occur when you're starting a new active skincare product—one that causes your skin cells to turn over more quickly.
The REV-drying resulted in a 16.9% decrease in the total vitamin C content, while the air-drying resulted in a 33.3% decrease in the total vitamin C content. The values of β-carotene content were measured before and after drying for fresh carrots and dehydrated carrots.
According to Women's Health, wet skin is 10 times more permeable than dry skin. This means that applying serum especially one with hyaluronic acid with its water-binding properties to wet skin can help quicken or enhance absorption of vitamins and nutrients in the formula.
Vitamin C serum up to 20% concentration can be applied twice daily both morning (AM) and night (PM) right after cleansing and hydration or toning. Take 2-3 drops of Vitamin C serum on your fingertips and gently apply them in your face and neck in circular motions.
Vitamin C has powerful antioxidant properties, neutralising free radicals to help protect the skin from damage caused by the sun's rays and other external aggressors. It's also gained a reputation for its ability to lighten areas of hyperpigmentation, helping visibly fade dark spots to achieve a more even skin tone.
What vitamin deficiency causes sagging skin? A deficiency in Vitamin C can accelerate skin ageing, resulting in premature skin sagging and wrinkling. This is because Vitamin C enhances the production of the protein collagen, which is vital to providing the firmness and vibrancy that counteracts skin sagging.
4 weeks is usually the golden rule for beginning to see changes - it's allowed your skin to go through at least one renewal cycle with this skin-changing ingredient. At this point, your skin should have a subtle change in radiance, which is something you'll notice will stick around as long as you keep using Vitamin C.
Vitamin C should not be mixed with acids, which includes all AHAs and BHAs. Vitamin C plays a key role in strengthening the outer layer of our skin barrier, but when combined with an acid, it can enhance the potency of your vitamin C and cause severe irritation [5].
If not followed by a moisturizer, Vitamin C serum can cause dryness, especially in those with already dry or sensitive skin.
Nearly across the board, dermatologists recommend incorporating vitamin C serum into your morning routine as opposed to using it at night.
In other cases, mixing can destabilize or cancel out the benefits of the antioxidant. Here are some ingredients to never mix with vitamin C: Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid.
All of our experts recommend Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, a serum containing 15% L-ascorbic acid. It's often referred to as the gold standard in vitamin C serums by dermatologists.
Opt for a Brightening Toner
Build on your vitamin C serum-based skin brightening regimen with the mineral-rich Fermented Rice Water Toner. With similar benefits to the vitamin C serum, this sake-infused toner can help brighten, soften, and rehydrate your skin.