Vitamin C is a popular ingredient in skincare and comes within many products and textures. Moisturisers, cleansers, serums, masks and toners but what is it for and what does it do?

Do you really need it in your skincare routine?
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Hopefully for those of you that didn’t already know about this ingredient, this blog post might just enlighten you.
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Vitamin C in skincare has the following properties: -
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• A powerful antioxidant that prevents damage to skin cells caused by free radicals (harmful aggressors within the natural environment such as the sun, pollution and stress). This in turn helps regenerate healthy skin cells leaving the skin looking brighter, glowy and more youthful.
• Evens skin tone diminishing dark spots. This does not mean it will lighten your natural skin tone, just fading of the dark spots caused by ageing and sun damage.
• Boosts collagen production.
• Hydrating. Vitamin C decreases water loss helping your skin to retain moisture.
• With the combination of the above properties this also makes vitamin C a powerful anti-ageing ingredient. As the turnover of skin cells and collagen boosting will help keep the skin fresh, young and youthful, along with hydration, this will reduce the risk of fine lines and wrinkles.
• It is gentle enough to use on most skin types. Those with very sensitive skin should only incur minor irritation. Always do a patch test on a less delicate spot on your body if you are unsure.
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Vitamin C can be used day or night, though to start off you should use once a day to build up tolerance. Personally, I like to use in the AM. You also need to be careful how you mix ingredients within your skincare routine as they can either cause a reaction or they can cancel one another.
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Avoid using vitamin C in the same sequence as Retinol (Vitamin A) & Niacinamide. Since these ingredients are best used at night. I would use the Vitamin C in the morning and the others in your evening routines if they are ingredients you like to incorporate into your skincare.  
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Please remember I am not a skincare professional or a dermatologist, this blog is based on my own research and experience using this ingredient.
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I hope this has enlightened you and answered any questions you may have.
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Kisses
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Nicola XXX

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