Outdated Vitamin C?
On Google, in 2021, it is the most searched skincare ingredient after aloe vera, tied with retinol and ahead of hyaluronic acid(1).
At the time of the great cosmetic transition, this century-old molecule obsesses women all over the world, from teenagers in search of a pure complexion to fifty-somethings crumpled by their wrinkles, passing through exhausted thirty-somethings.
Women and men confused.
This Swiss cosmetic knife is not one to discriminate.
She speaks all languages, everyone knows her name and her benefits, swallows it to fight colds and bouts of slack.
Associated with the fruits of the sun, the punchy vitamin benefits from a big sympathy capital.
She has proven herself
“Cosmetics follows cycles, underlines Cyrille Telinge, founder of the Novexpert brand. After the fantasies of recent years, and on the fringes of the natural movement, we return to serious molecules, having been the subject of scientific bibliographies. Today, what is new and unknown is immediately associated with the notion of danger. The exotic plant from the other side of the world no longer necessarily makes people dream. The name of the assets must immediately resonate in people's heads, the sales pitch that lasts for hours is no longer possible. Add to that that the efficacy and toxicology tests of ingredients are increasingly time-consuming and expensive.”
The cosmetics groups have taken the seed.
They learned the lesson of the 1990s and their polished advertisements with overpromises.
No more disappointment!
With vitamin C, they sell a tangible, fast and “safe” benefit.
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It is essential for the skin
Another reason for success, everyone lacks more or less.
Along with the monkey and the guinea pig, man is the only living being unable to synthesize this molecule which is essential to the physiological mechanisms of the skin.
It is naturally found in large quantities in the epidermis (40 times more than vitamin E or a thousand times more than retinol, for example), up to a certain age: its rate decreases by half between 20 and 60 years.
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“Modern life is a big destroyer of vitamin C. We eat less and less fruit and vegetables, which contain less and less, we peel them, we heat them, we freeze them… And then there are the aggressions external factors such as the sun, pollution, tobacco - a single cigarette destroys 5 mg out of the 110 daily recommended doses, and smokers are surprised to have a gray complexion!
continues Cyrille Telinge.
The amount ingested reaching the skin, after the organs have been used, depends on each individual but, in general, it is very small.
The majority of skins are deficient.
It is a powerful anti-oxidant, a co-factor in collagen synthesis.
With, as a result, firmer, denser skin and fewer wrinklesBethsabée Coutaz, Director of Research Dr Pierre Ricaud
She is effective
For several years, researchers have relied on the powers of vitamin C to slow down the signs of skin aging.
It must be said that this "skin orange juice" is not lacking in arguments.
Unlike retinol, which is beginning to irritate some, this ingredient has a “clean (still) record.”
“It is a pluripotent active ingredient, very effective and generally well tolerated, confirms Bethsabée Coutaz, research director Dr Pierre Ricaud.
First, it is a powerful anti-oxidant, a co-factor in collagen synthesis.
With, as a result, firmer, denser skin and fewer wrinkles.
Finally, it prevents and corrects hyperpigmentation by regulating the synthesis of melanin, which makes the complexion more even, brighter and lightens dark spots."
In some countries, such as Japan, its effectiveness is such that it is mandatory in so-called "lightening" formulas to obtain marketing authorization.
She's making progress all the time
All clinical work shows that to be assimilated by the skin, vitamin C must be absorbed in its purest form: L.ascorbic acid.
However, nothing is more fragile, unstable and difficult to formulate.
Natural (for example extracted from kakadu plum or acerola) or synthetic, same fight.
It oxidizes at high speed on contact with air, light and water.
“Until now, laboratories had the choice between stabilizing it in a solution with an acid pH, therefore moderately tolerated by the skin, or using derivatives”, explains Sarah Michel-Stevens, general manager of Galénic.
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Flash Radiance Cleansing Foam and Vitamin C Booster from Novexpert
Combo radiance: Flash Radiance Cleansing Foam and Vitamin C Booster, Novexpert.
50€ and 19€.
On sale www.novexpert-lab.com.
Novexpert
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Serum-Cure with vitamin C 10% anti-aging and anti-fatigue by Dr.Pierre Ricaud
Basic treatment: Serum-Cure with 10% anti-aging and anti-fatigue vitamin C, Dr.Pierre Ricaud, €65 for 30ml.
On sale at www.ricaud.com.
Dr. Pierre Ricaud
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Box (N°1) with vitamin C from Galénic
Great radiance: 20% pure vitamin C in powder form, to be mixed with a lotion, three evenings a week Box (N°1), Galénic, €105 for a one-month course.
On sale at www.galenic.com.
Galenic
Our selection of 16 vitamin C-based products bursting with vitality - Vinergetic C+ Vitamin C Serum by Caudalie
Energy shot: Vinergetic C+ Vitamin C Serum, Caudalie, €38 for 30 ml.
On sale at www.fr.caudalie.com.
Caudalie
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Refreshing Eye Cream Ginzing by Origins
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Vitamin C Super Radiance Serum by Garnier
Our selection of 16 vitamin C-infused vitality products - C-Firma Fresh Day Serum and Drunk Elephant Liquid Serum Base
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Stabilized Vitamin C 20% by Pai
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Ren Skincare Radiance and Protection Serum
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - C-ING Stars Vitamin C Set by Ole Henriksen
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Serum The Good C by Dr. Barbara Sturm
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - CE Ferulic by SkinCeuticals
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Liposomal Vitamin C by Altrient
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Super Sérum Éclat C+E by Sephora Collection
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Ethylated L-Ascorbic Acid 30% Network
Our selection of 16 products bursting with vitality based on vitamin C - Flavo-C Forte by Isdin
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With advances in research and cosmetics, we now master one of the most powerful active ingredients in dermatology. Hence an avalanche of new proposals on the market. We find more and more pure vitamin C in the form of powder to be mixed at the last moment thanks to adapted packaging. Others have found encapsulation systems or oily solutions. Each lab has its recipe and its bottles, either opaque, or equipped with UV filters, or in single doses. Sometimes, it is coupled with other antioxidant active ingredients such as vitamin E, but also hyaluronic acid or niacinamide, the fashionable multi-cap super active ingredient.
Another essential question is the dose.
Today we are witnessing a real inflation of concentration rising up to 25% in certain products.
“Between 0.5 and 1%, it is a good antioxidant which protects cellular structures, continues Bethsabée Coutaz, but it is only from 5% that the “anti-aging” effect is real.
Likewise, against stains, a high concentration is necessary.
For me, the ideal remains 10 to 15% and I recommend to sensitive skin not to exceed 5% or to space out the applications, one day out of two or three.
She lives at your pace
There's nothing like a vitamin C treatment for an immediate boost of radiance, but for the in-depth biological effects, you have to wait a bit. "We see results on the luminosity of the complexion and the density from 28 days but whatever the age, I rather recommend two annual cures of two months: one in winter, from December to February and one at the end of the summer. , September-October, advises Bethsabée Coutaz. The molecule is not photosensitizing like retinol but fears light, so it is best to use it at night. However, in cure, I recommend an application morning and evening for a better result. You can also put on a day cream with less vitamin C all year round for its anti-oxidant effect and healthy glow. And in summer, in the sun, under your sunscreen, a vitamin C serum will boost protection.
Finally, some dermatologists or aesthetic doctors use it in the form of superficial injections into the epidermis (mesotherapy) alone or in polyvitamin cocktails to give a good boost to the face.
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She goes to the table
To strengthen the skin's defenses from the inside, it is therefore in our best interest to ensure our daily vitamin C intake.
"Among the foods that contain the most are red and purple berries, kiwi, goji berries, citrus fruits, parsley and green leafy vegetables," says Susie Debice, nutritional therapist.
If you enjoy starting your day with a morning smoothie, consider adding a teaspoon of acai, rosehip or baobab powder, which are also excellent sources of vitamin C.”
Useful, food supplements?
Nothing replaces real food but “a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, conducted over 16 weeks, shows that liposomal vitamin C significantly improves the
skin elasticity and slows the early signs of skin aging, adds Susie Debice.
This liposomal vitamin C is said to be three times better absorbed than a traditional ascorbic acid form of vitamin C taken orally.”
(1)
The Most Searched Skincare Ingredients Worldwide
study by SkinHero, based on the analysis of data and volume of international searches on Google between October 2020 and October 2021.
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