Is Vitamin C Good for Exfoliation
Vitamin C serum has been heralded for a lot of reasons.
Let’s be honest, vitamin C is really good for building immunity. You feel sick? You can have a nice glass of vitamin C and feel great afterwards. Just like vitamin C boosting wonderful immunity, the serum is perfect if you want to have healthier, glowing skin that looks radiant and bright.
But is it good for exfoliation? We’ll dive into this here, and talk about why or why not it is good for your skin.
What is Vitamin C Serum?
Vitamin C Serum is a serum filled with vitamin C.
This is one of the most powerful antioxidants out there. Antioxidants are great for getting rid of unstable molecules or free radicals that attack your body.
Free radicals do cause cancer and autoimmune conditions, but for your skin cells it attacks, and this causes aging, dry and damaged skin, and doesn’t make it look as healthy.
When you’re in your 20s, your skin changes. There are more damaging effects to exposing your skin to the outside world.
Those damaging elements affect the way your skin looks.
That’s why vitamin C serum is good.
You can put this on your body and make yourself look good, and get rid of any damaging free radicals on your face.
But does it work as an exfoliant?
Vitamin C as an Exfoliant
An exfoliant is something that sloughs the dead cells off your body through the use of chemicals or even just the physical motion of rubbing that part of your body.
However, Vitamin C is not like that. You don’t need to harshly rub it, or use chemicals to get rid of the dead skin cells.
Instead, it creates healthy cell production, so new skin cells are formed because of this.
This does impact how the skin feels and looks. Think about it: when you exfoliate, it does feel softer, but it doesn’t provide ample support to your skin. In contrast, vitamin C serum does all of that.
L-ascorbic acid is the purest vitamin C, and it does get deep. It gets rid of the free radicals, helps get rid of those dead skin cells, and also promotes cell regeneration too.
However, the problem with L-ascorbic acid is that it’s incredibly potent. It can cause your skin to dry out, and sometimes rashes and other responses occur. If you have sensitive or oily skin, it’s not recommended to use that.
Instead, use a vitamin C serum with hyaluronic acid. This typically has the Vitamin C level at 5% rather than the 20% L-ascorbic acid has, and it also contains magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, a type of vitamin C that’s much gentler on the skin than regular Vitamin C.
This is typically gentle enough to lightly put on some areas. You should avoid the eyes with this though, and instead use an eye cream to take care of the area.
Side effects of Vitamin C
Vitamin C serum is powerful, so there is a chance you may have a bit of redness, a reaction in the skin, and even some bumps when you use this.
This is typically normal for first-time product users, since it can be a little bit harsh on this.
You should let the skin acclimate to this and try to use fewer pumps so that your skin can get used to it.
It’s important that if you’re using this, you should use the right product. If it’s creating way too much of a reaction, then it may not be the right product for you, and you might need something gentler for the skin.
When to Use these
Typically, when you use vitamin C serums, you should use them at different points of the skincare routine.
This also is dependent on the type of vitamin C serum it is, since in a lot of cases, the stronger serum does need to be applied at a different time.
Here is what you need to know about each one.
Vitamin C with Ferulic Acid
If it has ferulic acid in it, you can use it both daytime and nighttime. However, if you do have sensitive skin in the sun, you should use it at night so you can have daily defense before using it.
To apply this, do the following:
- First use the serum
- Massage and pat into your face, chest, neck, and the back of your hands. avoid any thin areas by your eyes.
- Let it absorb into the skin before continuing.
- Do the rest of your routine and then use moisturizer or SPF for this.
Hyaluronic Acid Containing Vitamin C
Some products that are softer on the skin can be used more often.
Hyaluronic acid with vitamin C is one of them. This can be used 2 times a day, and should be for the best results.
To use this, do the following:
- Clean your skin.
- Gently pat and massage the vitamin C serum into your face, chest, neck, and your hands, avoiding the eyes since it can irritate that skin
- Finish up with eye cream, moisturizer, and then an SPF. If you’re doing this at night, use a night cream instead.
By using this, you’ll notice noticeably brighter skin. While it doesn’t exfoliate like other products, this is still incredibly valuable for those who want to have visibly brighter skin now, and down the road.
Vitamin C serum does what other products normally don’t. it not only exfoliates the skin easily and effectively, but also does brighten up, and will naturally cause cell regeneration and collagen formation, to offer bright and beautiful skin. It’s important to use this, since it can impact how your skin looks now and down the road, and you will immediately notice the difference in your skin the moment it’s put on.
Vitamin c serum is really good for the face, and will create marked changes in your skin, and how it feels, immediately and in the future as well.
Experience working for several top beauty brands, published editorials for the top skincare and beauty brands in the world.