7 Myths About Vitamin C You Didn’t Know

Vitamin C is one of the most popular and most recommended active ingredients in cosmetics. We all know that it has antioxidant power and adds radiance, but there are also many myths surrounding it, along with information that is not entirely true and often causes confusion. In this blog article, we debunk 7 of the myths about vitamin C that you probably did not know.

Vitamin C: what you should know

Vitamin C is one of the star active ingredients in cosmetics. It is applied to the face to improve skin quality and achieve the appearance of young, radiant skin. But... do you know what else vitamin C can do for your skin? Do you know that not all types of vitamin C are the same?

Properties of vitamin C

Vitamin C has multiple benefits:

• Antioxidant power: it can neutralise the free radicals generated by pollution, sun exposure or oxidative stress, helping prevent cellular damage or ageing.
• It stimulates collagen synthesis: as long as it is pure, helping the skin maintain firmness and elasticity.
• Brightening effect: it adds radiance and light to the skin.
• It evens out skin tone: thanks to its depigmenting ability.

These properties will be more or less enhanced depending on the type of vitamin C and the active ingredients that accompany it in the product formula.

Pure vitamin C vs vitamin C derivatives

Not all the vitamin C we find is the same, and we can distinguish between:

• Pure vitamin C: this is the most active form and it both treats and prevents cellular ageing. It is usually more unstable and may cause more irritation in certain skin types or if it is not well formulated.
• Vitamin C derivatives: these are chemically modified forms of vitamin C designed to improve stability and tolerance. Their action is more gradual, because they are converted into vitamin C within the skin.

How to know whether a vitamin C is pure

For a vitamin C to be considered pure, it must meet the following:

• It must be in the form of L-ascorbic acid.
• It must have a pH of 3.5.
• It must have a concentration above 10%.

Myths about vitamin C

Now that you know the basics about vitamin C, let’s debunk some myths that you have probably heard more than once and that may change the way you think about it:

1. “Vitamin C stains the skin”, myth or reality?Vitamin C does not stain the skin. When we are exposed to the sun and other factors, vitamin C oxidises and can darken the pore, but this is not a problem if a good cleansing routine is followed.
2. “Vitamin C can only be used during the day”, myth or reality?It can also be used at night, but during the day you benefit from its antioxidant power. At night, it is especially worth choosing a pure vitamin C.
3. “Vitamin C cannot be combined with other actives”, myth or reality? Yes, it can be combined with other actives. If we combine it in the same formula with ingredients such as niacinamide or hyaluronic acid, we achieve different goals. Within a routine, it can also be combined with actives such as retinol or acids to enhance anti-ageing or depigmenting effects, but their use should always be separated; that means using vitamin C in the morning and retinol or acids at night.
4. “Vitamin C is not suitable for sensitive skin”, myth or reality?It depends on the skin and the routine. If the skin is used to active ingredients, then yes, although we would need to assess how best to introduce it into the skincare routine.
5. “Vitamin C cannot be used by oily skin”, myth or reality?Yes, it can, as long as the formula is oil-free. That way we avoid the feared “lightbulb effect”, getting radiance without excess oil.
6. “Vitamin C goes off”, myth or reality?It is true that once the container is opened, it begins to oxidise. However, if the product is used within the time indicated by the manufacturer and stored in a dry, dark place away from heat, it will still provide all its benefits.
7. “The higher the concentration of vitamin C, the better”, myth or reality? Active ingredients should always be suited to the skin type, its needs and its goals. The result of a routine depends on the selection of the skincare products used and how consistently the routine is followed.

Vitamin C products we recommend

At FarmaciasDirect, we suggest different products formulated with vitamin C that can help target different concerns:

Endocare Radiance Eye Contour

Endocare Radiance eye contour is an eye contour product designed to treat and conceal dark circles because it has a slight tint. Alongside vitamin C, it also includes tranexamic acid, caffeine and other antioxidants, making it ideal for treating expression lines, puffiness and bringing light to the eye area.

It can be used morning and night. We recommend using it as a corrector, because it helps neutralise the tone of dark circles while treating the area.

Avène Vitamin Cg Cream

The Avene Vitamin Activ Cg cream contains a stable form of vitamin C combined with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. This means it not only adds radiance, but also helps treat and prevent photoageing, cellular ageing and dark spots. In addition to giving the face beautiful radiance, it can be applied morning and/or night.