Benefits Of Vitamin C for Skin Lightening

Read more about the complete guide on how to use Vitamin C for Skin Lightening to get amazing effects.
AuthorBy Wendy Gould

Last Updated: Dec 31, 2022

Vitamin C for Skin Lightening - Image/Shutterstock

What Are The Beauty Benefits Of Vitamin C?

Why is Vitamin C so good for the skin anyway?

What does Vitamin C do to your skin? Here are the top reasons that make Vitamin C one of the best, if not the best, nutrient your skin needs to stay healthy, vibrant, young, and glowing:

  • It is a powerful antioxidant.

Broccoli Stands Out As The Most Concentrat Source Of Vitamin C

Broccoli Stands Out As The Most Concentrat Source Of Vitamin C – Image/Shutterstock

This property of Vitamin C will have to count as the best anti-aging benefits of Vitamin C because it functions to stop the damage and aging even before they begin — a mechanism that works not only for your skin cells but also for other cells in your body.

Vitamin C serves as a powerful shield against Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) damage, the impact of which can go down to the cellular level where cell integrity can become compromised, causing cell death or, converting healthy cells to become free radicals themselves and attack the body as a result.

  • It protects your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Vitamin C Helps To Protect The Skin From Sun Burn

Vitamin C Helps To Protect The Skin From Sun Burn – Image/Shutterstock

Skin burn comes on top of mind but, what most people neglect is that UVA can go much deeper into the skin where it can damage skin synthesis and cause collagen to break down.

Topical application of Vitamin C has been found to help protect the skin better in these situations. However, experts continue to struggle for more ways to stabilize topical Vitamin C to serve this purpose.

  • It supports the production of healthy collagen fibers.

Production Of Healthy Collagen Fibers

Production Of Healthy Collagen Fibers – Image/Shutterstock

Known as the building blocks of beautiful, youthful, and resilient skin, protecting the health of collagen fibers is a key strategy in promoting gorgeous skin.

With stronger collagen fibers, your skin becomes more capable of resisting damage while premature collagen breakdown is also prevented.

It is estimated that collagen makes up as much as 75 percent of human skin.

  • It promotes stronger collagen synthesis.

Both for newly formed collagen and for existing collagen that makes up your skin, Vitamin C strengthens these fibers, causing these to take longer to break down.

  • It triggers collagen production.

At the sign of skin damage, Vitamin C revitalizes the energy in your skin cells.

The sudden surge in energy levels gives your skin cells better capability to deliver faster rates of skin healing, rejuvenation, and regeneration.

From the surface, the damage is patched up, and wound healing can begin almost immediately.

  • It has natural astringent properties.

Natural Astringent Properties

Natural Astringent Properties – Image/Shutterstock

This is another key reason why Vitamin C is almost always present in skincare products.

Vitamin C is a natural skin-lightening vitamin.

How does Vitamin C whiten skin?

It inhibits enzymatic pathways that stop the formation of melanin, the natural pigment that gives your skin its color, including those of your dark marks, age spots, and other hyperpigmented concerns that you have with your skin.

When melanin production is low, your skin becomes fairer, and your dark marks appear lighter, faded, and much less noticeable.

  • It exfoliates your skin.

Exfoliates The Skin

Exfoliates The Skin – Image/Shutterstock

Fruit acids, considered alpha-hydroxy acids for their citric acid content, contain rich amounts of Vitamin C which make these natural exfoliators so effective at sloughing off the dead skin sitting on the damaged surface layer.

As this layer is lifted and eliminated, the mechanism simultaneously stimulates faster skin regeneration which later forces a turnover so that a newer, unblemished layer can rise to the surface, giving you smoother, more flawless, and more radiant skin.

  • It corrects sun damage.

Still, on how Vitamin C lightens skin, this nutrient’s powerful activity to act on sun-damaged skin also contributes to its ability to improve skin tone and complexion.

Topical application of Vitamin C stimulates faster rates of collagen production at higher volumes.

This is why spot treating your sunspots with Vitamin C is highly capable of delivering visible results.

  • It recycles Vitamin E in your system.

Vitamin C Recycles Vitamin E And Helps In Skin Lightening

Vitamin C Recycles Vitamin E And Helps In Skin Lightening – Image/Shutterstock

This way, your skin always has ample amounts of soothing Vitamin E which, by the way, is also a powerful antioxidant and benefits your skin by enhancing the natural protective barrier.

Which Is Better: Topical Vitamin C Or Vitamin C Supplementation?

The trouble with Vitamin C despite its benefits is that it isn’t very stable.

Experts have had a hard time stabilizing Vitamin C so that your skin can better benefit from topical application.

It will be good to distinguish the skincare benefits that you can derive when you use Vitamin C on your skin versus when you take it as a supplement.

According to a discussion. about the use of Vitamin C in Skin Care published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 1998, “human beings cannot synthesize Vitamin C”.

This fact requires Vitamin C to be ingested so that it can be broken down by the body into useful components that your body can absorb and assimilate to power natural physiological mechanisms that require this nutrient, which includes skin production.

Fast forward to the present day, skin experts have come up with all sorts of allegedly stable forms of Vitamin C that make it capable of delivering skincare benefits even when topically applied.

L-ascorbic acid is the form of Vitamin C suited for topical application that has received much recognition and acclaim.

L-ascorbic acid allows more Vitamin C to be introduced into your system as compared to ingested Vitamin C which the body naturally regulates absorption.

Although, too much Vitamin C has been associated with gastric discomforts, including diarrhea.

A study published in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal in 2013 explains in detail why topical Vitamin C application offers more skin benefits:

“The absorption of Vit. C in the gut is limited by an active transport mechanism and hence a finite amount of the drug is absorbed despite high oral dosage. Furthermore, bioavailability of Vit. C in the skin is inadequate when it is administered orally. The use of topical ascorbic acid is therefore favored in the practice of dermatology.”

The Best Vitamin C Skin Care Products

It isn’t hard to imagine how dull, old and lifeless your skin can become when there isn’t a sufficient amount of Vitamin C within your skin.

So, when you don’t need any further convincing, here are some of the Best Vitamin C Skin Care Products:

1. Alina Skin Care Vitamin C Serum

Alina Skincare Vitamin C

Alina Skincare Vitamin C – Image/Shutterstock

This product combines Vitamin C[1] with Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) and Vitamin E[2], two other powerful antioxidants.

Niacinamide improves nutrient, blood, and fluid circulation and it has natural anti-inflammatory properties that calm irritations, while Vitamin E supports faster skin healing.

Prodroxatone Vitamin C Serum

Prodroxatone Vitamin C Serum – Image/Shutterstock

This product is available via a limited-time free trial offer where you pay only $5 to cover shipping and handling fees until the trial period lapses.

This serum combines Vitamin C with aloe vera and glycerin to deliver deep moisturizing goodness that soothes your skin and helps restore its ideal hydration levels.

3. Amara Organics Vitamin C Serum

Amara Organics Vitamin C Serum

Amara Organics Vitamin C Serum – Image/Shutterstock

This product contains a 20% concentration of Vitamin C.

Combined with Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid, this product improves your skin’s texture, volume, and density to pull back wrinkles and fine lines that restore the smoothness of your skin.

This serum does not contain parabens, artificial colorants, and irritating fragrances.

4. Natureful 20% Vitamin C Serum

Natureful 20% Vitamin C Serum

Natureful 20% Vitamin C Serum – Image/Shutterstock

This product folds in hyaluronic acid, ferulic acid, and propylene glycol.

This lightweight serum replenishes your skin’s lost moisture and nutrients.

It boosts your antioxidant levels and facilitates faster rates of skin healing, helping your skin better cope with early signs of skin damage and aging.

To know more read Natureful 20% Vitamin C Serum Review.

5. Lancer Advanced C Radiance Cream

Lancer Advanced C Radiance

Lancer Advanced C Radiance – Image/Shutterstock

This product folds in retinol and shea butter which is also rich in Vitamin A.

Designed to help your skin fight visible signs of skin aging, this cream acts on correcting fine lines and wrinkles and pulls up sagging skin.

To know more read Lancer Advanced C Radiance Cream Review.

6. Derma E Vitamin C Intense Night Cream

Derma E Intensive Night Cream

Derma E Intensive Night Cream – Image/Shutterstock

This product is formulated to help fight the signs of skin aging.

It is infused with Rooibos Extract which calms inflamed skin, Probiotics that help restore natural balance and Sodium Hyaluronate which improves your skin’s moisture content.

To know more read Derma E Vitamin C Intense Night Cream Review.

How Else Can You Derive Vitamin C To Benefit Your Skin?

While skin experts have already found a way to stabilize Vitamin C for topical application, loading up with Vitamin C from within can still have added benefits that further amp up your skin health and appearance in many ways.

One of the many ways from which your skin can benefit from ingesting Vitamin C includes improvements in amino acid synthesis, many of which mechanisms are found in your skin.

Should you rather get your Vitamin C from your diet or, by supplementation?

A study entitled, “Synthetic or Food-Derived Vitamin C—Are They Equally Bioavailable?” published in the journal, “Nutrients” in 2013 concluded that there really isn’t much of a difference in terms of the amount of Vitamin C successfully assimilated by the body.

An article from the Linus Pauling Institute at the Oregon State University supports this view.

Two of the best ways for you to obtain Vitamin C are through your diet and by supplementation.

Here are some pointers:

1. Deriving Vitamin C from your diet

Based on information shared by the World’s Healthiest Foods, the following foods represent the Top 10 foods with the highest concentration of Vitamin C:

  • Papaya
  • Bell Peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Strawberries
  • Pineapple
  • Oranges
  • Kiwifruit
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cauliflower

2. Deriving Vitamin C by supplementation

Are all forms of Vitamin C equal?

No, simply because not all forms added to supplements are stable.

The most stable forms you should look for in the labels are L-ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate.

If you have a sensitive gut, you should consider taking Vitamin C in ascorbate forms.

Such as Sodium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate.

How Else Can You Promote Healthy And Fairer Skin?

There are other things that you can do to improve your skin tone:

  • Follow a comprehensive sun care strategy. Make sure that your sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection and is at least SPF 30, choose your sun time wisely, and stay in the shade when you don’t absolutely need to bask under the sun.
  • Follow a proper skincare routine day and night. When you have healthy, clear, and blemish-free skin, your skin already becomes several tones lighter. Regular exfoliation has to be part of your regimen. The use of skin-lightening products will also help. Look for products that contain skin-lightening agents like arbutin, retinol, licorice, papaya, and kojic acid.
  • Schedule a procedure. Some of the available options are bleaching, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, laser skin whitening, and cryosurgery.

What Other Nutrients Are Essential For Skin Health?

Here’s a quick listing:

Vitamin E: Deeply nourishes your skin, it also strengthens your skin’s natural protective barrier.

Niacinamide: An antioxidant, it has natural anti-inflammatory properties that calm skin irritations to improve complexion.

Essential fatty acids: Promote faster skin healing.

Vitamin A: Promotes more efficient skin regeneration and more frequent turnovers.

Vitamin D: Supports optimal functioning of metabolism and skin repair and rejuvenation.

Vitamin K2: Lightens dark spots and helps prevent premature skin aging.

FAQ’s:

Que: Does vitamin C cause skin lightening?

Ans: Yes, vitamin C may also have mild skin lightening effects that are caused by reductions in melanin production and melanin oxidation.

Que: Which vitamin is best for skin lightening?

Ans: Vitamin C, vitamin B12, and vitamin E these are the best vitamins for lightening dark spots.

Que: Does vitamin C change skin color?

Ans: Yes, when the vitamin C is in high concentration, the serum will have a yellowish color; but as it oxidizes, it will turn brown/orange.

Conclusion

These days, opportunities know no bounds, and if you want to succeed, you have to always be at the forefront to be the first to know, first to finish, first to get where you want to go.

That’s why it is important to stay healthy, and everybody knows health begins with a good immune response.

Vitamin C is a leading food supplement boys and girls, men and women of all ages take to help keep their health up and fight diseases.

It’s good for your skin too. After all, putting your best face forward can also help you stay ahead of the pack.

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