Benefits of Vitamin C in Skincare

Vitamin C skincare provides potent antioxidant protection from damaging free radicals within the environment that cause premature aging. These environmental factors include: sun-damage, pollution, and oxygen. Vitamin C skincare can provide a range of anti-aging benefits which include:

• Boosts collagen production
• Reduces age and brown spots
• Soothes irritation and inflammation
• Treats discoloration from past acne
• Boosts your skin’s defense against UV rays

One of the most effective forms of Vitamin C that  is within Vitamin C skincare products is L-ascorbic acid. When combined with other antioxidant based products or when used alone in high concentrations of 20% or above can help firm the skin and treat the  most stubborn skin conditions such as signs of sun-damage and old acne blemishes. Other forms of effective Vitamin C that are found in Vitamin C skincare are: sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl ascorbate, tetrehexyldecyl ascorbate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. The stability of Vitamin C products are vulnerable when exposed to both air and light, therefore the type of packaging of these products is very important. You will want to make sure that these products are packaged in air-tight, non-transparent dispensers.

With years of research behind Vitamin C skincare, it is proven to help you achieve healthy radiant skin. Lower percentages of Vitamin C are also effective with providing anti-aging benefits when infused with products that repair and nourish the skin. To gain the most optimal results, make sure a Sun Protection Factor is included with your daily skincare regime to enhance the ability of Vitamin C nourishment. Vitamin C skincare is a powerful essential that should be included in the skincare arsenal for all skin types.

Daily Sunscreen Use Proven to Reduce Signs of Premature Aging in Skin

A new study has determined that applying sunscreen every day can slow signs of aging, as well as dramatically reduce the risk of deadly skin cancer. The study has also shown that its never too late to begin the daily sunscreen routine to significantly lessen the signs of photoaging such as sun spots, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

"We now know that protecting yourself from skin cancer by using sunscreen has the added bonus of keeping you looking young." Dr. Adele Green, a professor at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research at the University of Queensland in Australia, told USA Today. "It has been a source of frustration for us that for some sections of the community, the sun-safe message does not seem to be getting through."

The study also tested whether or not the antioxidant beta-carotene also provide anti-aging benefits. This carotenoid has been shown to lower the risk of skin cancer. For the randomized-controlled trial, the researchers assigned 903 participants to one of four groups: Those who used broad-spectrum sunscreens daily and take 30 milligrams of beta-carotene, those who used daily sunscreen and took a placebo, those who took the beta-carotene but only used sunscreen periodically, and those who used sunscreen periodically and took a placebo. Everyone participating in the study were age 55 and under.

The two daily sunscreen groups used UVA/UVB blocking products with a SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher; they applied the product to their head, neck, arms, and hands each morning after bathing, and reapplied it every few hours. The other two groups applied sunscreen where and when they thought they needed it. The study groups were tracked for four and a half years, and used putty-like skin molds to document fine lines and wrinkles. They found that the groups using sunscreen every day showed 24 percent less skin photoaging than those who only applied it periodically. The results were the same regardless of age, so even the middle-aged participants benefited from regular sunscreen use. Results from the testing showed that the Beta Carotene had no benefit at all against the photo aging.  

In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began allowing sunscreen manufacturers to claim that their products reduced the risk of skin cancer and skin aging if used as directed, as long they also advised people to take other precautions, like reapplying sunscreen at least every two hours (more often if you're sweating or swimming), avoiding sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and broad-brimmed hats to shield the skin when possible. We now know that daily application of sunscreen provides both cancer prevention and age prevention, which is worth the few seconds it takes to apply it every morning.

Chocolate Sunscreen?

If you have a "bit of chocolate a day" habit, you might already have heard of some of the research surrounding the health benefits of chocolate, which in its purer forms has been tied to heart and metabolic health, and it's also a source of antioxidants. Now it turns out that it might be a skin protector too. 

 

A study in the Journal of Nutrition indicates that high-flavanol cocoa protects skin from UV rays. No, not when you slather it on the skin, but when you consuming it (a much more delicious option). 

 

According to the journal article summary, "One group of women ingested 326 mg/d of high flavanol cocoa, rich in the antioxidants epicatechin and catechin, and another group consumed only 27 mg/d over a 12-week period. At the end, the high flavanol group showed decreased sensitivity to UV light, increased cutaneous and subcutaneous blood flow, skin hydration and thickness, as well as reduced roughness and scaling."

 

This means that those who consumed the chocolate drink with higher amounts of flavanols suffered less significant burns than those who had a drink with less. For those of us who are dedicated to the use of foods rather than drugs for healing, this is another drop in the bucket of research indicating that pure, healthy foods can keep us healthier for longer. 

 

What this information does not mean is that eating a Kit Kat or Snickers bar every day is advisable. Processed chocolate candy that you find in the bodega, corner store or gas station contains very little cocoa, and what is there is low-quality chocolate grown in monoculture systems that are doused with fertilizers and chemicals. Not great for the Earth or your waistline, since it is then mixed with a lot of extra sugar, unhealthy fats and artificial flavors. 

 

What this does mean is that seeking out and enjoying a small to moderate quantity of organic, fair-trade (and raw, if you can find it) dark chocolate may very well assist your skin in protection and self-repair. While you will notice that this chocolate is a little more expensive (if you buy in bulk when it's on sale, it only ends up costing about 10-20 percent more than conventional, processed candy), you need less of it and it lasts quite a while.