Prevent the Visible Signs of Aging with
L-Ascorbic Acid

TAGS: L-ASCORBIC ACID, VITAMIN C ANTIOXIDANT, SKIN DISCOLORATION, SKIN SERUM, FACE SERUM

Prevent the Visible Signs of Aging with L-Ascorbic Acid

1. What is L-ascorbic acid?
2. How does L-ascorbic acid fight free-radical damage?
3. What does L-ascorbic acid do for the skin?
4. What to look for in a serum with L-ascorbic acid
5. How to use L-ascorbic acid
6. Which L-ascorbic acid serum is ideal for your skin

For the most optimal vitamin c benefits for skin, look for L-Ascorbic Acid on the ingredient list. As the purest form of vitamin C (and the most effective properly formulated vitamin C antioxidant serum), L-ascorbic acid helps protect the skin from free-radical damage while providing myriad other skin benefits as well.

1. What is L-ascorbic acid?

Simply put, L-ascorbic acid is the purest and most bioavailable form of vitamin C. What does all that mean? Essentially, our skin is better suited to absorb this form of vitamin c. Found naturally in citrus fruits (though generally formulated in a lab for skincare use), L-ascorbic acid has been extensively studied and proven to be a powerful antioxidant the effectively neutralizes free radicals to help protect against cellular damage—and its anti-aging benefits include improvement in visible signs of aging such as wrinkles, skin laxity, and skin discoloration. Unlike other vitamins, humans cannot naturally produce L-ascorbic acid and must ingest it via foods or supplements—or apply it to the skin in the form of a vitamin C serum.

2. How does L-ascorbic acid fight free-radical damage?

Generated by UV and infrared rays, ozone pollution, and other environmental aggressors, free radicals try to “steal” electrons from healthy molecules, in turn causing oxidative stress. Free-radical damage is a main cause of visible “atmospheric aging,” which includes fine lines, wrinkles, skin discoloration, and skin laxity. L-ascorbic acid helps protect against this damage by “donating” electrons to neutralize free radicals, in turn minimizing premature atmospheric aging.

3. What does L-ascorbic acid do for the skin?

Reducing the visible signs of aging on skin is a concern for most: L-Ascorbic Acid can help. The antioxidant benefits associated with L-ascorbic acid make this an important ingredient for both the health and appearance of the skin. It protects against the free-radical damage that leads to fine lines, wrinkles, and skin discoloration while improving the appearance of these visible signs of aging as well.

4. What to look for in a serum with L-ascorbic acid

An effective vitamin C serum should be formulated at an acidic pH (below 3.5) and have an L-ascorbic acid concentration between 10 and 20 percent. Created by SkinCeuticals’ founding scientist Dr. Sheldon Pinnell, these guidelines are known as the Duke Antioxidant patent and have been proven to optimize the beneficial effects that L-ascorbic acid provides for the skin.

5. How to use L-ascorbic acid

For optimal results, reap the abundant benefits of L-ascorbic acid with a vitamin C serum. Best applied to the face, neck, chest, and backs of the hands every morning after cleansing and toning (with broad-spectrum Sunscreen: as the final skincare step), L-ascorbic acid provides antioxidant protection for at least 72 hours once absorbed.

6. Which L-ascorbic acid serum is ideal for your skin

The benefits of L-ascorbic acid (and its stability) are enhanced when it is used in conjunction with other antioxidants. For example, a vitamin C antioxidant serum with L-ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and tocopherol (vitamin E) ferulic acid (such as our skin serum C E Ferulic®) provides powerful free-radical protection and improves the appearance of fine lines and loss of firmness while brightening the skin. Our face serum Phloretin CF includes L-ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and phloretin to help improve the look of fine lines, uneven tone and skin discoloration, and dullness. If you’re unsure which vitamin C serum is right for your skin, click here to find a SkinCeuticals skincare professional near you.