Types of Vitamin C

There are many products out there formulated with Vitamin C as an ingredient.  But what is vitamin C exactly doing for you in a skin care product?  Here is an overview of what vitamin C does in relation to your skin and why you should (or should not) use a product with vitamin C.

Selecting a vitamin C product is not as easy as finding the most expensive or least expensive item on the market. In fact, vitamin C is used and sold in several different forms and is more or less effective depending on its concentration, storage, and type.

L-ascorbic Acid

L-ascorbic acid is the most ‘natural’ form of vitamin C. If L-ascorbic acid is fresh and properly stored, it will work well for those who don’t have sensitive skin. However, L-ascorbic acid has some reasons for concern. First, it can irritate the skin. Second, it is not very stable. This means that it oxidizes easily when it is exposed to air. Oxidized vitamin C will not provide any benefit to the skin and may even harm it by increasing free radical formation. If you are not sure how L-ascorbic acid has been stored or how old it is, simply avoid using it.

Some skin care experts suggest that L-ascorbic acid is the ONLY type of vitamin C you should look for in any eye serum.

If you haven’t checked out our editors choice, follow the link to see what was picked as the best eye serum.