Vitamin C for your skin

Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis. Collagen is a fiber (to be more specific a group of proteins) that makes skin elastic. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body, making up to 35% of the whole body protein contents. The lack of collagen leads to the formation of wrinkles. Additionally Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals, which are one of the reasons for premature aging of skin. 

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Vitamin C can be consumed in food, especially citrus fruits as well as applied topically to the skin. Even though Vitamin C is very important for healthy skin there are a few downsides of products containing this vitamin. Vitamin C when exposed to light and air easily oxidizes. As a result of this not only does it lose its effectiveness, but what is worse it actually generates free radicals. To avoid this products containing Vitamin C should be stored in dark containers and sealed tightly when not used. If the product changes it's color to a yellowish-brown this means that the Vitamin C has been oxidized and the product needs to be thrown away. 

Another issue with Vitamin C containing products is that in order for them to be effective they need to be present in high concentrations. Many of the products available on the market do not contain enough Vitamin C. Those that due sometimes can be overwhelmingly expensive. And even when we do purchase a product with high Vitamin C contents it might cause irritation if you have sensitive skin. Therefore using Vitamin C topically in creams and serums can be sometimes a bit problematic. 

Non the less Vitamin C consumed in our food is also effective for the production of collagen, therefore eat plenty of fruits and veggies containing this vitamin to improve the health of your skin.