Hey Beauties!

I'm sure by now everyone has heard that Vitamin C is a powerhouse skincare ingredient and this could not be more accurate. This ingredient is safe for even the most sensitive skin and has a huge range of benefits, from anti-aging to skin protection. I think it's a great idea to discuss all the benefits of Vitamin C, as well as the different forms of it that you will find in your skincare products.

The Benefits

Anti-Aging: When it comes to fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of your skin’s aging, vitamin C is an important tool for your skincare routine. Research shows this nutrient helps protect against damage and aids in skin regeneration, by neutralizing free radicals.

Sun Damage: Prolonged sun exposure can do a lot of damage to the skin. Flakiness, discolored patches (sunspots), rough areas, rosacea, etc. But applying a daily Vitamin C product may guard your skin from taking too much damage. Studies have found people with mild to moderately photo-damaged skin experience improvement in skin appearance, including fine lines, roughness, and skin tone, after using a topical Vitamin C treatment.

Skin Tone: Blotchy, uneven skin, and redness can result from a number of factors. Sun exposure, hormones, medical conditions, and more can cause these skin issues. Luckily, Vitamin C has the ability to fight against redness, as it helps mend the damaged capillaries that cause this discoloration and strengthen them for the future. 

Hyperpigmentation: This refers to dark patches of skin, caused when the body produces too much melanin (the pigment that gives your skin its color). While it's mostly not harmful, hyperpigmentation can cause a lot of people embarrassment and self-esteem problems. Topically applying Vitamin C has been shown to decrease its signs, as it inhibits production of tyrosinase, an enzyme that contributes to melanin production.

Forms of Vitamin C

There are many forms of Vitamin C for skin, and while they all have antioxidant benefits, some types of Vitamin C work better in skin care formulas than others. I want to talk about two main forms of Vitamin C. Our new Brightening Oil Complex is formulated with Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, which we decided would be the most effective form of Vitamin C.

L-Ascorbic Acid: L-Ascorbic Acid is the most common form of Vitamin C used in skincare. It is water-soluble. The biggest advantage to L-Ascorbic Acid is that its concentrations are well-established in skincare products. Topically, you can have 15% or higher concentrations, but the issues with L-ascorbic acid are that it doesn't penetrate past the epidermis and also it is notoriously unstable, meaning when exposed to light, heat, and air, it oxidizes and becomes inactive and completely ineffective.

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate: Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is a Vitamin C ester, and is a highly stable, oil-soluble form of Vitamin C, it is also considered to be more potent than L-Asorbic Acid and other Vitamin C compounds, and has a higher rate of penetration (because it is lipid soluble, like human skin) than other derivatives; it also has a higher rate of conversion to vitamin C within the dermis. That's right,  Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate not only penetrates the epidermis (outermost Layer of skin) it also penetrates down to the deeper level of the dermis, which makes this form of Vitamin C a highly effective ingredient. 

• There's so much more to know about Vitamin C, so if you have any questions you can always contact us at customercare@mindiwalters.com

Love Always,

 Christopher David