Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?
In the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the evil queen is obsessed with being the fairest, or most beautiful woman in the whole kingdom. Many researchers and others have investigated the definition of beautiful: symmetry, large evenly spaced eyes, white teeth, well-proportioned nose and a flawless complexion. Skin, no doubt is the utmost importance when people judge someone as beautiful.
Skin, the marker of health and beauty
Besides greying of the hair, skin is the most visible sign of ageing. Our skin changes throughout our lives, and has very little to do with our numeric age. Biggest factors are much more related with our genetics, lifestyle, skin type and any skin conditions. These changes are reflected in the areas exposed daily to the sun, including face, neck and the backs of our hands. Skin thins, loses volume and elasticity with wrinkles appear. Sagging skin, accumulation of blemishes and scars are also one of the most pronounced signs of ageing.
Vitamin C hype for glowing skin
Vitamin C work miracles for your skin. Any skin type or age group can use vitamin C. It has great benefits across all age groups. -Dr Kiran Sethi, celebrity dermatologist and wellness expert-
Lately Vitamin C has gained its popularity and considered the holy grail in skincare. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for our bodies, however, we don’t produce it on our own. We can get vitamin C via diet, and vitamin C naturally occurs in citrus fruits, such as oranges. Vitamin C helps the skin in a variety of ways, discover how his hero ingredient benefits skin!
Vitamin C offers antioxidant protection
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize and remove oxidants, that can be found in environmental pollutants and after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This activity is important in the epidermis, where vitamin C is concentrated in the skin. When the skin is exposed to UV light, reactive oxygen species such as superoxide ion, peroxide and singlet oxygen are generated. Vitamin C protects the skin from oxidative stress by sequentially donating electrons to neutralize the free radicals (1).
Vitamin C and collagen synthesis
Collagen helps our skin looking firm and bouncy, and thus, boosting the skin’s collagen levels, or preventing its loss, would help making one look younger. Vitamin C is essential for the production of healthy collagen and help strengthen the skin. Vitamin C helps stabilize the collagen molecule structure and promotes collagen gene expression (2).
Vitamin C evens skin tone and reduces brown spots appearance and hyperpigmentation
Vitamin C contains properties that helps inhibiting overproduction of melanin, making it a good ingredient to use if you are fighting brown spots or other concerns on skin discoloration. Vitamin C interrupt the key steps of melanogenesis by interacting with copper ions at the tyrosinase-active site, and thus decrease the melanin formation (3).
Just like any other organ in the body, skin requires specific nutrients to stay healthy and youthful.
Vitamin C is a normal skin constituent that is found at high levels in both the dermis and epidermis. Aging, however, causes a decline in vitamin C content in both epidermis and dermis. Exposure to UV light or pollutants may also lower vitamin C content, particularly in the epidermis (4). Taking beauty supplements can make a huge difference, as health and beauty both start from the inside. Thus, to look young and keep your skin silky, soft and glowing, adequate vitamin C intake helps maintain youthful glow, creating younger, firmer looking skin.
References:
1. Telang PS. Vitamin C in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2013 Apr;4(2):143-6. doi: 10.4103/2229-5178.110593. PMID: 23741676; PMCID: PMC3673383.
2. Pihlajaniemi T, Myllylä R, Kivirikko KI. Prolyl 4-hydroxylase and its role in collagen synthesis. J Hepatol. 1991;13 Suppl 3:S2-7. doi: 10.1016/0168-8278(91)90002-s. PMID: 1667665.
3. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017 Aug 12;9(8):866. doi: 10.3390/nu9080866. PMID: 28805671; PMCID: PMC5579659.
4. Steiling H, Longet K, Moodycliffe A, et al. Sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter isoforms in skin: Distribution, kinetics, and effect of UVB-induced oxidative stress. Free Radic Biol Med 2007;43:752-762