Skin Health 101: Vitamin C

Welcome to Nia Imani,
        As many of you know I am a licensed and practicing esthetician. My goal as an esthetician is not only to provide clients with exceptional skin treatments but, to give them the tools they need to maintain the treatment. For me, the tools my clients need to sustain the results are more than just skin care products. To me the most important tool I can give them is knowledge; skin care knowledge that is. I want my clients to understand what certain ingredients can do to/for the skin, why they should be cautious when out in the sun, why diet and exercise is important for great skin, etc., etc. I feel that this information will empower them to make good skin care choices even when I am not around/available to guide them. To be frank, I believe all people, not just my clients should have access to information pertaining to skin health.

           When I started Nia Imani I wanted to use my expertise to provide the world with information on more than just makeup and beauty. I wanted to share my passion for skin health. I believe that the skin should be taken care of and maintained like all other organs. I also believe that as a licensed professional and skin care enthusiast I have a great opportunity to share my knowledge, tips, and tricks that I have acquired with everyone (not just my clients).  So, with that welcome to skin health 101.
Skin Health 101 is a series of skin care related posts; this series is about all the different kinds of skin care tidbits that only licensed professionals and skin care enthusiast know. This series is for people who just are in a skin care runt, or need a little help navigating skin care, or even just someone looking to know a little more about skin care. I will be breaking down everything from ingredients to hot tips and more! Awesome, right?

                Ok, today’s 101 is going to cover vitamin c. So, without further ado let’s jump into it!

• What is Vitamin C?
  • Vitamin C is a powerful vitamin.
  • Vitamin C has antioxidant properties.
• What are skin benefits of Vitamin C?
  • Vitamin C firms, tightens, brightens, and hydrates the skin.
  • Due to its antioxidant properties vitamin c is a skin protectant.
    • Antioxidants shield the skin from environmental stressors.
    • The Sun is the number one environmental stressor; it causes free radical damage and UV photodamage.
      • These forms of damage cause "liver" spots and premature wrinkles.
    • Other stressors are acid rain, pollution, and smog.
• Vitamin C potency
  • Vitamin C comes in many different forms:
    • Ascorbic Acid (L-Ascorbic Acid)
      • Is the most potent and most powerful form of vitamin c
      • This form is highly unstable
        • The stability issues can make it too rough on sensitive skin and it can cause photodamage if used during the day.
        • This form is typical used in anti-aging serums, professional treatments and night time moisturizers.
        • Ascorbic Acid
    • Ascorbyl Palmitate
    • Sodium Ascorbate
    • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
    • Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP)
    • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THDA) (also denoted Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate)
    • Ascorbyl Glucoside
    • Ascorbyl Glucosamine
    • Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
• Where can you find vitamin c?
  • The vitamin c found in to skincare products is synthetic and/or lab made.
  • Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, papayas, strawberries, and broccoli.
• What skin types can benefit from vitamin c?
  • All skin types can benefit from vitamin c
    
    • Aging skin types benefit and skin types with hyperpigmentation also benefits.
      

That's all folks!

Thank you for reading today's blog post. I hope you enjoyed the content. If you have any questions, comments, and concerns feel free to leave them in the comments section below or contact me via social media or email. You can find my social media and email in the tab labelled 'contact'. While you are there make sure you follow me on my social media platforms. I post often on Instagram and Facebook.  Also please remember to share the post and subscribe to the blog. Thank you again! See you next time.