Joy Onuorah

Lightens dark spots

Vitamin C helps lighten dark spots on the skin by restricting the enzyme responsible for the production of melanin.

Dark spots form due to an overproduction of melanin, a dark pigment, in your skin. This extra melanin production can be triggered by several things, including sun damage, pregnancy, taking certain medications, or aging.

Helps reduce signs of aging

Vitamin C also plays an essential role in the formation of collagen, which is a fibrous protein that helps form connective tissue in the skin. 

As the skin ages, collagen production decreases. This is what causes the skin to lose elasticity, and sag. While skin aging is inevitable, daily use of vitamin C can help boost collagen production and slow down the aging process. This boost in collagen helps firm up the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Helps with sun damage 

When the sun strikes your skin, it forms what are called free radicals, which lead to skin damage. But vitamin C can help limit this damage due to its antioxidant properties. 

Antioxidants, like vitamin C, prevent cell damage by neutralizing free radicals from harmful effects like smoking and the sun. 

It’s important to know that vitamin C serums can’t act as a replacement for sunscreen because it does not block and absorb the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, using a combination of both will provide your skin with ample protection against sun damage. 

Minimizes redness and inflammation 

Skin can get red and inflamed for many reasons including acne, sun damage, skin conditions like dermatitis, and allergic reactions to certain medications. 

“Vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory, which means it is meant to help reduce skin inflammation and redness.

Anti-inflammatories are necessary for treating skin. And when used topically, like vitamin C, they can improve the skin’s appearance by calming the redness down.”

If your inflammation is caused by a skin condition like rosacea or dermatitis, it’s advisable to start with a low concentration of around 10% to prevent your skin from becoming more irritated. 

Helps skin heal

Vitamin C helps skin heal in several ways:

• When applied topically directly to the wound, it stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, Sobel says. This triggers the skin to heal itself. 
• Vitamin C boosts iron absorption, another nutrient necessary in wound healing.
• For people who are vitamin C deficient, taking 1000 milligrams of vitamin C supplements a day has been shown to drastically improve the healing of wounds.