Stability is a very good thing. Especially when it comes to vitamin C. We've all heard about how vitamin C is an effective yet temperamental ingredient because it degrades very easily. Which is why you need stabilized vitamin C in your skin care routine.
Ultraceuticals Global Education Ambassador Tracey Beeby explains that when we talk about vitamin C, we're usually referring to ascorbic acid, the pure form of vitamin C. Nicole Simpson, beauty veteran and founder of Amethyst Skincare, points out that there are many forms of vitamin C available. But L-ascorbic acid is the gold standard. It can penetrate and remain bioactive in skin, neutralize free radicals, brighten hyperpigmentation and stimulate higher-quality collagen production.
Simpson elaborates that there are other forms of vitamin C, such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate, that can be stable on their own. They just don't have the same capacity to penetrate skin or remain bioactive once inside your skin.
Plain and simple, if vitamin C is unstable, its efficacy and benefits can be compromised. Which means you won't see results on your skin reports Mark Curry, co-founder and lead formulator of The Inkey List. "Stabilized vitamin C is the only effective way to use vitamin C within a formulation," says Beeby. "If the particle is not stable, it will not be effective."
Standard vitamin C can become unstable when exposed to heat, light and air. Ever had vitamin C turn orange or brownish? Then it was probably unstable says Curry. Curry also says that stabilized vitamin C has a longer shelf life and a high concentration of actives. Which will lead to brighter, healthier skin.
You also need to pay attention to packaging. Simpson says that airtight or airless packaging is vital to the shelf life of any form of vitamin C.
But you still have to use it or lose it. No matter how good the formula is, stabilized vitamin C won't last forever. So resist the urge to stock up on your favorite.
Read on to shop some of the best stabilized vitamin C products.
Image via Sunday Riley
This face oil says right on the front of the bottle which form of stabilized vitamin C it contains. It's combined with lots of antioxidants, such as ginger, cranberries, turmeric and pomegranate, to boost radiance and nourish skin.
The brand's anti-aging face serum brings together pure vitamin C with peptides Microelastin and microcollagen in a water-free formula. To aid in the absorption of the pure vitamin C, the particles have been finely ground. Use within six months after opening.
This budget-friendly serum contains a hefty 15 percent highly stable vitamin C mixed with 1 percent plant-derived epidermal growth factors to plump and brighten skin. So it'll really get your skin glowing.
This serum has opaque packaging plus a proprietary anhydrous formulation to stabilize and deliver the active vitamin C. The product is suitable for all skin types.
