As a vitamin, Vitamin C is very essential in the growth and repair of body tissues. It helps form the protein needed in making blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and skin. It helps heal wounds and form scar tissues. It also repair and sustain teeth, bones and cartilage.
As an antioxidant, Vitamin C helps a lot in blocking some of the damages caused by free radicals, which is mostly responsible for various kinds of diseases and other health conditions like heart disease, cancer, arthritis and the most dreaded process of aging.
The work of Vitamin C in addressing skin problems is not known to many. Some people prefer to go under the knife for a faster result. But for those who aren’t willing to spend thousands of dollars to look young and have better skin once again, there are ways to address the signs of aging without robbing a bank.
Vitamin C can be naturally consumed from fruits and vegetables like:
However, according to a dermatologist, Dr. Gary Goldfaden, MD., “While vitamin C is an important nutrient for overall health, little reaches the skin when orally ingested. As levels of vitamin C in the skin decline with age, replenishing levels directly in the skin can help combat collagen degradation and oxidative stress. Results from clinical trials show that when applied topically, vitamin C promotes collagen formation and mitigates the effects of free radicals, helping to maintain firm and youthful skin.”
First of all, Vitamin C is needed in producing collagen - a very essential protein that serves as the foundation for bones and skin. Without it, people would completely disintegrate. Although collagen is just one of thousands of diverse proteins in the body, it is by far the most copious one, comprising more than 1/3 of the body’s protein and around 75% of the skin.
Aside from collagen production, Vitamin C neutralizes the age-causing free radicals in the skin, being a potent antioxidant. The author of The Youth Corridor: Your Guide to Timeless Beauty, Dr. Gerld Imber, MD., said that, “Free radicals derived from metabolic processes interfere with the production and maintenance of collagen in the skin. When collagen fibers are inadequate in number or misaligned, the skin structure breaks down and loss of elasticity and wrinkling result. Vitamin C protects the collagen in the skin and is necessary for new collagen production and wound healing.” Free radicals from the environment have also been said to enter the skin and cause tissue damage, though how this happens is a mystery to me. The function of the skin is to keep the outside environment outside. That's how it works. And the difficulty in getting topical vitamin C into the skin illustrates that fact. But mechanisms aside, vitamin C applied to the skin can work if it can get into the skin in sufficient quantities.”
Because there are now tons of skin care products with Vitamin C, choosing the right one might be challenging. So, how would you choose a good one?
