When it comes to lightening acne scars, brightening your complexion, and basically making you glow, vitamin C is the way to go! Especially in serum form, it's able to fight skin damage caused by environmental aggressors, clear out your pores, stimulate collagen production, and many more.
But before you slather your whole face with a vitamin C serum, there are some things you should take note of:
1. There may be some stinging involved.
Vitamin C is a powerful ingredient. Unfortunately, the uninitiated may experience a few side effects such as redness and a stinging (not burning) sensation once applied. For beginners, you should do a patch test on your skin first to check for any adverse reactions or use a serum with the lowest percentage of vitamin C, like 3 percent.
2. Your skin will need time to get used to it.
Just like how your skin had to develop a tolerance for AHAs, BHAs, and other chemical exfoliants, vitamin C is something your complexion needs to get used to before increasing usage. But once your skin is able to tolerate it, you can begin the process of trying other serums with higher vitamin C percentages!
3. Packaging is important.
When shopping for a vitamin C serum, you want it to be stored in an airtight bottle or container. This is because vitamin C is an unstable ingredient that overexposure to air can cause it to become inactive. You'll know your serum has gone bad if the color has gotten darker.
4. And so is storage.
Vitamin C serums are not the type of product you can proudly show off on your dresser because exposure to too much sunlight will cause it to oxidize, rendering it ineffective. So where should you place it? Preferably in a dark, cool corner in your bathroom or in your refrigerator!
5. It can’t be mixed with other active ingredients.
Namely, lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and retinol. When vitamin C is combined with AHAs and BHAs, they both become useless. On the other hand, if used together with retinol, it will turn your complexion into a red and irritated mess.
6. It won't give you instant results.
Depending on the dose of your serum, you could see results in as little as a few weeks to as long as months. But in order to see the results, you have to be consistent with your use. Good thing vitamin C serums are lightweight and easily absorbed by the skin so it's perfect for our warm weather!
7. It suits a lot of skin types.
While those with ultra-sensitive complexions should stay away, those who have normal, dry, oily, acne-prone, and combination skin can reap the benefits of vitamin C! Its ability to moisturize, refine, and even the look of skin are what makes it a good all-around product.
This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Femalenetwork.com editors.
