how and when to use vitamin c - confused.
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free skin care · Sat Aug 02, 2008 11:10 am

I am so confused about how to use vitamin c. Do I apply it before or after my moisturizer? I apply my moisturizer right before I apply my sunscreen and I am assuming that I would put this on before sunscreen as well. Also is it safe under the eyes?

free skin care · Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:25 pm

There are LOADS of posts on vitamin c but to sum it up........vit. c should always go first

face must be dry(after washing wait 10 min)
apply c serum, wait 10 min. then apply whatever you normally put on...moisturizer then sunscreen.. hope that helps!

free skin care · Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:14 pm

I agree that you should use Vit C before anything else. I also think its better to use at night rather than during the day, because the exposure to sunlight would degrade the Cs. I know a lot of people argue that applying daytime would give you the antioxidant benefit during the day. But remember that, even though that C is immediately absorbed by the surface layer it actually takes long time to travel down to the deeper layer due to modular size of C.

free skin care · Sun Aug 03, 2008 3:38 am

pinkberry wrote:

I agree that you should use Vit C before anything else. I also think its better to use at night rather than during the day, because the exposure to sunlight would degrade the Cs. I know a lot of people argue that applying daytime would give you the antioxidant benefit during the day. But remember that, even though that C is immediately absorbed by the surface layer it actually takes long time to travel down to the deeper layer due to modular size of C.

I am not sure about the degrading of vitamin C due to sunlight. I think most people use the vit C serum AM as it's supposed to give added protection against the sun rays. The directions on the serums I have been using say to apply it in the morning. That said, it's of course nothing wrong with using it PM.

free skin care · Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:44 am

I followed the instructions and used it in the morning after applying toner. Then I put moisturizer, sunscreen and make up.
But it seemed that the Vit C made my face looked dull (darker).

free skin care · Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:47 am

That shouldn't be the case. What preparation of vit. C were you using and did you check the expiry date?

free skin care · Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:01 am

m1rox wrote:

That shouldn't be the case. What preparation of vit. C were you using and did you check the expiry date?

I used Obagi Pro-C 10% serum. There is no expiry date on the tube... Confused

free skin care · Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:57 am

Did anyone use Cellex-C high potency serum? I know it's pricey but I got it cheap on the shopping channel. It is supposed to have similar results in which it brightens, smoothes and removes spots from the skin. I hope it actually works and that I didn't fall for a gimmick.

free skin care · Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:23 pm

Sophias1920 wrote:

Did anyone use Cellex-C high potency serum? I know it's pricey but I got it cheap on the shopping channel. It is supposed to have similar results in which it brightens, smoothes and removes spots from the skin. I hope it actually works and that I didn't fall for a gimmick.

Hi. I bought two bottles of Cellex-C HP serum some years ago, but unfortunately I found the serum to oxidize very quickly and cause blackheads around my nose. I hope that you have better luck.

free skin care · Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:28 pm

Hi. An added note on the use of Vitamin C. It is advised that the cleanser you use be Ph balanced - that is somewhere with a Ph of 5-6. Otherwise the Vitamin C you use may not get utilized properly until the Ph normalizes. Vitamin C is in the acidic range vs Alkaline. If you use a cleanser with a higher Ph you should wait a good half hour or more until application of the Vitamin C.

DianaYvonne.com has a list of common cleansers and their corresponding Ph values - not meaning to advertise here but she sells a rose hip cleanser that is my all-time favorite morning cleasing product - it is Ph balanced - perfect for use before application of C product and has no sodium laurel sulfate - A general No-no in the cleanser world.

There are lots of great C-products out there.

Sis

free skin care · Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:25 pm

Just to make sure I'm getting the maximum out of my C serum, I use it first thing in the morning (even before I'm out of bed!), then wait till I've puttered around making and eating breakfast before washing my face and putting on any additional products.

free skin care · Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:38 am

flitcraft wrote:

Just to make sure I'm getting the maximum out of my C serum, I use it first thing in the morning (even before I'm out of bed!), then wait till I've puttered around making and eating breakfast before washing my face and putting on any additional products.

Do you really wash your face after you have applied the vitamin C serum? Why is that?

Tue Aug 05, 2008 2:10 am

As a rule I always put on the thinnest runniest product on first; so serum first, then moisturiser followed by sunscreen.

I also find vitamin C serums give me blackheads on my nose, perhaps because they are viscous and a bit sticky. Perhaps this is why Flitcraft washes off excess after some has absorbed? But I don't know if the cleansing would remove all the serum that was absorbed. Because of the stickiness i prefer idebenone as an antioxidant skincare ingredient. Also I find vitamin C can sting my face sometimes (too aggressive in addition to tretinoin use) whereas idebenone doesn't.

free skin care · Tue Aug 05, 2008 2:11 am

Hi sweetp it depends on the type of vitamin c you use. Ascorbic acid is a bit irritating and not suitable around the eye. but in general vitamin C should go on under moisturiser as a serum , then cream and then sunscreen.
Hope this helps

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:56 am

i hv also used Cellex-C HP serum but found it easily to precipitate (just after 1 month)...i dont know whether i can continue to use it or just throw it away...

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:16 am

masaholly wrote:

i hv also used Cellex-C HP serum but found it easily to precipitate (just after 1 month)...i dont know whether i can continue to use it or just throw it away...

Unfortunately, a vit C serum can do more harm than good on your skin when it's oxidized. It can act as a pro-oxidant rather than an anti-oxidant. There are lots of vitamin C serums on the market that are more stable than Cellex-C, f. ex. SkinCellularRX, Vivier and SkinMedica.

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:30 am

Yes, I really wash after putting on the C serum, but not immediately afterwards. I put on my C serum, them get up, make breakfast, putter around the kitchen cleaning up and making lunches, and then take my shower. So, it is probably forty five minutes to an hour between putting on the serum and washing. By then I think it has enough time to penetrate.

But if I'm wrong about that, please let me know. What I can say is that the C serum does seem to work well with this system.

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:45 am

flitcraft wrote:

Yes, I really wash after putting on the C serum, but not immediately afterwards. I put on my C serum, them get up, make breakfast, putter around the kitchen cleaning up and making lunches, and then take my shower. So, it is probably forty five minutes to an hour between putting on the serum and washing. By then I think it has enough time to penetrate.

But if I'm wrong about that, please let me know. What I can say is that the C serum does seem to work well with this system.

Hello, flitcraft.
I have never heard anyone recommend to wash off the vit C serum. The directions on every bottle I have seen, say to let it sink into the skin (preferably for 15 min, IMO) before applying moisturizer. HTH. Smile

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:57 am

Actually, that's why I started doing it that way. I wanted to leave a good bit of time between the C serum and other stuff, and didn't have time to do that and still get to work on time.

It doesn't feel like I'm washing it off. I'm guessing that having about an hour between application and showering is enough time for penetration. Does anyone know what the penetration rate is for C serum? I'd really appreciate it if anyone has that information.

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:34 am

flitcraft wrote:

Actually, that's why I started doing it that way. I wanted to leave a good bit of time between the C serum and other stuff, and didn't have time to do that and still get to work on time.

It doesn't feel like I'm washing it off. I'm guessing that having about an hour between application and showering is enough time for penetration. Does anyone know what the penetration rate is for C serum? I'd really appreciate it if anyone has that information.

I see what you mean. I don't know the penetration rate for C serums. Anyway, I would think it's advisable to apply vit C serum after washing your face to ensure the best penetration rate.

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:17 am

Once Vitamin C has absorbed, it cannot be washed off. It will also remain in the deeper layers of the skin for up to 3 days.

With that said, the rate of absorption has to do with many variables of formulation which include, but aren't limited to;

PH
Type of Vitamin C (L-AA, MAP, THDAA?)
Delivery system used
Other ingredients in the serum (that can hurt or hinder)

I agree with Septembergirl that it's advisable to apply vitamin C after cleansing, and prior to any other products, by 15 minutes or so.

I don't advise washing your face after 45 minutes, because you *might* be losing out on the UV protection benefits by doing so. Also, you have to consider the other ingredients in the product as well, and what their purpose is. If you are using a great serum, it will have ingredients that work synergistically..

That's my take on it, for what it's worth. I make my own vitamin C serum, and my opinions are based on my research.... I am certainly not an authority on it though, and just offer my opinion as food for thought..

I'll tell you this from experience though, my C serum rocks, so I must be doing something right... Laughing

HTH

Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:39 am

I notice alot of ppl saying that you should put vit.C on during the morning to ensure best anti-oxidation protection but I read that most antioxidants such as vit.C are absorbed and stored in your cells until they're needed. Some companies even make vit.C that are inactive when in a bottle and will only transform into its active form once it's metabolized by enzymes in ur skin. I mean, in this respect, I think it won't matter when you put your vit.C on. In fact, if you have vit.C that needs to be metabolized first before it can exert any effects on your skin, it is better to put it on at night.

Anyways, it's just my rationality on the subject! Very Happy

But I do seem to have the same problems as some ppl here, like getting more blackheads (after using Janson Beckett C&C Mad

) or skin turning darker (after using JM vit.C serum Shock

).

Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:08 pm

Hi, I understand ferulic acid increases the UV protective ability of vitamin C and combined is better than idebenone at protecting against UV. I only know of the skinCeuticals formulation - has anybody tried this and are there any other makes with this combination?

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:52 pm

I mix 1/2 a teaspoon of L-Abscorbic Acid powder with a glass of water and drink it in the mornings. (Along with all my other supplements!) Smile

Seeing as it stings when I use it on my face, do you think it would be bad for my teeth? If so, is there any safer ways of taking it?

free skin care · Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:43 pm

lipstick100 wrote:

Hi, I understand ferulic acid increases the UV protective ability of vitamin C and combined is better than idebenone at protecting against UV. I only know of the skinCeuticals formulation - has anybody tried this and are there any other makes with this combination?

If I remember correctly, the CE Ferulic is a patent pending formulation that is only offered by SkinCeuticals. I think the only alternative is to make your own DIY version.

ljk - if you are worried about the acidic effect from ascorbic acid on your teeth, you can drink your vitamin C drink with a straw. Smile

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