At what age to start using Vit C serums?
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Tue Aug 30, 2005 3:23 am

Hello All!

I just read somewhere that you don't really need Vit C serums until you are say in your mid 30's to late 30's or until you have fine lines or wrinkles. Is this true? I'm 27 and have no fine lines or wrinkles yet, not sure if I should use Vit C serums, as I'm crazy about sun proctection and Skinceutical's Ferulic claims that it'll increase sun protection, but it also increases collogen production - which I don't need at my age.... So would it harm my skin to use Vit C serum at my age and stage? Ferulic has 15% Vit C - is this too much for me now?

Thnx!

Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:35 am

I would disagree with that - particularly with the comments about not using it until you have some wrinkles. Vitamin C helps to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. The way I see it, it should be used it as a preventative measure as well. When combined with vitamin E, it's even more effective. That's just my two cents though and is not to say that you need to use it. If you do want to try it then I would suggest with starting out with a 10% concentration.

Btw, I think Betterat40 recently posted some info (or maybe an explanation) of vitamin C increasing sun protection.

free skin care · Tue Aug 30, 2005 6:25 am

I agree with Mabsy. Why wait until you have to repair damage?? Why not just stop it in the first place? Vit C is not going to cause you any harm. Some members as young as 18 are using it, I think... It is just an anti-oxidant; it will stop free radicals. Free radicals will harm us at any age. If you want to try a C&E product, like SC Ferulic, then I think you will have to use 15%. IMO, this is not too much. If you feel that it is too much however, you can use a 10%, but you will not get the added anti-oxidant protection of E and Ferulic.

free skin care · Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:55 am

Have been using it for almost 10 years (now 36) although I would like to start earlier if only I know the benefits. Choose product with minimum 10% stabilised vitamin C to see the result.

I found Cellex C, Skinceuticals, Henry Tianus, Dr Sebagh have effective vit c serum in their product range.

free skin care · Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:38 pm

I agree with what was said above. Vit C protects from sun damage. It should be used young. All of the "repair" products are unnecessary but this has no downsides and will probably keep your skin younger looking longer.

Wed Aug 31, 2005 1:23 am

Wow!!

Thanks for all the replies!! I recently emailed Dr. T from smartskincare.com forum with this question. He told me to post my question on the disuccion board there and he will answer me. I emailed him the following:

" I read that Vit C helps with sun protection, but it also firms the skin by stimulating collagen production, which I don’t need right now. Is there a harm to start using Vit C early on in life if I don’t need firming? From my biology prof. way back, he said that all cells in the human body can only divide so many times, that’s why when we age, our cells don’t divide as fast or as much (e.g. if I get a bruise it heals faster when I was younger), if this is true, then wouldn’t stimulating more collagen production, when I don’t really need it, at a young age, depletes the number of times my cells can divide when I’m older? (Since fibroblasts cells help make the collagen – so the more it works, or the harder these cells works, wouldn’t they divide faster, thus when I’m older, I will have less cells to produce collagen because I’ve used them all up when I was younger?) I guess my question can also be: Is the rate of collagen production related to the rate of cell division in the skin?"

I will post his reply when I get it. Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Aug 31, 2005 3:01 pm

It's true that cell division does not seem to be infinite but the thickness of collagen - is that related to cell division? C stimulates collagen synthesis. Is that cell division? I hope he can answer your question. Regardless, ain't no way I would give up my C and Retin-A and AHA's that all speed up cell turnover. I'd rather look young when I'm middle-aged than middle-aged to old for a lifetime if you know what I mean....

free skin care · Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:43 pm

Vit C is good for your skin. I saw Linus Pauling the Nobel Chemist give a talk at 90. He remembered people in the audience that he had met only a few times and talked for 2 hours off the cuff standing the whole time (about vit C of course!). He ingested huge amounts of vit C and used it topically for dry skin.

We are just starting to understand what controls a cell's "life clock". Fifteen years ago or so great progress was made in that vein (understanding the telomere and how it is cut when a cell divides). Then people looked at why cancer cells can continue to divide and discovered an enzyme that short circuits the process: all of our cells are capable of producing this. There has been speculation that this can be affected by injestible or topical agents. Recently someone suggested that the green tea antioxidant could prolong the # of times that a cell divides.

This is a very simple description not completely correct but it is complicated (not a fixed # of divisions) and in 10 years we may have some control. Antioxidants are likely very good.

Use your Vit C the most important thing it does is protect from DNA damage from sun exposure and doesn't have any harmful effects like some sunscreens. In my opinion every body should use vit C serums.

Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:57 am

Hmm I may have to wait a bit longer for a reply from Dr. Todorav, as the topic I posted started a... series of 'attacks' between two members on that site and the webmaster has locked that disucussion up. I will email Dr. T to see if he can just answer me personally. Those two members got quite heated with each other - it was somewhat amusing to read their comments, g Rolling Eyes

osh hope it doesn't happen to this one as all I want are ppl's opinions Laughing

free skin care · Thu Sep 01, 2005 4:40 am

Interesting....

I am with another forum member when I say that I wouldn't give up my Vit C for anything at the moment, I'm only 27 and for the first time since I can remember caring, I love my skin. Its smooth, clear and calm.

As far as I can remember from Uni, they are still discovering alot of things about collagen synthesis, fibroblasts, cellular matrix, cancer biology etc etc. The short answer is that no-one can tell you anything for sure. I go by anecdotal evidence these days and whatever I can live with. If I love my skin now, then I will worry about what happens to it later, no-one can tell me that now anyway.

Good Luck

P.S I really do love my Vit C (psf BTW).

free skin care · Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:36 am

Summerducks I can't see what people would go wacko over on this issue. It's really a field that's evolving quickly. The answers are not sure but the old every cell divides only x times is surely wrong.

P.S. Linus Pauling used vit C every way possible and I can assure you that at 90 he looked great (maybe like a 65-70 yo) skin and all.

Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:35 pm

His reply,

"My opinion is that at this point you should use sun block and / or avoid sun, and for extra skin protection use antioxidants, such as green tea.
Strong vitamin C serums that stimulate collagen synthesis should probably be used after the age of 35."

Thanks for all the replies! I will take them into consideration in whether or not to use it regularly. I currently have a bottle of Skinceutical Ferulic, i got it mainly for my scar on my neck, may try it on the face for extra sun protection - as I don't want to waste teh bottle. Very Happy

Fri Sep 02, 2005 5:55 pm

does anyone know if the homemade version of Carekate's Vit C serum would be good to use for this purpose as well? Or at what strength it would be? (like 10%, etc?) ok thanks

free skin care · Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:55 am

glittergal wrote:

does anyone know if the homemade version of Carekate's Vit C serum would be good to use for this purpose as well? Or at what strength it would be? (like 10%, etc?) ok thanks

DIY Vit C serums should be just as effective anti-oxidant protection as bought ones, as long as you keep it fresh. Carekate's is 12%.

Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:17 pm

This is going to sound silly, but how do you keep the Vit C serum fresh? Do you need to refigerate it or just make a new batch every so often?
~glittergal

free skin care · Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:29 am

Make a new batch every few weeks...

free skin care · Mon Sep 05, 2005 3:03 pm

My niece (14 years) would like to start using vit C serum? Is it appropriate for her as she is still very young? If yes can she start using 10% like the ones I use at this moment?

Wed Sep 07, 2005 1:11 am

Sarah Jones wrote:

My niece (14 years) would like to start using vit C serum? Is it appropriate for her as she is still very young? If yes can she start using 10% like the ones I use at this moment?

This is my opinion only, I think that 14 is too young to start using something that stimulates collagen production. Vit C is apparently according to tons of ppl a very good antioxidant, but it also stimulates collagen production as well- which is something that a 14 year old shouldn't and wouldn't need. If she's worried about her skin, make sure she wears adequate sunblock, eat healthy, excercise ect... The youngest that I came across using Vit C was someone 24 years old and she uses 5% Vit C serum - there maybe others that are younger but that was the youngest I read on this forum.

Hope this helps.

free skin care · Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:50 am

IMO I would not hesitate one moment to recommend vitamin c treatments for a 14 year old. Vitamin c is a top-notch antioxidant, as well as being very efficient in steralizing the skin for clients with clinical acne. As for collagen production, you cannot produce "too much" collagen. If the skin is already producing adequate collagen to carry out its necessary functions, then the vitamin c not being utilized for collagen synthesis will just act as an antioxidant. Your skin won't go into "collagen overdrive" if that's what your worried about. Teeneagers with acne are being treated very sucessfully using vitamin c treatments (clinically in concentrations as high as 40%). Just be careful that the carrier for the product is not going to congest the skin.

free skin care · Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:41 am

summerducks wrote:

Sarah Jones wrote:

My niece (14 years) would like to start using vit C serum? Is it appropriate for her as she is still very young? If yes can she start using 10% like the ones I use at this moment?

This is my opinion only, I think that 14 is too young to start using something that stimulates collagen production. Vit C is apparently according to tons of ppl a very good antioxidant, but it also stimulates collagen production as well- which is something that a 14 year old shouldn't and wouldn't need. If she's worried about her skin, make sure she wears adequate sunblock, eat healthy, excercise ect... The youngest that I came across using Vit C was someone 24 years old and she uses 5% Vit C serum - there maybe others that are younger but that was the youngest I read on this forum.

Hope this helps.

I am going to have to disagree with this as well. IMO, 14 years old is fine to use a C serum. I believe Guapagirl's daughter is 14 or 15 and uses one...as well, tynkerbell is still a teenager and she uses one too, if I'm not mistaken. I would just start out with a low percentage, and then increase as her skin adjusts. She is obviously a very bright girl and wants to get into a good regime now! Good for her!! Very Happy

I do agree with summerducks on the sunscreen point though. Vit C serum is not a substitute for good, photostable UV protection. Smile

free skin care · Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:31 am

Thanks all for the advice!

I will buy her one and see how she gets on with the routine. Yes, she uses sunblock everyday. Although she is 14, she looks and behaves like a young woman. She reads many magazines, that's where she got the idea of vit c serum, sun block etc.

Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:26 pm

I'm 25, and my esthetitian recommended Skin Ceuticals Vit C Serum 10. I've used it for about 3 weeks now (each morning), and I haven't had any problems with it, in fact, it's really given me a very nice glow. She did mention that some of the higher concentrations (15%, 20%) or combo's like CE + Freulic (sp?) would be too much for my skin right now, and that my skin would probably reject it in the form of breakouts, but that as my skin ages, I should up the concentration/combos.

free skin care · Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:11 pm

jannabanna80 wrote:

I'm 25, and my esthetitian recommended Skin Ceuticals Vit C Serum 10. I've used it for about 3 weeks now (each morning), and I haven't had any problems with it, in fact, it's really given me a very nice glow. She did mention that some of the higher concentrations (15%, 20%) or combo's like CE + Freulic (sp?) would be too much for my skin right now, and that my skin would probably reject it in the form of breakouts, but that as my skin ages, I should up the concentration/combos.

I am 25 as well. I have used many of the combo products and higher percentage products. I think it just important not to start out with that, or you might experience irritation. After you finish the 10%, you can try increasing if you like. C&E gives superior antioxidant protection. Smile

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