If you are concerned about pigmentation, the signs of ageing and sun damage – Vitamin C might just be the skin care ingredient you are looking for.
It can easily be added to your routine in a serum form, applying it before your day and night treatment.
This gem of an ingredient that is full of anti oxidants (add a glass of red and a cup of tea and you’ll be laughing!) may be able to help with the following:
- Protection against damage by free radicals and the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.
- Promotes and boosts the production of healthy collagen – thereby firming the skin and improving texture
- Vitamin C has been found the speed up the healing process (think left over dark spots where blemishes were)
- Can brighten the complexion and reduce irregular pigmentation
I had just come back from Bali and I wanted to ensure that my tan would fade evenly without patchy looking skin. So I added Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Vitamin C Serum Concentrate* to my skincare routine. This serum contains Pure Vitamin C (also known as L-Ascorbic Acid) to reduce lines and wrinkles, Vitamin Cg to minimise the appearance of lines and wrinkles over time and Activated C for brightening and correcting skin discolouration. The addition of Hyaluronic Acid is an absolute bonus: it is great for hydration.
This is what it says on the Kiehl’s site:
Kiehl’s original anti-aging Vitamin C serum, Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, now has even more potency with 12.5% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid.
My thoughts:
It is absolutely necessary that packaging shields Vitamin C from light – the Kiehl’s amber bottle ensures the contents stay stable. Vitamin C will oxidise and darken when exposed to light and lose its potency. Vitamin C serums/creams will usually have an expiry date of 3 months. Best to not buy in bulk and use the product up once opened! The fact that it is in a pump dispenser is a huge bonus. The product stays untouched by bacteria and there is no wastage. It is a creamy serum, rather than a liquid, which feels quite lovely on the skin.
I applied a couple of pumps after cleansing in the morning and evening, and there is a pleasant warming sensation on the skin. Now, this may just be playing with my head but I feel like that the ingredients are doing its job!
With the exception of some darker areas under the eyes ( I tried not to use it under the eyes, Vitamin C products have made my under eye area a little irritated in the past) I feel like it has definitely helped in fading my tan evenly, and my skin looks smooth and plump. As it happens, I have had no sensitivity reaction to this product at all.
Would I repurchase ?
Yes! I used it in combination with the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream* for day, and the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate* at night. And my skin is looking pretty darn good!
Are you currently using a Vitamin C product in your skin care routine?
Please note that products with an asterisk* were gifted for reviewing purpose. However all opinions are my own and 100% honest. All photo’s my own.
Til Next time,
Nice and Great an information about Vitamin C. Thanks for sharing.
Vitamin C literally SAVED my skin : I had a lot of post acne scars that wouldnt go away, and since I bought the CC essence from Mentholatum, my skin has never been this good !