The ascorbic acid is bonded (the technical term is conjugated) to the outside of tiny gold particles, which are just too big to be categorised as nanoparticles, along with glutathione, another antioxidant. It’s almost like a vitamin C derivative, except it’s still listed as ascorbic acid in the ingredient list.This extra bond stabilises it, and the ascorbic acid doesn’t come off the particles until the whole assembly is absorbed into your skin.

Danial Steve, Tracy Maleski and Amanda Kor. The Anti-Aging Effects of Marine Peptides on The Improvement of Facial Skin: A Mechanistic Study and A Pilot-Scale Study. Am J Biomed Sci & Res. 2023 18(1) AJBSR.MS.ID.002430, DOI: 10.34297/AJBSR.2023.18.002430Well, it’s because of the amount of evidence behind it. It’s one of the best studied skincare ingredients! In the Grand Hierarchy of Skincare Active Ingredient Categories, it’s right below retinoids. Vitamin C’s also been shown to reduce some of the changes that infrared radiation can cause in skin, and there’s evidence that it can also protect against ozoneand diesel engine exhaust, two pollutants you’ll find in urban areas. Who makes it: Hyper Skin is a woman-owned brand from the US that focuses on helping those with melanated skin reach their skincare goals. The company is known for providing clean, vegan skincare that works, and they have won awards for many of their products.

The short version: free radicals are really reactive substances that smash into lots of different parts of your skin and damage it, like a bull in a china shop. Antioxidants can soak up this damage… provided they can get into your skin, where the free radicals form. And ascorbic acid can get in! Most vitamin C serums are designed to be used after cleansing and before moisturising, plus SPF. It works really well as a step in your morning routine, as it provides extra antioxidant benefits. This means it’ll help to fight the free radicals and UV damage your skin is exposed to during the day. Are there any side effects? When it breaks down it turns yellow, then orange, then brown, so you can usually get a visual idea of how active your vitamin C is.However, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to ease it into your routine or go for a ‘slow release’ vitamin C formula to avoid irritation. Ready to shop the best vitamin C serums in Australia? Related post: Why I don’t recommend The Ordinary’s Niacinamide and L-Ascorbic Acid powders (with video)

Having the ascorbic acid dissolve or crystallise after you apply it on your skin isn’t a big issue – I’ll talk about this a bit further down, but solid ascorbic acid crystals can work on skin. Animal lovers who steer clear of anything containing animal or animal-derived ingredients will love this clean, cruelty-free formula. It’s also fortified with the brand’s “15 Super-Greens Complex” – a blend of vegan collagen and spinach, designed to pump the skin full of nutrients and antioxidants. Getting your daily dose of vitamin C via a serum is a great way to reap its radiance-enhancing benefits. Serum formulas typically contain some of the highest percentages of the ingredient for maximum effect. This vitamin C serum has our stamp of approval for all skin types, skin tones, and ages, and our go-to for anyone looking to firm and smooth their skin.There are some that violate the patent, and L’Oreal haven’t sued them yet for whatever reason, and there are some that get around it by messing with the formula. For example, some of them go outside of the pH range that Skinceuticals , so they might be even lower than the already irritating low pH (I think that’s why a lot of people think their skin can’t handle vitamin C).

I also had an eyebrow pencil that turned an attractive orange red with ascorbic acid. It seems to be due to the blue ferric ammonium ferrocyanide pigment turning colourless after the iron(III) ions are reduced by ascorbic acid, so the complimentary colour (orange) showed through more (thanks to my inorganic chemist colleague Peter for helping me work this out!).

Who makes it: Made in the USA, Revision Skincare works with high-quality ingredients sourced from all over the world. They provide medical-grade skincare formulated to effectively improve the overall texture and appearance of the skin while promoting new cell growth and protecting against the environmental impacts of everyday life.