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When Vitamin C Goes Bad: Uncovering the Dark Side of This So-Called Miracle Skincare Ingredient

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin also known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant, but unlike other animals, humans cannot produce it on their own and must get it from food. 

Vitamin C needs in humans are notoriously difficult to generalize, affecting a wide range of physiological and lifestyle variables. For healthy development and growth, the body needs the water-soluble vitamin C. Because of its antioxidant properties, it helps in the upkeep of collagen, a protein essential to the integrity of connective tissue, offers protection against infection, and improves iron absorption. 

There are some possible hazards and side effects, but vitamin C is typically safe for most individuals when given topically to the skin. In this article, we'll talk about the potential downsides of vitamin C for your skin.

How can vitamin C be harmful to your skin? 


Vitamin C is usually harmless to the skin. It may produce redness, tingling, and itching if applied in high quantities or on sensitive skin. Rarely, it may cause contact dermatitis. Ascorbic acid, vitamin C's natural form, may dry, flake, and irritate the skin. Avoid vitamin C products with a pH below 3.5 if you have sensitive skin. Here are some more reasons: 

One of the main risks of using vitamin C on the skin is skin irritation or allergic reactions. Some people may be allergic to vitamin C or have sensitive skin that can react to higher concentrations of vitamin C. 

In addition, a vitamin C product that is too acidic or low pH can cause skin irritation and lead to dryness, redness, or a burning sensation. 

Another risk of using vitamin C is that it can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. This is because vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help protect the skin from UV damage, but it can also make the skin more vulnerable to the sun's harmful rays. 

Finally, high oral vitamin C supplements can potentially cause skin rashes and other side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps.

Overall, it's essential to be cautious when using vitamin C on your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin or are using a high concentration of vitamin C. It's always a good idea to start with a lower concentration and test the product on a small area of your skin before applying it more widely.

Vitamin C serum is a pro-oxidant that damages the skin. 


The opposite of an antioxidant is a pro-oxidant. A pro-oxidant is a substance that causes oxidative stress by producing reactive oxygen species or blocking antioxidant systems, as opposed to an anti-oxidant, which inhibits the oxidation of other molecules and protects against the cell-damaging consequences of free radical formation. 

Vitamin C's antioxidant effects do not depend on its presence with other substances. To prevent tissue, lipid, protein, and DNA oxidation and maintain health, consume vitamin C-rich meals. 

When vitamin C functions as a pro-oxidant, irritation, inflammation, collagen, elastin degradation, and acne are the results. Therefore, you should reconsider your approach if you are suffering from any of these skin conditions and are currently treating them with a vitamin C serum. 
 

Acne caused by vitamin C serums in healthy skin


Your skin's microbiome comprises beneficial microorganisms that work together to keep the skin healthy and disease-free. Proper moisture content, a regular cell cycle, and a balanced pH are all well-documented biological features that contribute to a thriving microbiome. This equilibrium has to be maintained to prevent skin illness. Acne, dermatitis, folliculitis, and many more are all examples of diseases. 

When you apply oil-based skin care. Vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and other components in oils and extracts help preserve skin health. Oils and extracts dilute antioxidants. They help with skin health and anti-inflammatory effect. They don't affect the skin's microbiota or ROS's ability to fight bacteria. 
 

How damaging vitamin C serums are to the skin 


Concentrated antioxidants in skin care impair the body's capacity to fight germs. Since vitamin C serums oxygenated the skin, they released ROS and damaged it. Vitamin C serums damage the skin more complicatedly. 

Vitamin C serums cause two types of skin damage: 
 
  • Their oxygenating impact tears down the skin, causing irritation and pathogenic infection. 
 
  • Antioxidants destroy the body's beneficial ROS to avoid bacterial infection. 

Vitamin C serums have damaged many people's skin because combining the two generates a perfect storm that upsets the body's natural capacity to maintain equilibrium. See detail here. 

Therefore, if you used a vitamin C serum and it caused acne, redness, or any other skin condition, it is because the serum removed your body's capacity to fight germs and weakened it, allowing pathogens to infiltrate your skin. 
 

Final Verdict 


While it's true that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will give enough vitamin C, this alone usually isn't enough to provide visible skin benefits. The serum may be used as prescribed if none of these symptoms are present. You should consult a dermatologist about solutions if you see any of these side effects.

So, what are you waiting for? Explore TheSkinFit Pakistan's leading online cosmetics and beauty store.