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Citrus fruit rich in vitamin C that is beneficial for youthful skin

Topical Vitamin C for Skin Rejuvenation

Vitamin C is essential to the body’s production of collagen, but very little orally ingested vitamin C reaches the skin. Scientists have identified three stable forms of vitamin C that protect the skin against photoaging, restore skin hydration, and fade excess pigmentation.

Scientifically reviewed by: Juanita Enogieru, MS, RD/N, in August 2023. Written by: Robert Goldfaden and Gary Goldfaden, MD.

With advancing age, your skin progressively loses vitamin C.1 That spells trouble for the skin’s underlying architecture, resulting in visible wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines.

Vitamin C supports firm and youthful skin by boosting collagen synthesis,2,3 decreasing photodamage,4,5 and exerting anti-inflammatory activity.6

In this article, you will learn about three of the most stable forms of vitamin C—and how their diverse biological activities in the skin protect against photoaging and common skin disorders to leave behind a more youthful appearance.

More Stabilized Forms of Vitamin C

Since humans lack the enzyme necessary for synthesizing vitamin C, they must obtain it through oral ingestion or topical application.7 Topical application has shown to be superior for replenishing skin concentrations of vitamin C.6

Scientists have identified three vitamin C derivatives—magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and ascorbyl glucoside—with improved stability that efficiently convert to L-ascorbic acid in the skin to leave it firmer, healthier, and more youthful.8,9

Prevent and Repair Sun-Damaged Skin

Chronic exposure to the damaging rays of the sun induces unfavorable changes to the skin’s structural framework, leading to premature aging visible as wrinkles, age spots, and spider veins.10,11 Research indicates that all three stable forms of vitamin C protect against sun-induced aging (photoaging) by:

  • Scavenging reactive oxygen species that increase the expression of enzymes responsible for breaking down collagen and elastin—the proteins comprising most of the structural framework that keeps skin firm and resilient.12,13
  • Inhibiting lipid peroxidation that damages membranes of the skin cells and alters their functional integrity.14,15
  • Reducing the inflammatory response to ultraviolet radiation that triggers DNA damage, programmed cell death by apoptosis, and immunosuppression.12,16

In addition to protecting against the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays, these three forms of vitamin C also initiate the repair process of sun-damaged skin. They are broken down to L-ascorbic acid, which acts as a co-factor in enzymatic reactions responsible for stimulating new production of collagen that boosts the skin’s healing capacity.17

Owing to its unique molecular structure, each form of vitamin C stands out from the rest for a specific skin benefits. Let’s now take a look at how each of these ascorbate compounds benefit the skin.

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Restores Skin Hydration

As the years pass, our skin loses its ability to retain moisture. This happens as the skin’s barrier function weakens under the assault of ultraviolet radiation and environmental stressors. The result is dry, flaking, and crepey skin.18 Research has shown that magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) enhances the skin’s ability to retain water, in turn making it visibly softer and smoother.19,20

In a controlled clinical study, human volunteers applied topical magnesium ascorbyl phosphate to their forearm skin daily for four weeks. Researchers used two techniques called corneometry and cutometery to objectively measure skin hydration. By these measures, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate significantly increased hydration in both the outer and deeper layers of the skin, thereby demonstrating sustained effects.19 This finding was later confirmed in yet another trial.20

Ascorbyl Glucoside Fades Excess Pigmentation

The Aging Prostate Gland  

Hyperpigmentation reflects the abnormal output of the skin’s main pigment melanin.21 This creates an uneven skin tone that can add years to your appearance. To make matters worse, effective treatments are accompanied by undesirable side effects.22,23

Human studies have shown that ascorbyl glucoside safely modulates common forms of hyperpigmentation such as age spots and difficult-to-treat melasma.24-26 This stems from its ability to block the action of tyrosinase, a key enzyme involved in the formation of new melanin.27,28

In one clinical trial, patients aged 30 to 50 suffering from facial hyperpigmentation applied a topical formula comprising ascorbyl glucoside to one side of their faces daily for four weeks. At the end of the study, the treated side of the participants’ faces showed a significant reduction in total area of hyperpigmented spots. Additionally, 70% of subjects treated with ascorbyl glucoside reported lighter skin compared to 16.6% in the untreated group.25

In another study, scientists enlisted volunteers who applied a cream containing ascorbyl glucoside to their face twice daily for three months. The total area of age spots was assessed at baseline, and then 14, 28, 56, and 84 days after application. Researchers observed that within two weeks, total area of age spots decreased by an average of 14.2%, and after three months, this parameter further improved to 21.2%.26

What You Need to Know
Stabilized Forms of Vitamin C Revive Aging Skin

Stabilized Forms of Vitamin C Revive Aging Skin

  • Vitamin C in its active form as L-ascorbic acid has multiple skin benefits, but its susceptibility to oxidation limits stability in topical preparations.
  • More stabilized forms of vitamin C have been identified to provide beneficial effects on the skin.
  • Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and ascorbyl glucoside work through several ways to prevent and repair sun-damaged skin, increase hydration, and combat common skin disorders like age spots and acne.
  • When combined with ferulic acid into a topical formulation, the result is a visible improvement in the health and appearance of your skin.

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Alleviates Acne

Although acne is associated with younger individuals, this inflammatory skin disorder affects 15.3% of women and 7.3% of men aged 50 and older.29 The development of acne is characterized by the excessive production and oxidation of sebum—the skin’s natural oil—that generates inflammation and is a breeding ground for bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes).30 This culminates in inflamed blemishes and lesions on the skin.

Sodium ascorbyl phosphate gained traction as a potential treatment for acne after it was found in laboratory investigations to strongly inhibit the growth of P. acnes and prevent sebum oxidation by up to 40%.31 The next step was to determine its efficacy in humans.

In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, 50 patients with mild to severe acne applied sodium ascorbyl phosphate or a placebo twice a day to their acne lesions for 12 weeks. Scientists found that treated patients saw greater improvements on several acne rating scales. Also, the treatment group’s lesion count decreased by 21%—while the placebo group’s diminished by 7%.32

Researchers then tested sodium ascorbyl phosphate versus benzoyl peroxide—a widely prescribed and effective acne treatment agent—on acne patients over a 12-week period. They discovered that twice-daily application of sodium ascorbyl phosphate resulted in good or excellent skin improvement in 76.9% of patients, compared to 60.9% in the benzoyl peroxide group. The research team concluded that sodium ascorbyl phosphate has “excellent efficacy in the treatment of acne vulgaris.”31

Ferulic Acid Enhances Vitamin C Effects

The potent free radical scavenger ferulic acid often makes an appearance alongside vitamin C in topical preparations and for good reason. It has been shown to slow the breakdown of vitamin C and enhance its protective effects against ultraviolet damage. When added to a combination of vitamin C and E, ferulic acid doubled photoprotection, increasing it from 4-fold to 8-fold.33

Summary

Vitamin C in its primary form of L-ascorbic acid has a proven track record for improving aging skin. Scientists have now identified more stable forms of vitamin C including:

  1. Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate
  2. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate
  3. Ascorbyl glucoside

These advanced forms of vitamin C have been combined with ferulic acid into a topical formulation that offers comprehensive protection against photoaging and combats common skin disorders to restore youthful skin.

Gary Goldfaden, MD, is a clinical dermatologist and lifetime member of the American Academy of Dermatology. He is the founder of Academy Dermatology in Hollywood, FL, and Cosmesis Skin Care. Dr. Goldfaden is a member of Life Extension’s Medical Advisory Board. All Cosmesis products are available online.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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