Vitamin C is what is known as an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect skin by neutralizing free radicals, components that would otherwise destroy skin and its components. These free radicals are stimulated by ultraviolet light and also occur naturally in the oxygen atmosphere. Vitamin C and Collagen Vitamin C is the only antioxidant that has been proven to increase collagen synthesis. Collagen synthesis is essential to maintain healthy skin.
Studies show that collagen decreases with aging and that photoaging accelerates the decrease.
L-ascorbic acid serves as a signal, relaying a critical message to collagen genes to synthesize collagen, as well as being a cofactor for two enzymes imporatant in collagen synthesis. Ineffective Vitamin C Preparations Wanting to offer vitamin C products, many companies have used derivatives of vitamin C, such as ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. Derivatives are easier to stabilize, but they are not L-ascorbic acid, which is the only form of vitamin C the body can use. Recent studies indicate that vitamin C derivatives do not perform the same way as topical L-ascorbic acid. These studies show that derivatives are either not absorbed or not converted to L-ascorbic acid in high enough concentrations to have an effect.