Vitamin C is considered to be one the best and safest ingredients to apply on your skin. Including Vitamin C in your diet is the best gift you can give to your skin. The levels of Vitamin C in the outermost layers of the skin are abundant during youth but as we grow older, these levels get decreased. Unprotected exposure to the UV rays of the sun and pollution can also deplete the levels of Vitamin C in the body. This makes the skin look dull and lifeless. Fortunately, it is possible to renew the Vitamin C reserves of the skin with the help of foods rich in Vitamin C, topical solutions, and supplements. Let’s take a look at the sources of Vitamin C.
Sources of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, that is a powerful antioxidant and is mostly found in fruits and vegetables. It is a common misconception that only citrus fruits are rich sources of this vitamin. However, it is found in abundance in various fruits and vegetables. A deficiency of Vitamin C in the body can make you susceptible to various infections and diseases. Eating a diet rich in this wonder vitamin can not only help prevent diseases but also keep your skin healthy and glowing.
Sources of vitamin C include green chili peppers, sweet yellow peppers, guavas, rose hips, kakadu plums, blackcurrants, parsley, kiwi, mustard spinach, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, lychees, lemons, papayas, tomatoes, thyme, cabbage, cauliflower, squash, oranges and strawberries. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin to strengthen your immune system and keep your heart, connective tissues and blood vessels functioning properly.
Vitamin C Benefits for the skin
Believe it or not, Vitamin C benefits for the skin are more than one. Let’s see what they are:
- First and foremost, this vitamin helps to hydrate the skin. It helps the skin to retain moisture and makes it look radiant.
- Vitamin C contains anti-inflammatory properties and can help treat various skin conditions. It even helps to make your complexion more even.
- Vitamin C can help to reduce pigmentation and reduce the dullness of the skin. Applying Vitamin C to the affected area can help to reduce the production of melanin in the body, which is responsible for hyperpigmentation, sun spots, dark spots, age spots and melasma.
- Aging skin is one of the worst nightmares for a woman. Vitamin C helps to boost the production of collagen in the body. Collagen is the skin’s natural protein which helps to make the skin tighter and firmer.
- Under eye circles can be visibly reduced by applying Vitamin C-based serums under the eyes.
- Applying Vitamin C on wounds helps to speed up the process of healing.
Vitamin C for acne
Apart from the various Vitamin C benefits for the skin, it is interesting to note that Vitamin C is also very effective in treating acne. Most of the time, acne is caused due to inflammation of the skin and this is where Vitamin C for acne is a very useful treatment. Vitamin C helps to reduce the redness and inflammation of the skin. When acne is caused due to bacteria, the body releases certain chemicals called leukotrienes to destroy the bacteria. However the bacteria are immune to this chemical and this causes inflammation and redness on the skin. At this time, vitamin C helps help the body by reducing the inflammation and it also increases the body’s immunity. The body is able to fight the bacteria in a better way and this makes the skin clearer and healthier.
There is another mechanism which makes Vitamin C for acne a very useful treatment. Vitamin C helps to strengthen the capillaries (tiny blood vessels) of the blood, which are responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to the deepest levels of the skin. The redness that we see, mostly happens in these basal layers of the skin. By making the walls of the capillaries stronger, Vitamin C helps to reduce micro-bleeding and redness. This, in turn, also helps to reduce further discoloration of the skin and reduce the chances of developing dark spots or skin spots.
In addition to the above, Vitamin C is also very helpful in preventing acne scars. As mentioned above, Vitamin C helps to increase the production of collagen in the body and strengthens the immune system. These factors help the skin to repair itself on its own and prevent scars from appearing on the surface of the skin.
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