Pure vitamin C or derivatives: which to use and why?

You’ve heard of vitamin C and it’s no wonder because, along with hyaluronic acid, it’s on the podium of active ingredients in facial routines. Although the official title is vitamin C, you can find it in multiple versions, “from its pure option, which appears in the list of ingredients as ascorbic acid, to its derivatives, such as vitamin C glycosides, ethylates or vitamin C phosphates, to name but a few,” explains Daniel Jiménez, cosmetologist and technical director of Skin Generics and CEO of BeLab Services.

Vitamin C is a perfect ingredient to be introduced into your facial routine, as it offers numerous benefits to your skin. “It stands out for its antioxidant action to prevent things like radiation from having a negative effect on the skin. It also reduces skin pigmentation by inhibiting the production of melanin, which causes blemishes. It also provides luminosity and is perfect for reducing wrinkles, fine lines and recovering firmness, as it helps the skin to produce new collagen and elastin to make it look smoother and juicier”.

The difference between pure vitamin C and its derivatives

In reality, pure vitamin C is the most effective for all intents and purposes, but it also has many drawbacks. “Ascorbic acid is super unstable. This means that it oxidises very easily, either when it comes into contact with air or light. When it oxidises, vitamin C loses its antioxidant action and can become pro-oxidant”. But then… do we use it or not? “It’s very effective, but it should be used when we know that its stability is assured, for example, because it comes in single-dose ampoules. In this way, we can be sure that, as it is a single-use format, there is no margin for the formula to lose its stability”.

The pure option is perfect when we want a flash result at specific times, but if we are talking about a product for daily use, “it is better to opt for tonics, serums or creams formulated with derivatives that are much more stable and that reduce the possible adverse effects of pure vitamin C, which is more complex when combined with other cosmetics in our routine, such as retinol or exfoliating acids. A pure vitamin C can irritate or over exfoliate the skin in this case.”

“If you want a product for daily use that gives you stable, carefree care, go for derivatives”. However, if you want a flash result, for example because you are going to a wedding or an event, or because your skin is dull and you want quick results… “opt for an ampoule, even if you then continue with another cosmetic that includes vitamin C and is more stable and less prone to possible side effects, when we are talking about continuous use”.

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