Why Ascorbic Acid is Found in Skin Care Products
Look at the ingredient list in many skin care products and ascorbic acid is likely to be included. What causes so many manufacturers to reach for ascorbic acid when creating their products? Personal care raw materials supplier Bell Chem has several facts to share about ascorbic acid.
Many people interchange the words “ascorbic acid” and “vitamin C”; in fact, vitamin C comes in many forms, but ascorbic acid is its purest form. For anyone worried about using ascorbic acid, rest assured. More dermatological research has been conducted on this chemical than on any other. The following attributes have been credited with using ascorbic acid.
Oxidative stress reduction
Free radicals are often the culprit in many of skin’s anomalies, such as damage to nucleic acids, proteins, and cellular membranes. Ascorbic acid’s excess of electrons in its outer shell quickly adhere to free radicals, keeping them at bay. Free radicals stimulate a chain reaction of events leading to breakdowns of collagen, which keeps skin soft and supple, and elastin, which increases the elasticity of skin’s appearance. When free radicals are inert, these changes are less likely to occur because the connective tissues remain intact.
Photoprotection
The addition of ascorbic acid to sunscreen enhances its ability to protect against UV rays. The same free radicals as mentioned previously are activated by UVA rays, which affect the underlying dermis by mutating collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans; and UVB rays, which primarily affect the epidermis where mutations can lead to sunburn and skin cancer.
Alone, sunscreens block approximately 55% of free radicals associated with UV exposure. With ascorbic acid as an ingredient, the propensity to block harmful UV rays reduces erythema by 52% and sunburn cell formation by approximately 50%.
Removal of skin discoloration
Ascorbic acid inhibits melanin formation, which is responsible for freckles and other patches of skin discoloration.
Bell Chem is a personal care raw materials supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including ascorbic acid. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.