Beauty Booty: Vitamin C

It’s that time of year again…Vitamin C is having its moment! From what I’ve seen on Twitter and Facebook, everyone is starting to wonder if they can OD on the C as they shoot Airborne into their veins to stave off a cold.

It’s unlikely you’ll OD, but 2,000 milligrams is the upper limit for this vitamin — more than that can give you an upset stomach. Just taking in an extra 500 milligrams of C on top of your five-a-day of fruits and veggies (which I know you get, right?) will keep your immune system in tip-top shape.

While it’s great to get it in you, it’s also worth getting Vitamin C on you. When applied topically, it works as an antioxidant, it smoothes skin, neutralizes dark spots, makes your skin softer, and reduces the signs of aging. And it helps form collagen, which keeps skin looking firm. I’m not really into twentysomethings worrying about anti-aging (seriously, stop buying Retinols if you’re in college, you are wasting your money), but this is a preventative measure I can deal with.

It also helps repair environmental damage, which is huge. Maybe you wear sunscreen religiously and have never seen the inside of in a tanning bed, but I’m guessing there is a small chance you’ve been less than diligent at times. Honestly, who hasn’t? And environmental damage extends to pollution and smoke, which we’re all victims of.

Vitamin C beauty products are always labeled “refresh!” and “energize!” and smell like oranges, but they actually do help create a clear, bright, light-reflecting complexion. Since I have a pretty serious love affair with achieving dewy skin, that’s right up my alley.

So, since my teeth can’t get any whiter for the time being and I’m a little bored, I’ve begun experimenting with Vitamin C proucts!  I had a hefty birthday gift card to Sephora so here’s what I splurged on…

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. I was excited to try this line, which I’d heard great things about. It’s free of parabens, sulfates, petro-chemicals, and phthalates (which is good!), and the brand is all about simple pure, and cruelty-free products. So…good skin karma! I also really like this serum. I’ve used a lot of different serums, and usually the texture is very velvety, but at times they can feel too velvety, almost like they just sit on top of your skin rather than penetrate it. This serum is a little wetter, which I like — it sinks right in. It has a light orange scent, but it’s not overpowering! You’re supposed to use it before bed, which I’ve been doing, and I think it’s pretty great! It’s pricey, but I use a pretty small amount (pea-sized), so I think the bottle will last quite a while. It’s made my skin soft without making it feel greasy or clogging my pores. It’s not as heavy as a traditional moisturizer, which I think is what I like best about it! Use it after exfoliating (which you should do a few times a week) because it will work even better on fresh, bare skin. Many reviewers said it works great on scars; I haven’t put it directly on any big scars, but it did make a dark spot on my chin vanish! If you’re hesitant because of the price, it’s available in a few deluxe gift sets like this one, where you’ll get full-sized products and more for your money.

Murad Essential-C Toner. I spent about 30 minutes in the Murad section, because I wanted to buy all this Essential-C stuff! They sell a great Essential C kit that’s totally worth the money if you need a cleanser and moisturizer with SPF; it also includes this serum which is super expensive/absolutely divine. Since I am cheap when it comes to cleanser, I decided to go with this toner instead (which, annoyingly, does not come in the kit). I have to say, this was a good choice! Normally, when I think “toner,” words like “alcohol-based,” “oh it burns,” and “really dirty cotton ball” come to mind. This toner is none of those things! You lightly mist it on your face; it has a very clean, kind of earthy smell. You can either dab it off with a washcloth or allow it to dry, which I do and…I absolutely love it. It’s been making my skin feel so balanced and look luminous. I don’t usually use cleanser on my face first thing in the morning — many experts say a splash of water is all you need — but I’ve been using this after my splash. I definitely look more refreshed and glowy! I also use it after my outdoor runs, when, even though I wear SPF, I worry there might be free radicals getting buck wild in my skin. It’s just extremely refreshing and cooling, and balance really is the key word. The bottle seems to be lasting quite a while, but I’ll definitely buy more when it runs out.

Philosophy Turbo C Booster Powder. Philosophy is a great brand, so I was excited to try this. It’s just straight up Vitamin C powder. From what I’ve read, the powder form is very potent! I love the packaging. OK I like two things in life: little doors and little bottles. I love “Alice in Wonderland,” what can I say? So I love the old-fashioned apothecary-looking bottle — and I read great reviews on it, so I decided I’d try it for myself. It comes with a very tiny scoop (so cute!) to measure the powder out; you then mix it with your daytime moisturizer. So far, I really like the results! First, you don’t need much moisturizer which is nice. I would be disappointed if I had to slather my face in lotion just to get this stuff to blend well. It blends really well, although I’ll be honest and say that it blends a little better with non-SPF lotion. I’m not saying you should skip SPF, but I just think my SPF moisturizer might be a little rougher to begin with, and this makes it more so. Still…not a huge deal. I definitely think it’s made my complexion brighter and, well, glowier.

In terms of instant gratification, I think these three do a pretty sweet job! I’ve been wearing a lot less makeup lately, and these brighten my skin and make me feel fresh-faced enough to do that. And I can tell my skin looks better with makeup on; when you’re more naturally radiant, makeup doesn’t have to work as hard! A lot of the best properties of Vitamin C products are just preventative, so it will be hard to truly test these products until years from now, when we’re comparing ourselves to the other women at our high-school reunions.

Tagged as: beauty, makeup, outer beauty, Product Reviews, products, Sephora, skin care, Vitamin C