Vitamin C: Antioxidant for Anti-Ageing & Whitening,
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is the substance we all reach for at the first signs of the common cold. Its antioxidant properties are believed to boost our immune systems, thus speeding up recovery from diseases.
Found naturally in high concentrations in citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons, the deficiency of Vitamin C results in scurvy.
Vitamin C is also finding its way out of the kitchen into our bathrooms. Incorporated in many skincare products, Vitamin C is now believed to be an essential part of everybody's basic skincare regime. Vitamin C is required for collagen production, and also has whitening properties. Its antioxidant functions speed up healing and protect the skin from environmental aggressors.
Benefits of Vitamin C
- Aids in Collagen Production: this is the supporting tissue of skin, bones, ligaments, etc.
- Suppresses Melanin Productiion: reduces pigmentary changes through UV-A and UV-B exposure
- Reduces Fine Lines & Wrinkles: Collagen loss and disorganisation is part of the process of ageing, leading to skin sagging and wrinkle formation.
- Reduces the appearance of acne blemishes, reduces pore size and improves skin texture.
- Enhances body immunity. May have antihistamine properties at high doses.
- Prevents scurvy
Routes of Administration
Dietary: by eating foods high in Vitamin CSupplementation: Vitamin C tablets or as part of multi-vitamins/antioxidants
Topical: L-Ascorbic acid is the form most easily absorbed by the skin. Often administered in serum form.
Intravenous: slow injections are popular for skin whitening in the Far East
Mesotherapy: superficial administration into the skin reduces inflammation and induces whitening (meso-whitening)
Injections: into fat (subcutaneous) or muscle (intramuscular)
Skin Whitening Injections
Vitamin C at a dose of 1g is popular for skin whitening in the Far East, when porcelain skin is perceived as desirable. Used alone or in combination with glutathione and tranexamic acid, this treatment is administered at an interval of 1-2 times a week.The skin appears fairer, smoother, more radiant and supple.
The treatment is widely available at clinics in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines and Malaysia. It is starting to gain popularity in Singapore, where the local ladies yearn for a perfect complexion akin to popular local artistes, particularly Fiona Xie.
Vitamin C on Wikipedia
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, a large number of higher primate species, a small number of other mammalian species (notably guinea pigs and bats), a few species of birds, and some fish.
Ascorbate (an ion of ascorbic acid) is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants. It is made internally by almost all organisms, humans being a notable exception. Deficiency in this vitamin causes scurvy in humans. It is also widely used as a food additive.
The pharmacophore of vitamin C is the ascorbate ion. In living organisms, ascorbate is an anti-oxidant, since it protects the body against oxidative stress, and is a cofactor in several vital enzymatic reactions.
Scurvy has been known since ancient times. People in many parts of the world assumed it was caused by a lack of fresh plant foods. The British Navy started giving sailors lime juice to prevent scurvy in 1795, Wilson LG. The Clinical Definition of Scurvy and the Discovery of Vitamin C J Hist of Med1975;40-60.. Ascorbic acid was finally isolated by 1933 and synthesized in 1934.
The uses and recommended daily intake of vitamin C are matters of on-going debate. A recent meta-analysis of 68 reliable antioxidant supplementation experiments involving a total of 232,606 individuals concluded that consuming additional ascorbate from supplements may not be as beneficial as thought.
Vitamin C on eBay
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Great Stuff on Amazon
The Antioxidant Miracle: Put Lipoic Acid, Pycnogenol, and Vitamins E and C to Work for You
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User's Guide to Vitamin C: Learn What You Need to Know About How Vitamin C Can Improve Your Total Health (Basic Health Publications User's Guide)
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Ascorbate: The Science of Vitamin C
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Antioxidants in Nutrition, Health, and Disease
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The Antioxidant Vitamins C and E
Amazon Price: $62.02 (as of 07/13/2009)
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by SleepingBeauty
SleepingBeauty is a doctor in Singapore with a practice in Aesthetic Medicine. Her clinic services include slimming (body contouring), enhancing &...
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