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Vitamin C: Beauty Essential

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SleepingBeauty is a doctor in Singapore with a practice in Aesthetic Medicine. Her clinic services include slimming (body contouring), enhancing &...  (more...)

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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 C

Supplementation: 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 

Top: ascorbic acid(reduced form)Bottom: dehydroascorbic acid(oxidized form)

Vitamin C or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for 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.

McCluskey, E. S. - Which Vertebrates Make Vitamin C? Elwood S. McCluskey, Departments of Physiology and Biology Loma Linda University, Published in Origins 12(2):96-100 (1985).

The presence of ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants. It is made internally by almost all organisms, humans being the most well-known exception. It is widely known as the vitamin whose deficiency 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 antioxidant, since it protects the body against oxidative stress, and is a cofactor in several vital enzymatic reactions.

The uses and the daily requirement amounts of vitamin C are matters of on-going debate. People consuming diets rich in ascorbate from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier and have lower mortality from a number of chronic illnesses. However, 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.

New Beauty.com 

Vitamin C Skincare

Peter Thomas Roth Power C 10 Anti-Oxidant Serum Gel

Peter Thomas Roth Power C 10 Anti-Oxidant Serum Gel

Price: $80.00

Aids in increased collagen production for smooth, radiant skin, while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Helps facial contours look... more »

Cellex-C Eye Contour Gel

Cellex-C Eye Contour Gel

Price: $51.00

A lightweight, oil-free aqueous solution for the delicate eye area. Contains the patented Cellex-C Complex - 5% pure L-ascorbic acid, tyrosine and zin... more »

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

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 05/11/2008)

Ascorbate: The Science of Vitamin C

Amazon Price: $28.72 (as of 05/11/2008)

Antioxidants in Nutrition, Health, and Disease

Amazon Price: (as of 05/11/2008)

The Antioxidant Vitamins C and E

Amazon Price: $79.95 (as of 05/11/2008)

Vitamin C in the News 

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SleepingBeauty is a doctor in Singapore with a practice in Aesthetic Medicine. Her clinic services include slimming (body contouring), enhancing & rejuvenation.

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