Vitamin C is not just effective for whitening

Why Vitamin C is Popular

In Japan, many people prefer skin care products for whitening. Unlike in the West, where tanned skin is considered sexy and beautiful, it is said that people in Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan tend to aim for white, smooth skin.

In Japan, the most well-known whitening ingredient is vitamin C. It may be an ingredient that is of concern not only to those who want to whiten their skin, but also those who are troubled by acne and enlarged pores.

However, vitamin C is actually recommended for those who want to do something about aging skin such as wrinkles and sagging.
This article will explain the reasons in detail.

This article is also recommended: Is it okay to continue using the whitening ingredient hydroquinone?

The effects of vitamin C on the skin

As I wrote at the beginning, the effects of vitamin C on whitening and treating acne and pores are well known.

However, vitamin C is said to help skin recover from exposure to UV rays and is also effective in anti-aging.

Antioxidant effects

 The skin-beautifying effect of Vitamin C comes from its antioxidant properties . When used on skin that is becoming oxidized due to damage from sunburn or other causes, it helps repair the skin.
It's also perfect for treating skin that has been damaged by UV rays in the summer.

Promotes collagen production

Collagen is essential for firm skin. Having sufficient collagen keeps your skin radiant and healthy.

It is naturally produced in the body, but the amount produced decreases as we age, causing the skin to shrink and causing problems such as age spots, wrinkles, sagging skin, and dullness.

However, vitamin C promotes collagen production , which means that incorporating vitamin C into your skin care routine may help prevent the aging of your skin, which can become a concern as you age.

The effects of vitamin C are supported by research papers

The anti-aging effects of Vitamin C have been verified in numerous studies.

for example, A clinical study was conducted on 20 Korean women aged 40-59 with age spots and wrinkles . The cosmetics used were a mixture of ascorbic acid, a vitamin C compound, and collagen.

The degree of improvement in skin firmness, blemishes, and wrinkles was examined after two and four weeks of use.
The results showed that after four weeks, improvements were seen in all areas, and the effects continued even one week after the drug was discontinued.

Another study from 2013 showed that vitamin C may also have the following benefits:

• Moisturizing effect
• Anti-inflammatory effect
• Reduces redness and evens out skin tone

The image of "whitening" created by quasi-drugs

As I have written so far, vitamin C seems to have many other benefits besides whitening.
However, in Japan, it has a strong image as a "whitening ingredient."

Why is that?

The reason for this is probably due to Japan's quasi-drug system.

Quasi-drugs are a category of cosmetics that only exists in Japan.
Even if the product uses the same ingredients as regular cosmetics, once it has been applied for and approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare as a quasi-drug, the effects of the ingredients for which it has been applied for can be prominently displayed on the packaging.

For now, the only effect of vitamin C approved for use in over-the-counter drugs is "whitening."
Even if there are other effects (skin firmness and wrinkles) they cannot be written about, so the product is sold as a whitening product.

By the way, cosmetics that have not been approved as quasi-drugs cannot be labeled as "whitening" even if they contain the same amount of vitamin C. Whether a product is a quasi-drug or not (whether it has been approved or not) means that there is a difference in what can be promoted.

Effective ways to incorporate it into your skin care routine

Now that we know that Vitamin C is good for your skin, how can you effectively incorporate it into your daily skin care routine?

Vitamin C is found in many different products, from facial cleansers to lotions, packs, and creams. If you're not sure which one to choose, we recommend serums or packs.

Whatever you choose, there are two important points to keep in mind.

1. Contains ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) rather than a vitamin C derivative
2. Water is not used

Vitamin C is an unstable and reactive ingredient. It loses its antioxidant properties when exposed to air, water, light, and heat. This means that even if a product contains a high concentration of ascorbic acid, it is useless if the product also contains water.

In addition, vitamin C derivatives have many other substances attached to them in order to maintain the stability of vitamin C. Therefore, it is unclear what the concentration of pure vitamin C is.
Even if it says it is "highly concentrated," the concentration of pure vitamin C may actually be surprisingly low, and there is a possibility that it only provides a placebo effect.

Vitamin C Safety

Vitamin C is generally considered a safe ingredient. It has also been rated as safe by the American EWG, which evaluates the safety of ingredients.

The EWG also considers the following vitamin C derivatives to be safe:

• Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
• Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
• Ascorbyl Glucoside
• Ascorbyl Tetrahexyldecanoate

Although it is considered safe for most skin types, people with sensitive or fragile skin should be cautious .

High concentrations of ascorbic acid can be irritating, and ingredients used in place of water can sting the skin or cause redness.

It may be a good idea to test a small amount before use to see if you have any negative reactions.