The Many Benefits Of Vitamin C
Discover the many benefits of this beauty-boosting vitamin and why it not only deserves a place in your diet, but your skincare regime too…
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is undeniably one of the most well-known vitamins and rightly so. Not only does it bring lots of benefits to our overall health, but to our skin too. “It’s required for a huge array of body functions and it’s vital for so many things such as our immunity, energy, mood, detoxification, hormone balance and even our skin health,” says co-founder of Equi London and Nutritional Therapist, Alice Mackintosh. “It also acts as an antioxidant which means it helps to clear up harmful substances from our body that are produced as byproducts of biochemical reactions as well as helping to keep inflammation under control and our immune system functioning properly,” she adds.
Why Should We Be Conscious Of Eating A Diet Rich In Vitamin C?
“As our body cannot produce vitamin C itself and our body cannot function without it, it’s important we get our daily supply from the foods we eat,” says Alice. Thankfully vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, sauerkraut, oranges, peppers, broccoli and potatoes which are also packed with plenty of fibre and other antioxidants. “This is why it’s so vital to get a good supply of fresh foods in our diet,” adds Alice. Also, it’s worth noting that we do not store vitamin C very well so eating these types of foods every day is key to keeping levels topped up. Aiming for the recommended 7 portions (that’s right, 5 in a minimum!) of fruit and veg per day should help to deliver a good level of vitamin C to the body.
Why Should I Consider A Vitamin C Supplement?
Unfortunately many of us aren’t getting enough vitamin C in our diets and whilst nothing can replace a healthy and well-balanced diet, taking a supplements is a wise way of increasing your intake. “The government recommends adult get around 40mg of vitamin C per day, but experts many argue that still isn’t enough,” says Alice. “More research is needed here but what we do know is that higher doses (of around 500mg a day or even as much as 1000-2000mg) have been shown to be significantly beneficial for our immunity and skin health.” It’s also worth noting here that several lifestyle factors such as stress, vigorous exercise, alcohol and smoking can also encourage the body to use more vitamin C which means your levels may be even lower. Taking a high-quality supplement with premium forms of vitamin C (such as calcium ascorbate, or liposomal) are easily absorbed by your body and have little to no side effects. “Seeing as it is so important and beneficial for the whole body, almost all of our Equi supplements contain vitamin C,” says Alice. “The only exceptions are our omega-based products - Beauty Oil Edition and Pregnancy Oil Edition.” Try our Original Formula for a good all-rounder that’s packed with 46 different nutrients to bring a multitude of health and beauty benefits including vitamin C and the synergistic nutrients it works with, such as vitamins A & E. Expect improved energy levels, a supported immune system, less terrible hangovers, more balanced hormones and a clearer, more glowing complexion. You could also try our Immunity Edition for a more specific focus on resilience and a stronger system.
What Are The Benefits Of Vitamin C Skincare?
Alongside ensuring you’re consuming enough vitamin C through your diet and supplementation, applying it topically is another great way of reaping the benefits of vitamin C. “Well formulated products containing vitamin C provide a range of benefits to the skin such as improving skin tone, protecting your skin from pollution and UV damage, improving skin radiance and brightness, boosting cell repair and generally keeping your skin looking more youthful for longer,” says founder of Decree Skincare, Dr Anita Sturnham.
How Should I Use Vitamin C In My Skincare Routine?
Due to it’s protective and reparative qualities as well as the enviable glow it gives, Dr Anita advises adding vitamin C to your morning routine. “Our skin has a 24-hour circadian rhythm means that its anatomical and physiological needs change from morning to night,” she adds. “This is why I’d always suggest adapting your skincare routine to ensure your skin receives the nutrients it needs at the right time of day.” Try looking for a vitamin C serum which you can apply to cleansed skin before your moisturiser and SPF. We love the Decree Protect Elixir as it’s been expertly formulated with vitamin C alongside vitamins B and E, niacinamide, copper, zinc and magnesium to deliver a potent cocktail of skin-loving nutrients in one easy to use serum. Your skin will be left protected against daily stressors all day as well as being well hydrated thanks to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid. Short-term, a vitamin C serum will give your skin a radiant glow and longer-term it will really help to even out your skin tone and fight signs of pigmentation.
Other favourites we love include the Oskia Super-C Beauty Capsules which come in perfectly portioned, single-use capsules to ensure each dose is as efficacious and potent as possible. They’re also great for travel. For a really enviable glow that also provides important daily protection with SPF30 and a very welcome hydration hit, try Medik8’s C-Tetra Cream SPF 30 Two-in-One Moisturiser. For sensitive skin sufferers, it’s worth patch-testing any product before using and looking for one with a lower concentration of vitamin C before building up a tolerance.
Are there any benefits of vitamin C that we have missed? We would love to hear from you! Drop us a line, or check out our Instagram or Facebook to see what we are up to.
Disclaimer: Certain supplements are used for different reasons and a one-size-fits-all approach shouldn’t be adopted. In addition, pregnant women and anyone on medication should always consult a doctor before embarking on a supplements programme. As with all articles on www.equilondon.com, this is no substitution for individual medical or nutritional advice.