Find Your Skin's Bright Spot

It doesn’t get much better than topical vitamin C when it comes to transforming the look and health of your skin. If you’re not already using it, here’s why you need to start now

- Sherrie Strausfogel

“Vitamin C supports overall skin health and prevents signs of aging,” says Heather Wilson, a licensed esthetician and director of brand development at InstaNatural, a skin care company that combines activated forms of vitamin C with vitamin C-rich botanicals in it products.

How does vitamin C work? Research shows that it helps maintain skin firmness and elasticity by supporting construction of collagen, the skin’s primary building block. Vitamin C has also been shown to increase skin brightness by reducing the enzymes that cause dark spots and blotches. (See box for even more reasons to shower your skin in vitamin C.)

Humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C, and even if you ingest high doses, only a small fraction will be biologically available and active in the skin. That’s why it’s so important to make topical vitamin C part of your skin care routine.