Sustainable Skincare: What It Means in Practice

Vitamin C is one of the most researched actives in skincare. It's also one of the most poorly formulated and misapplied. Pure ascorbic acid — the most studied form — has the biggest stability problem in the market: it oxidises on contact with air and light, losing efficacy within days or weeks. Buying a vitamin C serum and storing it incorrectly is equivalent to buying a serum without the active.

The 3 Mechanisms That Make Vitamin C Indispensable

  1. Primary antioxidant — neutralises free radicals from UV and pollution before they damage collagen. Complements, doesn't replace, SPF.
  2. Tyrosinase inhibitor — reduces melanin synthesis. Attenuates sun spots in 6–8 weeks at adequate concentrations.
  3. Collagen synthesis cofactor — essential for prolyl hydroxylase, the enzyme that stabilises collagen. Without vitamin C, synthesised collagen is structurally weak.

Vitamin C Forms in Cosmetics

  • Ascorbic acid (L-AA) — greatest proven efficacy at 10–20%; very acidic pH (2.5–3.5); unstable; can irritate sensitive skin
  • Ascorbyl glucoside — stabilised form; converts to ascorbic acid in skin; effective at 2–3%; much greater stability
  • 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid — good stability; effective penetration; superior tolerability profile vs L-AA

The Energising Vitamin C Serum uses a stabilised form with HA — months of stability, efficacy from first use, tolerable for all skin types.

Energising Vitamin C Serum →

When and How to Apply

Morning: after cleansing, before moisturiser and SPF. Vitamin C + SPF offer synergistic protection — vitamin C neutralises free radicals that SPF doesn't block.
Night: can also be used at night, especially stabilised forms without photosensitivity.
Compatible with: niacinamide, HA, peptides. Exercise care with AHAs in the same application.

For persistent dark spots, vitamin C + alpha-arbutin has superior synergistic effect to each active alone — two distinct mechanisms of the melanin pathway.

Brightening Dark Spot Serum →
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