Ascorbic acid for the face: features of use for wrinkles and age spots

How to prepare face masks with ascorbic acid, and how are they beneficial for the skin? We will talk about this in the article. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is included in many cosmetic products. Its value lies in the fact that it helps restore and whiten the skin. In addition, it provides protection from the negative effects of external environmental factors and activates the production of natural collagen at the cellular level. It can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription in the form of ampoules, tablets, or powder.

Action

Being an organic substance, ascorbic acid ensures the normal functioning of connective and bone tissue, is a biological reducer, a coenzyme of metabolic processes and an antioxidant. Its spectrum of action on the skin is striking in its versatility:

• restores the activity of vitamins and, which are known for their rejuvenating and regenerating properties in relation to the epidermis;
• makes the complexion even, beautiful, healthy;
• normalizes moisture levels after sun exposure;
• neutralizes many toxic substances: tobacco smoke, skin pathogens, heavy metals;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect, drying and disinfecting pimples and acne;
• has a powerful antioxidant effect, neutralizing free radicals, which are considered one of the main causes of early aging of the skin;
• stops the growth of cancer cells;
• increases the effectiveness of peeling;
• allows you to whiten age spots by stopping the production of melanin in tissues;
• prevents the formation of ulcers;
• gives the skin firmness and elasticity;
• takes an active part in the production of collagen, which makes it possible to use it against wrinkles and other age-related changes;
• tightens enlarged pores;
• improves skin texture and tone;
• enhances the protective functions of the epidermis, increasing its resistance to aggressive environmental influences (ultraviolet radiation, low temperatures, air pollution) and infections;
• accelerates tissue healing, having a regenerating effect, helps get rid of scars and scars;
• cleanses pores well and gets rid of blackheads.

So the benefits of ascorbic acid for facial skin are obvious. Almost any cosmetic defect can be eliminated with the help of this vitamin.

Origin of the term. The word “ascorbic” goes back to the Latin language: “anti” is translated as “against”, “scorbutus” - “scurvy”. It is because of a lack of vitamin C that people suffer from this serious disease.

Benefits and harms

What, in short, are the benefits of vitamin C for humans? It improves immunity, as a result of which the likelihood of various diseases is reduced, treats existing infections, reduces cholesterol and blood clots, makes blood vessels elastic, and helps restore various cells of the human body.

If your gums began to bleed, your joints ached, insomnia appeared, you began to suffer from frequent colds, wrinkles appeared - all this is the result of a lack of ascorbic acid. Such problems can be avoided if you take it regularly in the right quantities.

Precautionary measures

Despite such a rich palette of beneficial properties, ascorbic acid can also be harmful to health. There are several ways to use this vitamin to improve the condition of the skin: oral use (powder and tablets), injection (ampoules) and externally (all forms of release). Most contraindications for the active use of vitamin C relate to the first two. But you should be very careful with the external use of acid.

Contraindications:

• allergy;
• pregnancy;
• gastrointestinal diseases;
• heat;
• hemochromatosis;
• hyperoxaluria, nephrolithiasis;
• hypersensitivity;
• deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase;
• rosacea;
• urolithiasis disease;
• open, fresh wounds on the face;
• taking antibiotics;
• diabetes;
• sideroblastic anemia;
• tendency to thrombosis;
• thalassemia;
• thrombophlebitis.

Side effects:

• diarrhea;
• itchy rash;
• hyperemia;
• heartburn;
• blood in the urine (after ingesting a too concentrated solution);
• severe allergic reaction;
• convulsions;
• nausea.

Having decided to use vitamin C for skin care, you need to understand that, first of all, it is an acid, the dosage and concentration of which should always be within normal limits.

Through the pages of history. In 1927, Albert Szent-Györy, a Hungarian biochemist, first isolated ascorbic acid.

Rating of branded cosmetics

Branded facial cosmetics with vitamin C

Vitamin C in cosmetology is far from uncommon. Many famous companies produce entire lines of products enriched with ascorbic acid. Moreover, among them there are both budget options and expensive offers. A small rating will demonstrate this to you clearly.

1. Vitamin C Formula Action Cream HISCV3 is a cream with an innovative complex in its composition. Histomer (Italy). $72.6.
2. Eye Serum C THE SUCCESS - eye serum. Holy Land (Israel). $54.5.
3. Vitamin C Serum Pure White is a whitening serum. BeautyMed (France). $54.2.
4. Fade Out Histo K Cream is a regenerating cream. Histolab (South Korea). $52.4.
5. Luminous Exfolia Scrub Arbutin Vitamin C is an innovative scrub for mature skin. Coverderm (Italy). $28.9.
6. Ample Mask is a rejuvenating ampoule mask against wrinkles. Elizavecca Milky Piggy (South Korea). $27.2.
7. FarmLine - tonic. Biomatrix (France). $24.7.
8. Activator lotion. Kosmoteros Professionnel (France). $18.4.
9. Lightening mask for age spots. Absolute New York (USA). $3.9.
10. Face mask with ascorbic acid for normal skin. Hadariki (Japan). $1.1.

Did you know that... ascorbic acid is produced in industrial quantities by synthesis from glucose?

How to prevent vitamin deficiency

With a lack of vitamin C, pale and dry body skin and intense peeling develop. Spider veins appear on the face. Hair becomes dull and brittle and actively falls out. The nails peel and crumble, and horizontal white stripes appear on them. Crusts and painful bleeding cracks are observed on the lips.

To prevent such symptoms, you need to carefully monitor the balance of vitamin C in the body. It is advisable to increase the content of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, especially black currants, bell peppers, and citrus fruits. If, while following a fortified diet, symptoms of ascorbic acid deficiency persist, doctors recommend using balanced nutritional supplements that contain the optimal daily amount of the vitamin.

Methods of application

There are different ways to use ascorbic acid for facial skin care. Firstly, you can go to a beauty salon for mesotherapy. Secondly, any form of vitamin C can always be used at home.

Mesotherapy

Ascorbic acid is widely used for facial mesotherapy in the fight against wrinkles, age spots and scars. Injections are not given in its pure form, but as part of meso-cocktails it works real miracles on the skin. It is perfectly complemented by collagen, plant extracts, hyaluronic acid, tocopherol and retinol.

The procedure is carried out in the salon by a professional cosmetologist. The area to be chipped is treated with alcohol, and an anesthetic cream is applied to it, which acts very quickly. Then injections are made at pre-designated points. Typically 8-12 injections are required. The first results can be noticeable within a day, but for maximum effect you will need about 5 sessions (they are carried out at intervals of 5-10 days). Do not forget that rejuvenation with vitamin C in this way will not last forever: wrinkles will smooth out, and age spots will lighten for no more than six months. After this, the procedure can be repeated.

“Beauty injections” with vitamin C

Mesotherapy with ascorbic acid is considered low-traumatic and does not require special rehabilitation measures. However, in a number of cases, side effects such as pain in the treated area, allergic reactions (most often in the form of itching), swelling, hyperemia, hematomas, and papules were noted.

Ampoules

In any pharmacy, without a doctor’s prescription, you can purchase ascorbic acid in ampoules - a solution originally intended for intravenous and intramuscular administration.

• Injections

Firstly, they can be used for their intended purpose, that is, undergo a course of injection treatment. In addition to the fact that they increase performance during any physical and mental stress and speed up rehabilitation after serious illnesses, regular injections will also affect the condition of the skin: it will noticeably smooth out and look renewed.

• Cosmetics

Ampoule ascorbic acid is very convenient for adding to various cosmetic products - both branded and homemade. Its liquid form dissolves well in creams and masks, lotions and tonics. If you add it to ready-made products, the proportions are 1 ampoule (2 mg) per 1 tablespoon (15 g) of the total composition. Be careful: under no circumstances should you wipe your face with ascorbic acid in its pure form - burns are guaranteed. Therefore, first dissolve it in water in a ratio of 1 to 3. The resulting tonic can already be used for applications, compresses and rubbing.

For external use, it is better to use a 5% ampoule solution, since 10% is too concentrated.

Powder

Instead of ampoules, you can purchase ascorbic acid powder. 1 sachet contains 2.5 g of active substance. It is dissolved in 2.5 liters of boiled, chilled water and drunk orally for intoxication and infections, as well as for bleeding and heavy physical exertion. Dosage - no more than 10 ml per day. After a course of treatment of 7-10 days, the skin on the face becomes more elastic, complexion improves, and pigmentation disappears.

This dosage form can also be used for external use. To do this, the contents of 1 sachet are dissolved in 250 ml of milk or herbal decoction. Wipe the entire face with the resulting liquid twice a day (to smooth out wrinkles) or individual areas of it (for example, age spots). It is especially good to use vitamin C in powder for making homemade scrubs, gommages and other peeling products.

Ascorbic acid can also be purchased at the pharmacy in the form of tablets and capsules. To improve the condition of the skin on your face, you can take a course in accordance with the instructions. The second way to use it is to grind them and add them to homemade face masks, but only in minimal quantities so as not to get burned.

Interesting fact. Cats, unlike humans, independently produce ascorbic acid in their own bodies from glucose and do not need to consume it from the outside.

Rules of application

Homemade mask with ascorbic acid

Correct use of ascorbic acid is the key to safety. Before turning to her for help, study the nuances of using it at home.

To prepare homemade natural face masks, you can use not only pharmaceutical preparations of ascorbic acid, but also foods and herbs that are very rich in this vitamin. Saturate your skin with it:

• oranges;
• cowberry;
• strawberries;
• viburnum;
• White cabbage;
• potato;
• kiwi;
• lemon;
• parsley;
• juniper;
• sea ​​​​buckthorn;
• Rowan;
• dill;
• black currant;
• rose hip;
• spinach;
• sorrel.

By actively including these products in masks, you will saturate your skin with vitamin C - just do not overdose. And a few more useful tips will help you avoid disappointment with the results and unpleasant consequences.

1. Apply any facial products with ascorbic acid to well-steamed and thoroughly cleansed skin.
2. Avoid the orbital area.
3. The maximum exposure time of the mask is 15 minutes.
4. Vitamin C in its pure form, in contact with air, is very quickly destroyed and becomes useless. To avoid this, the ampoule must be opened immediately before use.
5. The metal also blocks the beneficial properties of ascorbic acid by entering into a chemical bond with it. Therefore, in your home laboratory for preparing cosmetics, avoid the use of metal utensils (this applies to spoons and bowls). Give preference to porcelain or glass.
6. It is not enough to remove the mask with a cotton pad - it must be washed off with warm water.
7. After this, a nourishing or moisturizing cream is applied to the skin.
8. After this, you cannot go outside for 3-4 hours. At this time, the dermis becomes very susceptible to ultraviolet radiation, and it needs to be protected from it.
9. The frequency of using masks is 2 times a week, for 1-1.5 months. Next, cosmetologists advise making an interval of a month and repeating the course again.
10. Ascorbic acid combines perfectly in anti-aging masks with tocopherol and retinol.
11. Do not store cosmetics with vitamin C in the refrigerator.
12. The optimal time to use such cosmetics is an hour before bedtime.

And don’t forget to test a new product with ascorbic acid to make sure that the skin reacts to this vitamin without side effects, because it is a strong allergen. By the way, glucose, which is often found in recipes for homemade masks with this acid, only enhances its irritating effect.

Little secret. Do you want cosmetics with ascorbic acid to bring maximum benefits? Then you will have to give up oral contraceptives and aspirin: they reduce the absorption and absorption of this vitamin.

Skin masks with ampoule vitamin C

• Natural honey (4g), powdered milk (4g), orange juice (20 ml), ascorbic acid (5 drops), vitamin E (1 capsule). Mix, cover the face (except the area around the eyes), leave for 20 minutes and rinse the skin.
• Take a teaspoon of glycerin and mineral water, add 5 drops of ascorbic acid, mix, cover the skin, leave for 20 minutes and rinse your face with warm water.
• Take 2 teaspoons of blue clay and kefir, add ascorbic acid (5 drops), mix, cover your face for 20 minutes.