It’s that time of year again. Holidays, gifts, snow, Pumpkin Spice Latte’s and, yes, that dreaded cold, dry winter air Use Vitamin C Serum. Most of us don’t realize how much our skin can become damaged during these chilly winter months.
Red, dry, lackluster skin can show up when we are exposed to artificial heat and intense UV rays. Plus, UV rays can actually be more intense in the winter when there’s snow and ice on the ground. This along with thinking sunscreen isn’t a winter skincare necessity makes us prone to damaged skin.
But, how does a gal keep her face looking more like a porcelain angel and less like dried up figgy pudding? Vitamin C Serum.
Vitamin C serum helps heal and protect skin from damage all winter long. It literally acts like a suit of armor to protect cells and prevent dry, irritated skin. Plus, it stimulates collagen production, decreases inflammation, and brightens skin by fading dark spots.
Let’s dive into what winter does to skin in the first place then explain how vitamin C serum can help.
Why Winter Destroys Skin?
You’ve got an amazing skincare routine all year long, then, suddenly, the temperature drops, the cold, dry winds start to blow, we crank up the thermostat, and all of the sudden, your skin is red, dry, flaky, and dull.
But, why does winter destroy skin?
- Artificial Heating
- When we turn up the thermostat to battle the cold, we’re really turning down the moisture in the air. This ends up making the air more dry than normal and this dry air literally pulls the moisture from your skin causing it to be dehydrated, red, and flaky.
- UV Rays
- Most of us don’t even realize that overcast days still expose skin to UV rays. This makes sunscreen a must, even in winter. Plus, when there’s snow on the ground, the sun reflects twice as many UV rays as normal.
- Skipping the Sunscreen
- When it’s cold and gloomy some of us just simply skip the sunscreen. This puts us at risk for hyperpigmentation, or dark spots. But, sunscreen is still important, even in winter, especially if you use retinol and AHAs or BHAs.
Vitamin C Serum is Your Secret Weapon for Winter Skin
To combat all these winter blues, you need to start using, or keep using, vitamin C serum. Vitamin C helps boost collagen, fades hyperpigmentation and brightens skin, reduces inflammation, and protects skin from dry winter air.
Increases Collagen Production
Collagen gives skin its elasticity and strength. This translates to that plump youthful look that makes people think you’re younger than you are. The dermis (the layer of skin under the epidermis) is made up of 75% collagen fibers and as we age this percentage gets on a downward trajectory which causes saggy skin with fine lines and wrinkles. Winter air strips away protective oils causing skin to dry out and be more prone to wrinkles.
All natural Vitamin C serum increases collagen production by stimulating collagen-producing fibroblasts in the dermis. This helps fight signs of aging like saggy skin, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Fades Hyperpigmentation and Brightens Skin
When the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) is exposed to UV rays it gets damaged and overproduces melanin. In winter, UV rays reflecting off of snow and ice plus skipping the sunscreen makes us more prone to hyperpigmentations. This causes those annoying little dark spots to crop up and, left unchecked, they tend to keep cropping up.
Vitamin C serum soaks directly into the epidermis and causes skin to make tyrosinase which is an enzyme that helps break down melanin. This causes skin to be brighter, from the inside out! But, you can’t get it from taking vitamin C supplements or eating a bag of oranges. Nutrients simply don’t reach the epidermis because of the way skin is constructed and how blood and nutrients pass though skin’s layers.
Reduces Inflammation
Vitamin C is a potent antiinflammatory agent. In winter we’re especially prone to inflamed skin. Going from super toasty heated houses into the cold, dry air damages skin making it red, flaky, and dry. This releases free radicals, or reactive oxygen species, which are microscopic bits of oxygen that manage to break free from cells when they’re damaged. If left to their own devices, these little bits go around terrorizing other cells, causing damage everywhere they touch.
Vitamin C serum works on contact to fight free radicals and soothe inflamed, red, irritated skin.
Protects Skin
Vitamin C serum literally acts like a suit of armor against dry, cold, winter air. It helps build up the skin’s natural moisture barrier which protects cells and keeps all that glorious moisture safely locked in.
It does this by keeping free radicals in check. Antioxidants, like vitamin C, work to capture and destroy them so they can’t cause any more damage to cells. Controlling free radicals protects skin and helps it heal for younger, less damaged cells.
Final Thoughts
None of us want to have dry, red, lackluster skin all winter long. And now, you don’t have to. Vitamin C serum protects your skin like a suit of armor, keeping it from getting dry and flaky while giving skin what it needs to look younger and healthier. But, be warned, once you start using vitamin C serum, you won’t want to stop.
