Skin whitening is an eternal topic for women. So does taking vitamin C really whiten skin and prevent aging?
1. The principle of skin whitening with vitamin C
First of all, there are many factors that determine whether our skin is dark or white, such as genetics, exposure to sunlight, hormone levels, etc. But in general, skin color mainly depends on the melanin content in the skin.
The origin of melanin production lies in tyrosinase. Tyrosinase in melanocytes will form eumelanin after a series of chemical and oxidative reactions and then reach the skin surface. If the skin’s metabolism does not go smoothly, it will lead to precipitation and pigmentation. When combined, the skin color will be darker or form dark spots, making the skin uneven in color, thereby making the skin darker.
Vitamin C is good for the skin, but that doesn’t mean the more you supplement, the better.
Therefore, inhibiting tyrosinase biosynthesis is the key to skin whitening. Vitamin C can inhibit tyrosinase activity, prevent melanin production, and has certain antioxidant properties, which can reduce melanin, help improve dull skin, and achieve whitening effects.
In addition, although vitamin C is not a sunscreen ingredient, it can fight free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays. Collagen loss is also a major factor causing skin aging and wrinkles, vitamin C can promote collagen synthesis, prevent collagen loss, so it has anti-aging and wrinkle-reducing effects.
But that does not mean that the more vitamin C you supplement, the better, you need to have a dosage. Taking large amounts of vitamin C for a long time will harm the body.
2. Dangers of taking too much vitamin C
Vitamin C is generally safe when supplemented from food. People who use vitamin C in the form of functional foods are at risk of consuming too much and experiencing side effects, including:
– Vitamin C is acidic, overdose can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach ulcers and other symptoms of the digestive system.
– Overdose of vitamin C increases the concentration of oxalic acid and uric acid in the body, increasing the risk of gout and kidney stones.
– Too much vitamin C will also affect the body’s anti-coagulation mechanism, platelet function is easily disturbed leading to thrombosis, increasing the risk of cerebral infarction.
If you take more than 2500 mg of vitamin C at once, it can cause a large number of red blood cells to rupture, leading to serious phenomena such as hemolysis. Therefore, it is best not to exceed the allowable dose.
Foods rich in vitamin C.
3. How to take vitamin C to achieve the best whitening effect?
The human body cannot produce vitamin C by itself, so the absorption of vitamin C into the body mainly comes from diet. The common diet of vitamin C is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.
- Fruits rich in vitamin C include: Oranges, tangerines, kiwis, pears, apples, bananas, peaches, cherries, strawberries, lychees…
- Vegetables rich in vitamin C include: Chili, bitter melon, tomatoes, cauliflower, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, celery, lettuce, pumpkin…
If you need to supplement vitamin C orally, you need to pay special attention to the allowed dosage and the following points:
– Vitamin C should not be taken on an empty stomach, nor should it be taken with tea, milk or other drinks. The best effect is taken with filtered water and taken after meals. Vitamin C cannot withstand high temperatures, so when taking vitamin C effervescent tablets, do not dissolve them in water that is too hot, but use warm or cold water to dissolve them, otherwise the medicinal properties will be lost.
– Depending on each person’s physical condition, the effect will generally be more obvious after taking it orally for at least 3-6 months.
– Finally, although vitamin C has a skin whitening effect, if you want your skin to not become dark, in addition to supplementing vitamin C, you also need to protect yourself from the sun to inhibit the production of melanin.
