Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient for humans. Ascorbic acid is required for many enzymatic functions in the body and also in the synthesis of collagen. Humans need to regularly consume vitamin to avoid deficiencies. Deficiencies of Vitamin C are very rare in North America.
The vitamin is widely available from fruits, vegetable and various plants. It is also added as an anti oxidant in many foods.
Vitamin C and its therapeutic benefits have been exaggerated in the media, especially the cosmetic and nutrient industry. It is often revered to as the universal panacea for all of mans ills. The hype has been made worse with the internet mass media. Vitamin C has been postulated to cure cancers, reverse aging, lessen constipation, treat every type of skin disorder, reverse dementia and the list is endless.
Some nutritionist claim that everyone must consume Vitamin C pills, others claim that one must daily drink 12 glasses of orange juice to fight of infections, some claim it should be eaten as a pill, and yet others say it should be applied in the nose and yet others claim it should be administered as a colonic enema. Such is the world we live in.
The cosmetic industry does not lag behind the exorbitant claims about vitamin C. Every cream lotion, moisturizing containing Vitamin C has been said to treat everything from aging skin to skin cancers.
There are literally thousands or products all containing various amounts of not only vitamin C but many other chemicals. It is hard to know which of these is beneficial. All the reports about Vitamin C skin care products are anecdotal.
There are no clinical studies to back up any claims about the efficacy of Vitamin C as a cosmetic product.
Final Advice My recommendation is that there is nothing wrong in taking vitamin C. However, instead of wasting your money eating pills; one should eat fresh fruit and vegetable. All the vitamin C that you need is available from food. Why waste all that money buying expensive creams with vitamin C which may do nothing?
And with the recent surge of fake products, who knows if these products even contain what is claimed on the labels.
There is no doubt that vitamin C is an excellent vitamin and a good anti oxidant but whether it can work after being applied as a cream on the skin is questionable.
Vitamin C related cosmetic products are not harmful and even smell nice, but whether they can cure anything on the skin- you decide.
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