Vitamin C is only effective at concentrations of 10% or higher.
Heard this before? It’s not true.
It’s useful to know that Vitamin C comes in various forms and concentrations, and there isn’t a single ‘best’ type. As consumers, we’ve been somewhat misled by the beauty industry’s marketing – convincing us that the only effective form of Vitamin C is L-ascorbic acid or Ascorbic acid, preferably at 20% or 30%.
This is a misconception. There are many effective and, importantly, stable forms of ascorbic acid. The concentration and effect depend on the specific form. Generally, lower concentrations provide antioxidant support and collagen synthesis boost, while higher concentrations work on brightening the skin tone. Here are the average effective concentrations to guide you when reading product labels:
- Ascorbic Acid (L-ascorbic acid) – 5% to 20%
- Ascorbyl Glucoside – 2% to 5%
- Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate – 1% to 10% (acts as an antioxidant at up to 2%, brightening at 5% and above)
- Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate – 1% to 10%
- Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate – 0.2% to 5%
- Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate – 1% and above
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid – 0.1% to 3%
And remember: less is more – your skin doesn’t need as many actives as we often try to ‘feed’ it.
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