Be it your daily skincare routine or your essentials-only travel kit, sunscreen with a good SPF is a must! It is an individual’s best friend and protects your skin from sunspots, wrinkles and premature ageing exposure in most cases. But it is not just sunscreen that works, it's a charm on your skin.
There are many components in sunscreen that provide their aided benefits to our skin. One such component and the least explored is - Vitamin C. Our very own citrusy and tangy vitamin that works wonders on our skin in the right quantities. Especially when it is combined with a lifesaver, like a sunscreen lotion. Applying sunscreen regularly is your best bet against photo-ageing and skin cancer. Slather it up, gals!
Let us have a look at the benefits of using Vitamin C daily:
Is it safe to use Vitamin C with Sunscreen?
- Vitamin C in skincare, like serum or gel, might take some time to get used to. Plus, Vitamin C is highly unstable by itself without preservatives as it tends to oxidise. Upon initial interaction, Vitamin C can cause a little redness. However, only a few companies have ever attempted to create a Vitamin C Sunscreen due to the volatility of both products. SkinQ is India’s first skincare brand to achieve that with a stable Vitamin C Sunscreen formulated by Celebrity Cosmetic Dermatologist Dr. Chytra Anand.
- Vitamin C can affect the pH balance of the face, as it is ascorbic acid (purest form). Using it with a balancing sunscreen gel certainly helps.
- Apply Vitamin C based sunscreen as many times as you want. But the best application results are in the morning before stepping out, and re-layering every 3 to 4 hours until sunset.
- Find the right concentration for your skin: Vitamin C ranges from 5% to 30%, so if your skin is sensitive and gets irritated easily, then 5% might be the best option for you. Opting for a concentration of higher than 20% is not required. Slowly build your tolerance to Vitamin C and make it a part of your self-care routine.
Note: Store your Vitamin C based products away from the sunlight. Use air-tight, opaque containers for storing the serum or gel.
As you must have figured, Vitamin C is quite safe to use with sunscreen, if correctly formulated and stabilised. However, make sure that you apply sunscreen after using Vitamin C serum or moisturiser on your skin.
Using a sunscreen that has Vitamin C is a step in the right direction towards upping your skincare game.
Quick tips about Vitamin C sunscreen application daily:
- Make sure that the sunscreen does not cause dryness, irritation or redness of the skin.
- A product with high ascorbic acid (pure Vitamin C) might cause skin irritation, as it has a lower pH. Your skin lies between pH5 and pH6. Make sure you hydrate and moisturize enough to maintain the balance.
- Apply your vitamin C with SPF 30 or higher sunscreen for the desired effect.
One must either use a sunscreen with Vitamin C or apply Vitamin C and follow it up with a good sunscreen next. For Indian skin tones, it is suggested to use a sunscreen with minimum SPF 40 protection.
Have you tried India’s First Vitamin C Sunscreen? SkinQ's 2-in-1 Sun Protect Gel comes with Vitamin C and SPF 40 for better protection, formulated by Celebrity Cosmetic Dermatologist Dr. Chytra Anand. This non-sticky and lightweight sunscreen feels great on Indian skin tones as it does not leave a whitish stain/patch post-application.
We recommend this sunscreen to help protect your sensitive skin from suntan, UV rays, fine lines and free radical damage. Make sure that you protect your exposed skin from sun-damage by layering up with Sun Protect Gel, everyday. To order or find out more about Sun Protect Gel, click here.
