You believe that you are already supplying your body with vitamin C with just a little lemon. Then you haven't thought about your skin! Nothing works without vitamin C when it comes to skin care: We explain why the organic acid helps against wrinkles, fights pimples and acne and supports healthy skin..
Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is an odorless and colorless crystal. It is more noticeable because of its sour taste, which we all know from citrus fruits. Vitamin C is essential for the biological functions of the body - think of diseases caused by a vitamin C deficiency such as scurvy..
But also for the skinVitamin C has several important functions: As an antioxidant it eliminates free radicals, as an anti-aging factor it counteracts skin aging and on top of that helps against pimples and age spots! Various studies, including placebo-controlled evaluations, have confirmed that ascorbic acid has a positive effect on the skin level.
Ascorbic acid as a natural protective shield for the skin
As an antioxidant, vitamin C protects the skin from free radicals that can damage our skin. Free radicals are caused by environmental influences UV radiation, smog or cigarette smoke and destabilize our cells by reacting at the level of the cell membrane, lipids and proteins and these are essential for healthy skin!l!
Along with vitamins A and E, vitamin C is one of the substances that neutralize harmful free radicals. However, a lot doesn't always help a lot: Creams shouldn't use too high a dose of vitamin C, as the acid can cause skin irritation and redness if the concentration is too high. A good skin cream therefore has a mix of antioxidants, including the ingredients vitamin A, C and E.E.
Vitamin C helps with pimples and acne
The antioxidant effect of vitamin C has another effect for healthy skin: vitamin C helps againstPimples and acne! The background is as follows: Our pores produce a mixture of sebum, which is initially responsible for the formation of blackheads. If these blackheads become inflamed, a pimple develops. By reducing inflammation, vitamin C prevents this process.
Face creams that also want to contribute something to cleaner, pimple-free skin should contain vitamin C for this reason. In combination with the pro-vitamin B5 panthenol, this cream should also take care of inflammatory skin. We have taken this aspect into account with the Hydra Defense Cream so that your skin has strong protection against pimples. You get the face cream with vitamin Cu here in the shop.
With vitamin C against age spots
Age spots are fundamentally related to the production of melanin: If the body produces too much of the pigment, permanent spots develop. Vitamin C inhibits the formation of melanin and thus prevents age spots. In addition, it protects the skin from UV radiation, which is also responsible for the discoloration.
Anti-aging factor: smooth skin thanks to ascorbic acid
Collagen is the protein structure that gives our skin stability. The elasticity of the skin stands or falls with collagen. If the collagen framework is weakened, it is lostthe skin becomes more tight and wrinkles form. Creams that want to preserve the youthfulness of the skin have to start at this point and help the collagen structure on the jumps.
Vitamin C helps here in two ways:
- Products with vitamin C protect against free radicals that are involved in damaging the proteins of the collagen structure. Vitamin thus inhibits the breakdown of collagen by free radicals and has a stabilizing effect.
- Vitamin C is involved in the reproduction of collagen. It is therefore an important component for the formation of a stable collagen framework.
With vitamin C, creams effectively support the maintenance of youthful, wrinkle-free skin. In connection with moisturizing substances likehyaluronan andurea the better face creams get even more out of the anti-aging effect, because: For firmness, the skin needs a stable collagen structure, but it must also have enough moisture so that it does not become brittle. For this reason, theHydra Defense Cream From sober, besides vitamin C, also the moisturizing care with urea and hyaluron.
Ascorbic acid is under the nameVitamin C known as a versatile agent for health, beauty and longevity. But how exactly does it work, where does it occur and to what extent does the synthetically produced ascorbic acid differ from the natural ascorbic acid Does the consumption of vitamin C only bring benefits or can excessive consumption also have harmful effects on the human body? The following article is intended to provide an overview of vitamins -C and its areas of application.n.
This is what ascorbic acid does
- Vitamin C has a positive effect on the skin and reduces inflammation.
- As an ingredient in creams, ascorbic acid protects against UV rays
- Matt and blotchy skin is given a visible glow
Overview:
What is ascorbic acid
In which foods does vitamin C occur?
How is ascorbic acid produced artificially
Need, shortage and overdose
Conclusion
What is ascorbic acid
From a scientific point of view, ascorbic acid is a vinylogous carboxylic acid, its saltsAscorbates to be named. It is a water-soluble, crystalline solid. This is colorless and odorless, but has a sour taste. The melting point is about 191c..
Ascorbic acid has two asymmetric carbon atoms and can exist in four different stereoisomeric forms, of which only the so-calledL - ascorbic acidure has biological activity. The chemical behavior of ascorbic acid is influenced by various structural elements. Due to its enediol structure, it is a very strong acid with a pKS.-Value of 4.25 and has an antioxidant character.
The namesVitamin C andAscorbic acid can be traced back to the biochemists Casimir Funk and Sylvester Zilva. Funk put the Latin word for life in 1912,vita with the abbreviation for amino acid,amine together and thus created the termvitamin. In 1921, Zilva healed patients suffering from the disease with a substance isolated from lemon juicescurvy suffered from what ultimately thisC. inVitamin C as well as the designationAscorbic acid were derived.
In which foods does vitamin C occur?
Vitamin C is found in high levels in fruits and vegetables. The particularly rich sources of vitamin C include rose hips, black currants, guavas, parsley, kale, broccoli, paprika, various citrus fruits and the South American camu camu.
In most cases, the vitamin content is particularly high if the food in question is raw and untreated. Peeling, drying, soaking, long storage or vigorous heating can lead to significant losses of vitamin C. The vitamin C content in products such as jam is significantly lower than in the raw berries from which it is made. A certain exception are the various cabbage vegetables, in which the raw ascorbic acid is initially bound in the form of ascorbents A and B. Boiling causes the molecules to break down into L-ascorbic acid and indole, which ultimately increases the vitamin C content. However, if the already cooked cabbage is cooked for too long, this can lead to the vitamin C being removed from the vegetables and released into the cooking water or even destroyed.
The following foods also contain vitamin C.
|
High concentration |
Low concentration |
|
· Red peppers 140mgg) · Sorrel 115mgg) · Brussels sprouts 110mgg) · Kale 105mgg) · Guava 273mgg) · Papaya 80mgg) · Strawberry 55mgg) |
· Heavily processed foods · Strongly cooked foods · Bread, wheat, rye products · Pizza, ready-made meals |
How is ascorbic acid produced artificially
Currently more than 100,000 tons of ascorbic acid are produced industrially worldwide every year, the majority of it in China, often based on genetically modified maize.
The starting substance is D-glucose, from which crystalline ascorbic acid is produced using the traditional Reichstein synthesis. D-sorbitol is first produced by hydrogenation, which is then oxidized to L-sorbose. This is converted into diacetone-L-sorbose by reaction with acetone and acid, which in turn is oxidized to diacetone-2-keto-L-gulonic acid with an alkaline potassium permanganate solution. The protective groups are then removed by heating with water and the remaining 2-keto-L-gulonic acid is finally cycled to L-ascorbic acid by γ-lactonization with elimination of water.
Sounds good or This chemical process is also the basis for some components of skin care products.. However, these products also contain real vitamin C components. The synthetic ascorbic acid corresponds biochemically to the outer shell of vitamin C, but is not a complete vital substance. It is calledE 300 traded and mainly used as a preservative for various foods.
Effect and areas of application
Vitamin C is antioxidant and serves as a radical scavenger when used in an adequate dose. It can thereby protect cells from damage caused by oxidation, which can lower the risk of premature aging processes and various diseases such as arteriosclerosis, cataracts and cancer. This is caused by the molecule's own oxidation, which then has to be regenerated with the help of other reducing agents in order to retain its effect.
Due to its detoxifying properties, vitamin C can also help break down medications, drugs and chemical additives from food. For example, it reduces the toxicity of lead and cadmium and prevents the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach.
In combination with niacin andVitamin B6 Vitamin C controls the production of L-carnitine, which is necessary for fat burning in the muscles. In addition, it supports iron absorption in the small intestine and it contributes to the hydroxylation of steroids as well as the formation of the body's own collagen and the formation of amino acids. With the help of vitamin C, dopamine is also converted into norepinephrine and cholesterol is metabolized.
By activating lymphocytes and macrophages, vitamin C basically strengthens the cellular immune defense. It also increases the serum concentrations of immunoglobulins, which activates the humoral defense. Thanks to this strengthening of the immune system, vitamin C can help ensure that, for example, colds can be bettered.
Medicinally, vitamin C is used to generally strengthen the immune system, to prevent colds and travel sickness, and to treat cancer. Ascorbic acid is also mixed in with animal feed to promote general health. Most of the industrially produced ascorbic acid is used as a preservativeE 300 used for various food and pharmaceutical products to extend their shelf life. It is also occasionally added to flour products in order to increase the gas retention capacity and thus the volume of the later dough. Ascorbic acid can also be used as a developing substance when developing photographs.
Despite the health-promoting effects of vitamin C, the synthetically produced ascorbic acid in particular is suspected of supporting the development of tumors and destroying beneficial bacteria that are important for digestion, for example. It is also feared that the maize obtained from genetically modified cornE 300 can damage the genetic makeup.
Vitamin C ascorbic acid in skin carege
Vitamin C is the basis for balanced skin. Some people swear by ascorbic acid as their very own miracle cure that reduces damage to the skin and can alleviate environmental influences. Vitamin C is particularly suitable in the following areas of application:
- Sun damage is reduced in the skin and pigment spots are less visible
- Matt and blotchy skin is given a visible glow
- Improvement of the home healing process
- Protection against UV rays
In skin care products, ascorbic acid is normally found in a concentration of up to 15. In addition to ascorbic acid, there are other forms of vitamin C that can help stabilize the skin.. These substances are combined, for example, with retinol or with green tea. This promotes the effect and ensures a noticeable effectiveness of the individual substances even with small amounts.
Need, shortage and overdose
In contrast to most animals, the human body lacks L-gluconolactone oxidase, which is necessary for the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid from glucuronic acid. You are therefore dependent on consuming vitamin C through food.
The daily requirement of an adult for vitamin C is around 100mg. However, amounts of up to 5,000 mg are considered safe for a short time, since excess vitamin C can be excreted relatively easily in the urine. With a balanced diet, the need for vitamin C for healthy people in Central Europe is normally covered. Increased consumption of up to 150mg daily is recommended for smokers, pregnant women and breastfeeding women. The use of medication, excessive alcohol consumption, various illnesses and other strong physical and psychological stress can also increase the need for vitamin C.
A deficiency in vitamin C can cause various symptoms, such as muscle pain, mouth rot and bleeding gums, which are also covered by the termscurvy can be summarized as a classic seafaring disease. Frequent tiredness, weakness, chapped skin and a high susceptibility to flu-like illnesses and cancer are also favored by a lack of vitamin C.
Since antioxidants in high mega-doses often have a pro-oxidative effect, a very strong overdose of vitamin C can result-C in turn contribute to an increase in the concentration of radicals and thus damage the DNA and promote cancer development instead of preventing it. An excessive intake of vitamin C can also be problematic in connection with a lack of other nutrients.
Conclusion: good skin care is not possible without vitamin C.
Vitamin C is an important nutrient that the human body cannot produce itself. It is therefore important to consume enough foods high in vitamin C, including mostly fresh fruits and vegetables. Various diseases can be prevented in this way, although an overdose can also be harmful to health. The individual requirement for vitamin C can vary due to various factors and should be clarified with a doctor in case of doubt. It should also be taken into account that the naturally occurring vitamin C is not identical to the synthetically produced ascorbic acid and cannot be completely replaced by it. The intake of natural vitamin C through a balanced diet should be that ofE 300 be preferred if possible.
But that does not mean that a skin cream, especially for the face, should consist of 100 percent vitamin C. Because if ascorbic acid is dosed too high, it can damage the skin due to the high acid content, irritate it sensitively and lead to redness. So the dose has to be right!
A good face cream should bring an adequate dose of vitamins and contribute to good skin care with additional substances. These include vitamins A, B5 and E as well as the moisture binders urea and hyaluron. sober Hydra Defense Cream has a suitable mix of these nourishing substances so that your skin is protected and strengthened for everyday life.
Give it a try: You can get the cream with vitamin C here in our shop.
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Philip