The vitamins in the creams - a real benefit or illusion



Image: © Elke Dennis / Fotolia

Vitamins take part in all important renovating processes of the skin. Therefore, their scarcity is detrimental not only in its appearance but also its health. The grayish tan, scaling, lack of tone, inflammation and premature aging are just some of those consequences. Therefore when buying cosmetics, not rarely we reach out for a jar just because of the content of vitamins. But if the written on the package will offer real benefits to our skin, depends on many conditions.

 

First of all it is important not only what vitamins are added to the cream, but also in what quantity. If the dose is minimal, the otherwise miraculous ingredient will have no effect on your skin, or at least not the promised. However, this information is rarely displayed on the packaging.

But even if the producers were not economical to the valuable ingredients, it does not always guarantee that they will reach your skin. The reason - vitamins are depleted rapidly by the air, light and moisture. In order to preserve their properties in the cosmetic products, they must first be stabilized, which is a complicated and expensive technology. Therefore creams that really contain vitamins can not be cheap. You will know them not only for the high price, but also the special protected from the air bottles - mostly glass and aluminum.

Most often in the cosmetic products are present the three antioxidant vitamins A, C, E. This, of course, is not accidental. On one hand, they neutralize the destructive effects of the free radicals - the main culprits for the aging, and on the other, they take part in the production of collagen. And as we know precisely the collagen fibers keep our skin smooth and taut.

 

Vitamin C

In the composition of cosmetic products you find this vitamin under the chemical name ascorbic acid. As we said, without it, the synthesis of collagen would be impossible, therefore many creams ascribe the dignity that they contain it. Is it really so you can easily judge with the naked eye. Vitamin C is the most labile among its fellows and even stabilized is rapidly destroyed by the oxygen. Consequently, over time, the color of the cream begins to change to yellow-orange and dried on the cap even leaves brown stains. If this does not happen with your cream for the rest of the package, you can be sure that the dose of the vitamin in it is so minimal that it will hardly have any impact on your skin. To actually stimulate the collagen production, the concentration of vitamin C in a cosmetic product must not fall below 2%, and the most effective is 5%.

 

Vitamin E

Also called the “women’s vitamin” tocopheryl acetate (this is its chemical name), is responsible for the skin regeneration. It repairs the damage caused by the free radicals, soothes the inflammations and helps for the faster healing of wounds and scars. In order to have a similar effect, however, your cream must contain at least 0.5% - 1% vitamin E.

 

Vitamin A

Most commonly found in cosmetic products in the form of retinol. The effect of its use is striking - it is able to quickly and visibly erase fine lines and wrinkles. Unfortunately, applied directly to the skin, it has a lot of disadvantages. Perhaps the most important is that it causes sensitivity to the sun, or in other words, can bring you pigmentation. Therefore, the safest is to use products with vitamin A only in the evening. Another negative effect of the retinol is that it irritates the skin, often causing redness and swelling. So opt for a product with a lower concentration of retinol and use it in moderation. At least with regard to this vitamin, the “more is better” does not apply. And if you are pregnant, in general avoid products containing it, because there is a risk of harm to the fetus.

 



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