Vitamin C is an effective skin lightener that has been described as a melanogenesis inhibitor due to its inhibition of tyrosinase and reduction of melanin and melanin intermediates, such as dopaquinone.
Vitamin C is a naturally occurring substance and an essential nutrient. It has various biological and pharmaceutical functions. It inhibits melanin synthesis through downregulation of tyrosinase enzyme activity.
How does vitamin c lighten skin? Vitamin C works explicitly to inhibit the production of Tyrosinase, thereby shedding light on pigmentation. So yes, when you apply it topically, it serves as a great skin-lightening warrior. It also works to prevent the skin from photodamage and dark spots caused by UV exposure.
Does Vitamin C really darken my skin? No, it does not. It may stain your skin but it cannot darken your skin.
Many women complain of skin darkening after applying Vitamin C serum. It is probably because they fail to layer it with a hydrating moisturizer. Leaving the serum alone on the face allows it to react with the oxygen present in the air.
Vitamin C preparations can also discolor on the skin surface as they contact oxygen in the environment. This accounts for the orange color that may emerge on the skin in the morning after wearing a vitamin C preparation overnight.
A number of factors can trigger an increase in melanin production, but the main ones are sun exposure, hormonal influences, age and skin injuries or inflammation. Sun exposure is the number one cause of hyperpigmentation as it's sunlight that triggers the production of melanin in the first place.
4 weeks is usually the golden rule for beginning to see changes - it's allowed your skin to go through at least one renewal cycle with this skin-changing ingredient. At this point, your skin should have a subtle change in radiance, which is something you'll notice will stick around as long as you keep using Vitamin C.
How long does it take Vitamin C to Lighten Skin? Results will vary, but you should start seeing results in 2 to 4 weeks, with significant lightening in just 2 to 3 months.
You can take a tablet or capsule that is usually 500 mg. Even though the recommended dose is within 1000 mg to 3000 mg per day, it's unsafe to have more than 2000 mg Vitamin C skin lightening tablets daily.
Darker areas of skin (or an area that tans more easily) occurs when you have more melanin or overactive melanocytes. Bronzing of the skin may sometimes be mistaken for a suntan. This skin discoloration often develops slowly, starting at the elbows, knuckles, and knees and spreading from there.
Extra melanin creates spots or patches that look brown, black, gray, red or pink. The areas are not painful or itchy, but they can make people self-conscious. Several lifestyle changes and treatments can help, especially sun protection and skin care.
With hypopigmentation, the skin loses its pigment and becomes lighter than usual. A person can be born with hypopigmentation or they can acquire it. Like hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation may occur once a wound heals. It is also much more noticeable on black skin.
Our face skin produces more melanin compared to the rest of the body, so our face skin is generally a bit darker. The harmful rays of the sunlight can damage the melanin cells and as the face is more exposed to sunlight, it is the first to be impacted.
Vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. The involved patches of skin become lighter or white. It's unclear exactly what causes these pigment cells to fail or die.
“In the winter, the amount of UV radiation reduces significantly, so the melanocytes stop putting out so much pigment.” Over the course of weeks or months, the more heavily pigmented skin cells mature and fall off.
Oral administration of L-glutathione was able to inhibit melanogenesis activity by decreasing the melanin content and tyrosinase activity. L-glutathione also reduced the oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant levels and preventing lipid peroxidation activity.
Topical vitamin C is a science-backed, dermatologist-favorite ingredient that may help slow early skin aging, prevent sun damage, and improve the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and acne.
Vitamin C is effectively an acid (it's sometimes known as ascorbic acid), so layering it with AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids is a big no-no.
Dr. Chiu warns that because vitamin C is a skin-care “active”—meaning it's particularly potent—applying too much of it on your face can potentially lead to more breakouts or irritation. Keep it to a max of two applications a day when a formula that has no more than 10% vitamin C each time.
What It Does: This potent antioxidant interferes with the production of pigment in the skin, fading dark spots. When Youll See Results: Once you add vitamin C to your skincare regimen, you may start seeing noticeable improvements in three weeks. It can help significantly fade hyperpigmentation in about two months.