Taking care of our skin is far better than covering it up. Flawless skin is what every girl aspires for. One of the first places where the age starts showing is the skin. As you age, the skin becomes less elastic and gets more fine lines and visible pores. While it is not entirely possible to prevent these signs of aging from occurring, there are ways to delay their onset.
Night creams with collagen, pore-tightening masks, and serums that resist aging are popular and effective remedies. But one of the most promising ways to look several years younger than your age is by applying vitamin C-based products topically. We would love to spill the beans here for you, the secret recipe of a DIY homemade vitamin C serum bound to give you youthful skin.
What are Vitamin C Serums?
A Vitamin C serum is a topical skincare product that elevates your skincare routine. Packed with skin-whitening and brightening properties, Vitamin C is the key ingredient. Additionally, it possesses collagen-boosting properties, promoting skin plumpness. This serum typically comes in a liquid or gel-like consistency, allowing easy skin absorption. (1)
Why Vitamin C Serums?
Topical application is essential for getting the complete benefit of this miracle Vitamin. There may be chances that even after consuming enough Vitamin C, you might not get it straight into your skin. Thus, using serums becomes essential to your skincare routine (2). Vitamin C can protect the skin from many issues, like hyperpigmentation, tanning, sunburn, photoaging, sagging, dryness, and uneven skin tone.
How Does It Work on Your Skin?
- One of the foremost causes of aging is the action of free radicals on the cells. They cause oxidative damage to healthy cells and cause them to age.
- To counter the damage that free radicals can cause, you need antioxidants. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can help give you healthy skin.
- It also triggers the activation of another antioxidant – Vitamin E. It makes Vitamin C a sought-after ingredient in creams and serums.
- Vitamin C Serums improve collagen production in the skin. They fight antioxidants and keep the skin plump and wrinkle-free.
- It is also known to improve the elastin level in your skin, reducing wrinkles and fine lines.
A small bottle of Vitamin C serum, though efficient, can be little expensive. Rather than paying an arm and a leg for the serum, you can make one for yourself.
How to Make DIY Vitamin C Serum?
Vitamin C is present in compounds such as L-Ascorbic acid (LAA), Sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, all of which are ingestible. The idea of applying something you consume on your skin is quite appealing. When creating the serum, a concentration of 5% is recommended initially. However, caution is crucial as Vitamin C may cause skin irritation. Once your skin adapts, you can gradually increase the concentration to 10-20%.
DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipes
1. Vitamin C- Glycerin Serum
To make this serum, you would need:
- Vitamin C – LAA (L-ascorbic acid) powder
- Glycerine
- Distilled water
- Tinted bottle, since Vitamin C is unstable when exposed to light.
How to mix?
All you need to do is dilute Vitamin C powder in a base of distilled water and glycerine. The quantities vary depending on the concentration you are looking for.
- For 5% concentration – ½ tsp powder in 8½ tsp of water. Finally, add 1 tsp of glycerine and mix well.
- For 10% concentration, 1 tsp powder is in 8 tsp water and 1 tsp glycerine.
- For 20% concentration, 2 tsp powder is in 7 tsp water, and 1 tsp is in glycerine.
- Once done, store the serum in a tinted bottle with a dropper, and you are all set to use it! But first, keep it in a calm and dark place.
Also Read – DIY – Homemade Vitamin C Serum For A Healthy, Young, And Glowing Skin
2. Vitamin C- Rose Water Serum
Alternatively, there are other recipes you can try.
For this, you need
- ¼ tsp L-ascorbic acid powder.
- 2 tsp rose water.
- 1 tsp glycerine.
- 1 Vitamin E capsule.
- A glass bottle with a dropper.
Add Vitamin C powder and rose water in a clean glass bottle, then mix them well. When the powder gets completely dissolved, add 1 tsp glycerine to it. Squeeze out a whole Vitamin E capsule in it. Additionally, you may add some drops of essential oil of your choice, like Frankincense oil (3). Shake the bottle well and place it in a cool and dry place.
3. Vitamin C- Aloe Vera Serum
This is yet another DIY vitamin C serum you can enjoy at a very affordable price.
For this, you need:
- 150 ml fresh Aloe Vera gel (freshly prepared Aloe vera gel is highly recommended).
- 50 ml rose water.
- 03 tablespoons of Apple cider vinegar.
- Blend the given amount of aloe vera gel and rose water together. Now, add 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to this mixture. It will provide you with an instant result. (4)
Caution: people with dry skin or cuts should not use it.
Tip: If you have acne, it will do wonders.
4. Camu-Camu Vitamin C Serum
This serum is lovely, as the Amazonian plant Camu Camu contains the highest level of naturally occurring Vitamin C, 30 times more potent than Oranges (5).
Ingredients you need:
- 04 teaspoons aloe vera gel
- 02 teaspoons glycerin
- 02 teaspoons Camu Camu powder(available on Amazon)
Put all the ingredients together and blend them. Pour it into a clean glass bottle. Use it with the help of a dropper.
How to Use Vitamin C Serum?
- Vitamin C is more effective when you apply it to the skin than when you consume it. To use it, shake the bottle well before use. Then, apply a few drops all over your face, avoiding the eye area after cleansing your face. Let it dry, and follow it up with your cream or lotion.
- You may put some oil, such as coconut or almond oil, instead of creams or lotions.
- Keep the serum in the refrigerator and use it up within a week.
Tip: Always wear your sunscreen, as regular use of Vitamin C makes the skin sensitive.
The serum helps smooth out skin tone and retain the skin’s youthfulness. It also helps protect the skin against the harm done by the sun. It is best to make it in small batches.
How to Get the Best Results from Your DIY Vitamin C Serum?
- You need to take care of your dietary habits as well.
- Try to incorporate more Vitamin C-rich fruits into your diet.
- Apply your sunscreen whenever you go out to avoid any skin irritation.
- Use a toner before applying your DIY Vitamin C serum.
- Try to apply the serum at bedtime to get more visible results.
- Typically, Vitamin C serum should be applied daily, once or twice.
- Always apply it on a cleansed face.
Ingredients You Should Never Mix in Your DIY Serum
Retinol: You should avoid the combination of vitamin C serum and retinol. When mixed and applied on a face, it peels off the skin too much, causing redness and irritation.
AHAs/BHAs: Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) are chemical exfoliants and help transform your skin completely. They go deeper into your skin and take out the dead cells. Thus, all the ingredients are a kind of exfoliating agent. Hence, adding all the products together may irritate your skin.
Niacinamide: Niacinamide, also known as Vitamin B3, helps regenerate the skin protein. Additionally, it evens out the skin tone and reduces enlarged pores. However, combining niacinamide with Vitamin C will cancel each other’s effects. Therefore, it may turn your skin red and irritate, too.
Benzoyl peroxide: This chemical is used to treat mild to moderate acne. It fights against acne-causing bacteria and prevents skin from becoming dry and flaky.
Mixing benzoyl peroxide with Vitamin C is not a good idea, as Benzoyl peroxide tends to oxidize Vitamin C and cancels each other’s effects.
How To Choose The Best Vitamin C Serum?
- The best Vitamin C serum is made of highly absorbent agents like L-ascorbic acid.
- Choose the ideal concentration that should be between 5 to 20 %. Always remember to pick the one with a pH level of 3.5.
- Ensure it has content like Ferulic acid and vitamin E to protect against collagen degradation and repair the cell.
- Choose a water-based serum for oily skin and an oil-based serum for dry skin.
Summary
Beauty is skin-deep, and glowing skin is always in vogue. So, no one would like to avoid a simple yet effective skincare regimen. Add Vitamin C serum to your daily routine to establish an effective skin routine. Vitamin C serum is multipurpose and has a skin brightening to tightening effect. In addition, it helps to even out the skin and plump it up. Affordability is not the issue, as you can prepare your DIY Vitamin C serums using aloe vera, rose water, and Camu Camu. You can quickly obtain the required ingredients, which would take a few minutes to prepare. However, you need always make a point that nothing can substitute a diet rich in vitamin C. So, to get the benefits of vitamin C for your skin, incorporate foods rich in vitamin C and supplement them with your DIY serum.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
How do I know whether I need Vitamin C serum in my beauty regimen?
The best time to prevent aging is before it starts. After that, experts advise it to people of all ages. Eventually, everyone is at risk of sun damage.
Is there any substitute for L- Ascorbic acid powder?
You may use Vitamin C tablets instead of L- Ascorbic acid powder.
Can I use the serum under my eyes?
Yes, you may use the serum under your eyes. It helps in brightening the under-eye area. But make sure if it is a DIY serum, then use the freshly made recipe.
What are the best Vitamin C serums available in the market?
You may buy Vitamin C serums if you are busy and running out of time. Some readily available Vitamin C serums are Revitalift Derm Intensives Vitamin C Serum by L’Oreal Paris, Garnier Light Complete VITAMIN C Booster Face Serum, Mamaearth Skin Illuminate Vitamin C Serum, The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.
References:
- “The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “11 Reasons to Add Vitamin C Serum to Your Skin Care Routine” – healthline.com
- “DIY Vitamin C Serum for the Face” – draxe.com
- “How to Make Vitamin C Serum at Home for Fair Glowing Skin by Dr. Bilquis Shaikh” – youtube.com
- “Is Camu Camu the New Must-Try Skin-Brightening Ingredient?” – allure.com
