Vitamin C for Sensitive Skin: Ascorbic Acid or Derivatives?

Let's talk about vitamin C. How well is vitamin C tolerated by sensitive skin? Which vitamin C is effective? You don't want to spend unnecessary money. If you do, it should be effective.

👉 Does every skin need a vitamin C product? No.

It is a nice addition. Vitamin C makes the skin more robust. Depending on which vitamin C is used in the product, it can also lighten pigment spots and acne scars, strengthens collagen and has a strong antioxidant effect. Vitamin C also increases the effect of sun protection. That is why it is often used in sunscreens .

Pure vitamin C, ascorbic acid (INCI: Ascorbic Acid), is the most effective and lightens pigment spots - a very powerful antioxidant. That's why it is often advertised as having radiant skin.

However, there are a few things to consider, especially if you have sensitive skin. If you don't want to use vitamin C, that's okay too.

Ascorbic acid is not tolerated by all skin types. In general, strong active ingredients are not tolerated very well . Ascorbic acid is not ideal, especially if you have sensitive skin or rosacea . Lemon juice , which contains natural vitamin C, is not a gentle idea either. It is not healthy for any skin. In the worst case, you will get a burn because the juice is far too acidic.

Unfortunately, ascorbic acid is a very unstable ingredient and must be packaged in an airtight and light-tight manner. Otherwise, this active form of vitamin C would simply disintegrate and be completely ineffective. Ascorbic acid is also available in powder form. Here, the vitamin C is stable but very difficult to dose. Ascorbic acid is a really strong active ingredient that you should not carelessly add to creams, masks, peelings , etc. in powder form, even if you can buy such products anywhere. Don't be fooled by marketing with "pure, clean ingredients without toxins". The fact is: skin has to get used to every vitamin C. Some skin will not be able to cope with pure ascorbic acid, even if it gets used to it. And that's okay.

Some plant oils contain natural vitamin C. This is much milder. However, it is not enough if you want to tackle hyperpigmentation and is not as strong an antioxidant. You cannot expect that in this case. A little tip here could be Tamanu oil for you if you do not want to use a vitamin C product. Many people report that it makes acne scars fade, but this is not scientifically proven.

Tips: If you really want to find a good vitamin C product:

• Save your money if you see ascorbic acid in the INCI and it is packaged as a serum with a pipette, toner or spray bottle. Nothing will have a lasting effect here. Only a hole in your wallet.
• How well vitamin C is tolerated also depends on the pH value and whether it is dissolved in water or fat. Milder products are those in which the vitamin C is dissolved in oil or which are not too acidic.
• Inactive vitamin C derivatives are not only much more tolerable for sensitive skin. They are also more stable. But be careful, there are a few myths and marketing tricks when it comes to the formulations. You can find out which derivative is useful and for which skin below.

Skin care for rosacea is also individual when it comes to vitamin C. It can reduce skin stress. Only a few people with rosacea can tolerate (high doses of) ascorbic acid.
If you have rosacea, you should always use vitamin C derivatives if you want to use vitamin C. And make sure that you use vitamin C as a standalone product. Many creams simply have vitamin C added to them. If you don't notice this when you buy them, you may quickly end up using vitamin C multiple times and reacting with redness.

There are some vitamin C derivatives, i.e. derivatives of pure ascorbic acid. These can be converted into ascorbic acid under certain circumstances.

Derivatives are much more tolerable than pure ascorbic acid. However, their effectiveness is not nearly as well proven as with pure vitamin C. Laboratory studies (in vitro) predominate for derivatives. There are not always comprehensive studies with humans (in vivo). However, this would be important in order to understand the effect of a vitamin C derivative.

First, it would have to be proven that the vitamin C derivative is also absorbed into the skin. It would also have to be shown that the vitamin C derivative can be converted into pure ascorbic acid in the skin. And then it is questionable whether the amount that is actually converted in the end is sufficient. In most cases, there is significantly less ascorbic acid in the skin than in pure ascorbic acid products. This is because the amount converted into ascorbic acid varies from derivative to derivative. And this point has to work. Because only if it is absorbed into the skin and a certain amount is converted does a tolerable derivative come close to the effect of ascorbic acid.

In addition, it is difficult to find studies on derivatives that are independent of manufacturers. Nevertheless, it is sensible to include these results in the assessment. You should simply know that the effectiveness of derivatives is difficult to test. There are advantages and disadvantages everywhere. Depending on what your goal is, it makes sense to choose one or the other vitamin C derivative or a combination.

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a very stable vitamin C derivative . It is ideal for combination skin and very oily skin. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is effective against acne bacteria at 1% and against inflammation in acne vulgaris at 5%. Its effect is actually comparable to 5% benzoyl peroxide . If you are thinking about using this vitamin C derivative for acne, discuss the idea with your dermatologist. Perhaps it makes sense in your case as a supplement to other therapies? Studies on humans have also shown that sodium ascorbyl phosphate has a strong antioxidant effect. Laboratory studies have confirmed that it strengthens collagen. Unfortunately, sodium ascorbyl phosphate is only absorbed to a small extent by the skin. There is also no data on whether it is sufficiently converted into ascorbic acid. Nevertheless, you can find it in a lot of products on the market. If you have a lot of pimples or acne, it may be worth a try.

This is the most stable vitamin C derivative . It works well against hyperpigmentation and is also suitable for sensitive skin. But it has the disadvantage that it is not as strong an antioxidant. You will mainly find it in water-based serums or lotions, since magnesium ascorbyl phosphate is only soluble in water. A great idea if you want to start. However, it will not be as strong as other derivatives.

Ascorbyl Glucoside is also a really stable derivative . Laboratory studies have shown that Ascorbyl Glucoside can really penetrate the skin. However, studies with real people are still needed here. At least studies with people have already shown that it can really be converted into effective ascorbic acid in the skin. Ascorbyl Glucoside has an antioxidant effect , fades hyperpigmentation and also strengthens collagen fibers . This makes it one of the most effective of the well-known derivatives.

If only this vitamin C derivative is present in a vitamin C product, you can save your money . Why?

Ascorbyl palmitate is not particularly stable . No increased ascorbic acid could be detected in the skin after application. It is oil-soluble and oils can help vitamin C to penetrate the skin better. Nevertheless, you cannot expect too much from this derivative in terms of effectiveness. It probably needs a very large amount to produce effectiveness and even that would have to be investigated. In such small amounts as are used in some serums on the market, it does not work against hyperpigmentation. And that is why there are more promising derivatives than ascorbyl palmitate.

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate or Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate is also a vitamin C derivative. Both names are used synonymously. One or the other can be in the INCI list . This vitamin C derivative is oil-soluble and extremely stable . The fact that it is oil-soluble can also be a disadvantage for certain skin types, as the product always has to contain fat. This means that serums with Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate may be too rich and can promote pimples.

It penetrates the skin and is converted into pure ascorbic acid. It has also been shown to have all the positive effects of vitamin C. It can lighten hyperpigmentation, strengthen collagen and has a strong antioxidant effect. So far, these results can only be attributed to laboratory studies. There is only one very small study with people with positive results and this one tested a product that also contains pure ascorbic acid. It is therefore questionable whether the ascorbic acid also played a role here. Therefore, relevant studies are still pending.

Nevertheless, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate or Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate remains a really stable vitamin C derivative. And in any case, it is more tolerable than ascorbic acid. And therefore possibly an option for sensitive skin if pure vitamin C products don't work for you.

Ethyl ascorbic acid is a very stable derivative that is soluble in both oil and water.

According to animal studies, this derivative is probably more effective than ascorbyl glucoside. It has been shown that it is absorbed into the skin and converted into ascorbic acid. This shows that significantly more ascorbic acid is produced than with other derivatives. This makes ethyl ascorbic acid potent and very effective . Like tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, ethyl ascorbic acid also has a strong antioxidant effect and strengthens collagen . Ethyl ascorbic acid is clearly stronger when it comes to its effect against hyperpigmentation . Not much is known about how well it is tolerated compared to ascorbic acid. In any case, it is a more potent active ingredient than the other derivatives. Sensitive skin may not respond so well to it.

Vitamin C is not a must in your routine. You can also use products with licorice root or rice . These two substances work very gently against hyperpigmentation and are also antioxidants. However, you cannot expect them to be as effective as good vitamin C products.

If you want to try vitamin C, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to use Kakadu Plum or vitamin C derivatives. These are milder than pure vitamin C, ascorbic acid.

There are many derivatives and each has its advantages and disadvantages:

• If you have no experience with vitamin C, you can try Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate . If that is enough for you, the effect takes significantly longer than with other derivatives. The antioxidant effect is really much weaker. It is well tolerated, but you cannot expect the same effect as with ascorbic acid, Kakadu Plum or other derivatives.
• You can increase your performance with a product that contains ascorbyl glucoside . You can also use products in which several derivatives are well combined with each other .

This topic clearly depends on your individual goal.

Have you had any experience with vitamin C?