Vitamin C – A Skin Care Essential

Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective ingredients utilized today in skin care. With the ability to enhance collagen production, eliminate discoloration (by breaking up melanin in the skin) and dramatically reduce the effects of photoaging (by as much as 400% according to some studies), the all natural antioxidant is a vital element to anyone’s skin care routine. In fact, with the UV protective benefits becoming more well known, many dermatologists are now recommending utilizing topical vitamin C at a youn


Mad Hippie’s vitamin C serum is packed full of the effective antioxidant in the form of sodium ascorbyl phosphate, but why use this form of vitamin C rather than just plain old l-ascorbic acid?
* Stability -

L-ascorbic acid by itself is very unstable and can oxidize rapidly. Once oxidized l-ascorbic acid turns a slightly brownish color and can actually release free radicals on to the skin rather than fighting them. This can lead to increased damage to the skin and actually have many of the opposite effects of non-oxidized vitamin C. By using sodium ascorbyl phosphate the risk of oxidation is greatly reduced leading to a longer shelf life and easier transportation from manufacturer to store (in which time products can be exposed to short periods of heat and other non-ideal environments that can break down traditional L-AA).


* Better Bioavailability –

L-ascorbic acid is unable to penetrate the lipid barrier of the skin and instead simply sits on top of the face with very little reaching the inner layers of the skin. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) on the other hand is the salt of l-ascorbic acid and is thus able to easily penetrate the skin’s lipid barrier. Once penetrated SAP is broken down by the skin to free l-ascorbic acid where its many benefits can be realized.


* Less Irritation -

Traditional L-AA can have irritating effects on the skin and can only be used at certain percentages in products without causing users some discomfort. SAP on the other hand is much less harsh and can be used at greater volumes to yield better results without any irritation or downtime. L-AA is also known to irritate the pores and increase acne in many users while SAP is actually effective at reducing cases of acne.

We hope this gives you a better idea of the benefits of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate over traditional L-Ascorbic Acid. In creating all of our natural skin care products we try to not only ensure we are using the best actives, but the most bioavailable forms of these actives. Our goal is, and must always be, to produce both the safest and most effective products. By increasing the overall health of your skin you can enhance natural beauty, reduce wrinkles and restore your skin’s youthful glow.g age to prevent premature aging as well as reduce the risk of skin cancer.