“If forgiveness is medicine for the soul, then gratitude is vitamins.” — Steve Maraboli

VITAMIN C is well known for its boost in colds and for keeping colds at bay by stimulating our immune system. It is amazing for stress, certainly, and keeping our adrenals in good function. It is also a powerful anti-oxidant and is not produced by the body.

As it pertains to skin, it is highly effective in treating skin damage and compromised skin. Skin regimens should be supplemented with vitamin C, topically.

Some of the cheaper brands will have vitamin C listed in its ingredients, but it is not in a form that can be absorbed by the skin. This is actually the case with a lot of vitamins we take even orally. It is imperative to be knowledgeable about how available the product is to your body when you take it orally. Sometimes this may come at a higher price.

L-Ascorbic acid is the only form of vitamin C that can be absorbed by the skin, and it can be difficult to guarantee that it is stable and available for skin penetration, so be careful with your brands. Because of the lack of penetration and stability of the product, incorrect formulations can even cause irritation and damage to the skin.

L-Ascorbic acid is a scavenger for free radicals. Free radicals are created by sunlight, pesticides, smoking, heat, pollution, cold — basically modern-day life. The effects that the vitamin C will have on your skin are seen as — a reduction in wrinkling, increased hydration and collagen production. The skin becomes more plump and brown spots diminish.

Studies have shown an 84.2 per cent improvement in photodamaged skin over skin not including this in the regimen.

Finding a suitable product

Here is how you evaluate your skin care products for vitamin C.

1. Is the vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid? We just discussed this above.

2. Is there enough L-Ascorbic acid to produce an effect? This should be at 10 to 20 per cent to produce the desired effect.

3. Is the preparation stable? Know your brands and do your research.There are a litany of reviews online about the different products.

Remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and that beholder is you.

Dr Simone Van-Horne is a consultant in internal medicine. Currently, she is a hospitalist, where she does inpatient-hospital medicine in Florida and sees patients in a medical spa setting at Metamorphosis Medispa Wellness Center Inc in Hollywood, Florida, The Face Place Ja at 3 Carvalho Rd, Kingston, and The Skin Bar, #16 Freeport Shopping Centre, Montego Bay. Contact info@spamorph.com and www.spamorph.com for questions.