As the warmer months draw nearer and those long days in the sun start coming into focus, it’s important to think about the effects that prolonged sun exposure has on our skin. How do we protect ourselves from the free radicals present in UV rays and the inevitable collagen breakdown and pre-mature aging that come with them? Slather on some extra SPF? While it’s a good start, unfortunately, sunscreen is not enough. While sunscreen helps protect you from sunburns, skin cancer and some signs of aging, it won’t help you on your quest to protect against free radicals that break down that lovely collagen, which helps keep our skin firm, wrinkle-free and youthful. Today we’re breaking down how to counteract these free radicals that lead to damaged skin. . . and that all starts with your morning routine.
What does your current morning routine look like? Wake, wash face, moisturize, brush teeth, eat breakfast and swallow your vitamins with a gulp of your morning coffee? We’ll stop you right there! When we think about why we take vitamins (to supplement our body so that it can perform at its best), we also need to think about our body’s largest organ – our skin – in the same way. There has been a growing interest in antioxidant skincare that protects against free radical damage, and the biggest player in the game is without a doubt vitamin C serum. Vitamin C serums help to protect our skin from the effects of free radicals found in the sun’s powerful UV rays and it’s an essential nutrient that aids our skin in tissue repair. While excessive exposure to UV rays causes skin to look dull, uneven, and discolored, vitamin c serums work to counteract all of these effects and stop these rays from penetrating the deeper layers of the skin. When free radicals access these deeper layers, they start breaking down collagen and potent vitamin C serums will actually put it in reverse, helping to stimulate collagen, aid in cell turnover and protect your healthy skin cells. We know that vitamin C is found in high concentrations in oranges. . . so, can’t we just throw a few more oranges into our daily diets? Unfortunately, no. Medical grade vitamin C serums applied topically are 20 times more potent than ingesting these vitamins and ensure your skin is receiving the dose necessary to stand up to the free radicals you’ll encounter on a daily basis.
While there are enough vitamin C serums on the market for every day of the week (or month, really), it’s important to know that not all are created equal! At Pure Skin, we have curated our own skincare line under the guidance of our Physician, John Botsford, MD, and our Nurse Practitioner, Shelly Botsford, NP, which includes a high-potency vitamin C serum that will provide the concentration of L-asorbic acid that you need to stand up to the daily stressors that your skin encounters. Our Pure Skin Citra Kissed Vitamin C is a stable and powerful antioxidant serum that contains 20% L-ascorbic acid to protect the skin from free radical damage, while also helping to give it a brighter, more radiant appearance. Our CNA Savanna includes it in her morning routine and tells us, “Vitamin C is super important even if you aren’t going to be outside because it does help lighten and brighten as well as help protect you from free radicals when you are outside.” It’s also important to know where vitamin C serums fit into your skincare routine! We suggest applying our Citra Kissed Vitamin C Serum in the morning, directly after washing and toning your face. Just a few drops, massaged gently into the skin in upward strokes, and you have just given your skin its vitamins for the day!
Wondering what other vitamins your skin can benefit from? At Pure Skin, our team of talented skin professionals are here to help! Give us a call at (701) 343-9119 for your comprehensive skin consultation and we will get your skin all the nutrients and protection it needs to perform and look its best!
