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| Ineffective Vitamin C Preparations | Needing to get vitamin C products, many companies have used derivatives of vitamin C, such as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl palmitate. Derivatives are easier to stabilize, but they are not L-ascorbic acid, which is the only form of vitamin C the body can use.
The researches have shown that vitamin C derivatives do not perform the same way as topical L-ascorbic acid. These studies show that derivatives are either not absorbed or not converted to L-ascorbic acid in high enough concentrations to have an effect.
Choosing Any Vitamin C Product, You Need to Figure Out:
• Does the product include L-Ascorbic Acid? Products may include L-Ascorbic Acid within a proprietary Vitamin C complex. If a mixture or complex appears in the ingredients, you need to call the producer to figure out which forms of Vitamin C are used. This may include the abridged term Ascorbic Acid.
• If yes, is the L ascorbic acid at a low pH so that it penetrates the skin and a high enough concentration to have an effect?
• Is the preparation stable?
• Seek for products that contain steadfast L-ascorbic acid at a low pH and high concentration (about 10%). It is easy to check up whether a product is color stable, just by looking at it over time. Color stability is a good substitute indicator. The tag says that a product contains vitamin C, but it doesn’t mean the product contains L-ascorbic acid.
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