By Shammi Mondal 

We know you’ve been flooded with countless vitamin C posts on social media, and you’re probably wondering if it’s worth the hype. Trust us, when it comes to giving your skin a healthy, radiant glow without too much effort, vitamin C is your buddy who understands the assignment. We asked dermatologist Dr Jaishree Sharad for her opinion on the no-nonsense ingredient.

Know Your Basics 

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant, this means it protects your skin cells from UVA and UVB rays, further reducing sun damage. 

Dr Jaishree says, “Vitamin C prevents melanogenesis (the formation of the pigment melanin), so naturally it also reduces hyperpigmentation.” This makes your skin tone more even. It also takes care of ageing skin as it helps in producing collagen, a protein that gives our skin its elasticity, which reduces as we age. Basically, vitamin C helps in making your skin smoother, brighter, and plump. 

Can you use vitamin C? 

Yes, vitamin C works on almost all skin types. “Ideally everyone from the age of 18 and upwards can safely use a vitamin C product. But in case it causes break outs, you must stop immediately,” adds Dr Jaishree. 

How to get started? 

Choose a vitamin C serum, moisturiser, or powder that you can mix in with your moisturiser. “Make sure you store your vitamin c skincare in a cool dark place, away from sunlight,” says Dr Jaishree.

Some good practices 

Vitamin C is a light sensitive ingredient, so make sure you use a sunscreen every time you apply it.
Avoid using a retinol or an AHA, BHA or any other active along with vitamin C. However, you can use them separately on alternate days.

Know The Tea On Vitamin C: A Dermat’s POV