Best Vitamin C for Melasma
Melasma is a chronic skin condition that causes dark spots due to the accumulation and uneven distribution of the skin pigment melanin.
Fortunately, there are many skin condition treatments and skin care products that can even out skin tone and reduce pigmentation.
Dr. Sheldon Pinel discovered many years ago that ascorbic acid (vitamin C) promotes collagen formation in the skin. Since then, we have learned a lot about the many benefits of vitamin C.
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, protecting the skin from the sun and photo-induced inflammation. It also acts as a tyrosinase inhibitor, thereby inhibiting the production of melanin.
Therefore, vitamin C can be used to treat melasma, but it is not the best skin brightener because its tyrosinase inhibition effect is not as strong as other tyrosinase inhibitors such as kojic acid, hexylresorcinol, and arbutin.
I prefer to add vitamin C to my patients’ melasma care routines and choose one of the powerful whitening products for melasma treatment.
To learn more about two different melasma care routines, click here.
I love taking vitamin C orally to treat melasma from the inside out. I also often use it topically and internally to prevent skin aging.
However, I don’t think ascorbic acid is the best treatment for melasma on most skin types. This depends on your Baumann skin type, though.
Only by understanding your Baumann skin type can you determine if vitamin C is the best treatment for melasma.
What are the benefits of vitamin C for melasma skin care?
Over the past decade, vitamin C serums and creams have become a must-have in many skincare routines, which is not surprising given the many beneficial effects of this powerful antioxidant.
Most of the scientific research on the uses and benefits of vitamin C in skin care focuses on L-ascorbic acid, the pure vitamin C found in oranges.
However, L-ascorbic acid breaks down quickly in air and light. So, always buy vitamin C serums that come in amber bottles with small openings or vacuum pumps. Never buy them in cans!
You should look for L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serum formulas with a concentration of 10%, 15%, or 20% as they have the greatest impact on even skin tone.
There is no point in skimping on vitamin C serums. The cheapest vitamin C serums are usually ineffective. Crucibles are useless.
We recommend that you consult a dermatologist or follow our recommendations for the best vitamin C serums for melasma as there are many inferior products that simply don’t work.
Including a high-quality vitamin C serum as part of your daily skincare routine can reduce the appearance of melasma and dark spots on your skin, even out your skin tone, and even reduce the signs of facial aging.
Why are vitamin C serums so expensive?
L-ascorbic acid is difficult to formulate in a way that retains the effectiveness of vitamin C because vitamin C degrades and loses its protective effects on the skin when exposed to air and light.
The production of vitamin C products must take place in an airless and lightless environment. Vitamin C also requires a low pH (acidic) to effectively penetrate the skin.
This is why vitamin C serums are so expensive. Formulating vitamin C correctly is an expensive and patented process.
In short, spend more on vitamin C and save money on cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreen.
When we recommend a skincare routine for your skin type, we try to pick the most affordable products, but vitamin C serums can still be expensive.
Click here to learn more about why these products are so expensive.
What is the most affordable vitamin C serum for melasma?
Our favorite vitamin C serum is Skinceuticals Serum 10 AOX+.
While some vitamin C serums can be slightly irritating, SkinCeuticals Serum 10 AOX+ contains L-ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) and ferulic acid.
Both are powerful antioxidants that inhibit tyrosinase (the enzyme that causes melanin production and dark spots on the skin).
Panthenol (vitamin B5) has anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe the skin and prevent melasma from getting worse. This vitamin C serum also helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
What are the best vitamin C serums for melasma?
These are our favorites due to their vitamin C concentration, pH level, and packaging.
Can all skin types use vitamin C to treat melasma?
Some sensitive and ultra-sensitive skin types cannot tolerate the low pH (acidic) of vitamin C. Skin types prone to rosacea, itchiness, and other sensitivities may be irritated by vitamin C serums.
Although it has not been proven, some patients have reported that vitamin C can cause acne breakouts, so I avoid using vitamin C in patients with acne.
Unless prescribed by a doctor, L-ascorbic acid should not be used on skin that has been damaged after treatments such as microneedling.
We have observed complications (granulomas and other side effects) in people who applied vitamin C to their skin after microneedling.
Usually, it is the vitamin C cream, not the vitamin C serum, that causes the problem. To be safe, consult your doctor.
Which vitamin C cream is best for treating melasma?
We do not recommend using vitamin C cream for melasma. The fatty acids it contains can weaken the effectiveness of the whitening ingredients.
For melasma, it is better to use a vitamin C serum or other whitening products. Never use vitamin C cream in a can. Once opened, the ingredients lose their effectiveness due to air and become useless.
How long will it take for my melasma to disappear?
The time it takes for melasma to improve depends on many factors, including:
Are you using the right melasma skincare products for your skin type?
Do all your skincare products work synergistically to treat melasma instead of inhibiting each other?
Are you taking a break from tyrosinase inhibitors and alternating between a melasma treatment regimen and a melasma maintenance regimen?
Does your choice of melasma moisturizer and cleanser allow your vitamin C serum to brighten your skin better?
Do you combine your vitamin C serum with other powerful tyrosinase inhibitors?
Do you use PAR-2 blockers?
Do you use tinted sunscreen (with iron oxide) to avoid sunlight and blue light (from your phone)?
Have you used light therapy or laser therapy, which can make your melasma worse?
Do you avoid hot environments, such as infrared saunas?
Are you pregnant?
Do you take estrogen?
Are you making lifestyle changes to clear your skin of melasma?
Even if you take all the right steps, melasma can take 12 to 16 weeks to disappear. Don’t waste time and money on products that aren’t right for your skin.
Vitamin C may not be the best product for your melasma!
Discover the best skincare routine for your Bowman skin type today!
