My Skincare Routine Must-Have: Vitamin C!

MY SKINCARE ROUTINE MUST-HAVE: VITAMIN C

You guys already know about my love for skincare + SkinCeuticals + Vit C. I feel like I’ve talked about this a lot here on my blog and a TONNNN on my stories over the last couple of year buuuuutttt! I promise I have a point for today’s post. I have noticed in a lot of my conversations with you guys via DMs & e-mails AND even my very close friends that Vitamin C is not something in everyone’s routine and it totally should be! So since today is National Vitamin C Day – I’m going ALL in on Vitamin C skincare. You guys already know I swear by the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic – it’s the one I have repurchased the most and see the most result with but I wanted to kid of break down WHY I use it and what Vitamin C in general is good for – so here we go!

I’ve shared my skincare journey a lot so I won’t waste any time regurgitating it – but the short story is that I had horrible skin throughout my twenties. Horrible. Fast forward to now, I get DMs from where I story makeup & filterless and have people being like “wow what skincare line do you use?!” Something I never dreamt I’d be asked if we are being frank. After I did Accutane at 28 – I got super into skincare. I am talking – I budgeted for skincare & I always did this at a doctor’s office. [I have a PA here in Tulsa that has been the biggest blessing for this!] Anyway, I was told I needed to be using a Vitamin C serum every AM and a retinol every PM. I started doing that right away and honestly I saw the greatest change in my skin at that point. I had a lot to ‘fix’ in order to come back from nearly a decade with bad acne & lots of picking. :/ I will say one thing before I break each of these products down – skincare is like working out. You have to have a routine and stick to it to see a difference. You can’t just use a retinol once and see change. It has to be a full out commitment. I would say around 4-5 weeks of being consistent is when I noticed my skin being smoother and brighter. Now, when I had Sophia and finished nursing I got back to my routine and my mom one day said “Emily, your skin now looks totally opposite of the skin you were ever pregnant with Luke.” And I told her the two main ingredients [add in HA!] and she was like “okay, I’m buying them!” and voila! Now Coco’s skin is 100% improved. I am talking – sometimes I think hers is better! We gift each other skincare for holidays since it’s not cheap and it is exactly what we like anyway! 😊

Why Use A Vitamin C?

First of all, Vitamin C is something you have plenty of while young but as you age you don’t produce that same amount [same goes with HA.] To make matter worse, when you expose your skin to sun & UV light or just the pollution in our world – that makes your vitamin C level decline, too. Thus, you start getting dark spots, skin gets thinner, wrinkles start forming, etc. And let me just mention, your skin is *unknowingly* exposed to these environmental aggressors every day: UVA/UVB Rays, Heat, Ozone, Visible Light, and Diesel engine Exhaust which can all cause signs of premature aging in skin. Vitamin C is a crucial step in any skincare routine to protect against combined aggressors. [This is something that I sorta kinda didn’t understand/believe for a while until I noticed my skin improving so much.] Vitamin C is an antioxidant and works to do a NUMBER of things for your skin. It brightens your complexion, strengthens [firms] your skin, helps with texture & discoloration, etc.  When you choose a Vitamin C Serum to incorporate into your daily routine it is SUPER important to get one that *actually* works. This should not be something I have to say but I see products that claim to be Vit C but the way they are formulated would probably not be effective based on the make up of it!  All of this to say that – it is important to make sure you are using good quality antioxidant formulations and SkinCeuticals is literally the best.  They have all the research and science behind their ingredients [they are clinically proven and results driven] so I can trust the quality of their products. I say this as a girl who has purchased bottle after bottle of C E Ferulic for myself and my mom with my own money.

SkinCeuticals has 3 different Vitamin C serums, so that you can choose the one that will work best based on your skin type and problem areas.

C E Ferulic || Targets Wrinkles and Loss of Firmness

  “antioxidant to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, and brightens skin’s complexion”

[Choose this one if your skin concerns are: Aging: Fine lines & Wrinkles, or skin firmness & texture]

**I am kind of copying this above part^ from the website but if I had to explain this in ‘Emily’ terms – I would say that this one is for someone who is looking for a Vitamin C that will be good for anti-aging. This specific formulation has all of the ingredients but it is a bit more hydrating which is why I have always incorporated it. I find that it helps to make my skin firm [read: more plump] and also helps with texture & overall brightening of your skin. One of my girlfriends in Scottsdale who is closer to 40 sent me a photo one summer from her pool with no makeup or filter and her skin was SOOO perfect. When I asked her about it – she said its bc she uses Vit C daily since she was 21! I asked her the brand and of course it was the CE Ferulic which I was already using. This is a must for me.

Phloretin CF || Targets Discoloration, Post Acne Marks

“antioxidant that diminishes the appearance of fine lines and discoloration”

[Choose this one if your skin concerns are: Discoloration: uneven skin tone, stubborn brown patches/malasma]

**Okay, again, here’s the “Emily” recap of this particular Vitamin C. SO, I recommend this one to my girlfriends who are more oily or acne prone OR if they have melasma or dark patches. I personally will use both on occasion but for the most part I swear by the CE Ferulic bc I’ve had success in getting rid of my melasma over the last year. This one is going to be amazing for those of you who need to fade dark spots and who want to get rid of those ugly post acne marks.

Silymarin CF *NEW*|| Targets Oiliness and Blemishes 

“antioxidant for oily and blemish-prone skin that reduces oiliness, refines skin texture and visibly improves skin clarity and fine lines”

[Choose this one if your skin concerns are: Oiliness & Blemishes, PIH (Post-acne marks), or Skin Texture]

**Alright, I’m here again with my version of this product. NOW! Keep in mind, this is new to the brand and to me. I received it just before it launched. I just so happened to get two atrocious pimples right after I received this… hmmmm. This is a Vitamin C product but has salicylic in it – which is what you want for fighting acne. This is good for those of you who are blemish prone and oily. In addition to salicylic acid, the serum also contains silymarin (milk thistle extract). Together, the ingredients work to help prevent oil oxidation that can lead to breakouts and visible sign of aging! I definitely recommend this one for those that want to reduce oiliness and improve skin clarity. 😅

WHEN DO I USE A VITAMIN C SERUM?

I use mine in the AM as soon as I cleanse and tone/essence. I use the Silymarin CF  when my skin is more oily. All other days I either use C E Ferulic and/or Phloretin CF. Next steps are HA, moisturizer, & then of course SPF.

 Thanks to SkinCeuticals for sponsoring today’s post. 

Do you use any vitamin c skincare products?  Let me know in a comment below!