Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate - one skincare ingredient you shouldn't miss
Everyone knows how important it is to protect and preserve your skin. It is the foundation for all skincare strategies. But what about safeguarding what your skin still has yet, boosting your skin's youthful appearance, and slowing skin aging at the same time? It is even better! To do so, don't miss this ingredient.
Vitamin C is the most studied and preferred skincare ingredient for all age groups. However, not all vitamin Cs are created equal.
People use vitamin C for its multiple skin benefits, excellent safety data, and solid science behind it. It is used for skin protection, promoting collagen synthesis in antiaging skincare, and depigmentation quality for managing skin hyperpigmentation concerns. However, not all vitamin C is created equal. Choosing the best vitamin C products can make a huge difference in outcome.
What does vitamin C do for our skin?
Vitamin C - Potent antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-pigmentation agent when you choose the right one
Vitamin C -- Free radical scavager
Vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, is abundant in the epidermis and dermis. It protects skin cells, barrier integrity, and collagen and elastin from deterioration induced by oxidative stress and ensures the skin's physiological functions.
As we age, our skin's natural reserves of vitamin C gradually decline. This decline makes our skin even more susceptible to the damaging effects of UV light, environmental pollution, and other adverse influences. Our skin starts to age faster and become dull, dark spots gradually appear, and the skin volume begins to shrink, giving the skin an aged appearance. It's a stark reminder of the need to supplement our skin with this vital nutrient.
Vitamin C in Collagen Synthesis and Skin Healing
Vitamin C is critical in collagen synthesis, maturing pathways, and biochemical processes in the skin. Collagen and elastin are the two major matrix components that keep the skin's youthful and radiant appearance by maintaining the skin's average volume, elasticity, firmness, and healing process.
Vitamin C in Keratinocyte differentiation
Epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, is highly cellular. 90% of the skin cells are called keratinocytes. Those skin cells and the lipid-rich "glue" between them form a water-resistant barrier separating external and internal environments. In studies, vitamin C was found to promote the synthesis and organization of barrier lipids and strengthen those keratinocytes. In turn, it helps to make our skin barrier stronger with better protection properties.
Vitamin C in depigmentation skincare
Vitamin C inhibits melanin synthesis and skin depigmentation by interacting with copper and iron and inhibiting tyrosinase, a critical enzyme in melanin synthesis.
Vitamin C is a great agent used to prevent sunspot formation. However, it is not a potent depigmentation agent used alone for the sole purpose of managing hyperpigmentation. It is best to combine it with others, such as tranexamic acid, cysteamine HCl, and other depigmentation agents (hexylresorcinol-4, SepiWhite, PRWhite (SymWhite), GigaWhite, etc.) There are many options, and you can always find one combination that works best for you
Anti-Inflammatory Quality of Vitamin C
Vitamin C supports the skin's immune system, calms inflammatory reactions, and promotes wound healing, making it a perfect ingredient for managing acne and rosacea, reducing scar formation, and speeding up healing. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C also works as a general free radical scavenger for skin protection.
Vitamin C will work if you choose the right one.
Drawbacks of L-Ascorbic acid as a skincare ingredient:
Traditional vitamin C used in skincare is called ascorbic acid (L-ascorbic acid). It is a potent antioxidant. Along with vitamin E and glutathione, they form the essential anti-oxidative system against free radicals and reactive species pre-existing in our skin.
Although L-ascorbic acid is the active form of vitamin C, a cheap ingredient commonly found in most products, it is not ideal for the skin due to its incompatibility with the skin barrier. The skin has difficulty absorbing it. No absorption, no results.
Many formulators frequently use much higher concentrations of L-ascorbic acid to push it into the skin. However, only a small amount is absorbed into the skin. It is insufficient for collagen-boosting and melanin production inhibition effects. Although the higher concentrations might work as a peeling agent, they also have a great chance of causing skin irritation. Without sun protection, they might worsen skin conditions in long-term use.
As a peeling agent, you might see the quick "results" due to its exfoliating properties. Still, for long-term use, it should not be used as the first-line antiaging/antioxidant ingredient. Replacing it with more stable and effective vitamin C derivatives, such as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, is a much better way to benefit from vitamin C.
Another drawback of L-ascorbic acid is its instability. When applied to the skin, it sits on the surface and oxidizes, giving the skin that unwanted "orange" tone.
What are the Newer Forms of Vitamin C: Stable & Effective
Scientists quickly realized these drawbacks of L-ascorbic acid is a huge obsticle to overcome in order to make it function in skincare. Many vitamin C derivatives with more stable and better skin penetration ability are developed. One of them is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.
One of them is Tetrahexydecyl Ascorbate. This vitamin C is a winner in skincare, especially in forming oil treatment serums. It has all the qualities that L-ascorbic acid has without its weakness.
It is oil-soluble, making it more compatible with the lipid skin barrier for easy absorption. This higher availability allows the formulators to use it as a much lower concentration to deliver similar skin protection, antiaging, and depigmentation benefits.
There are a few water-soluble vitamin C derivatives developed for the same purposes.
- Ascorbyl Glucoside -- Very stable and effective vitamin C derivative. It is water soluble and easy to formulate within your water-containing gels, serum, and emulsions.
- Ethyl ascorbic acid - It is stable and skin-friendly due to its lipophilic and hydrophilic properties. It is easier to penetrate the skin for good results.
Sample formula: vitamin C oil treatment serum for age and problematic skin care;
- 2-10% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.
- 1-2%Isosorbide decaprylate - skin barrier enhancer and enhance other ingredient skin absorption
- 1-2%Alpha-Bisabolol, oil soluble - antioxidant, skin brightening, healing agent. give the product a pleasant sweet scent without adding fragrance to the product.
- 5-10% Squalane - You can use olive squalane or synthetic squalane from sugar cane. Latter is a little lighter for normal to combination skin to enhance the skin barrier.
- Up to 100% - Caprylic/caprylate tricglyceride -- light skin feel add to the barrier enhancement.