Vital Wellness

If vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, then vitamin C is the sun block vita­min, say some researchers—many of whom also proclaim it the healthy skin vitamin.

In general, vitamin C is important for keeping the skin younger look­ing, recommends a safe daily vitamin C intake of about 300 to 500 milligrams to maintain skin quality.

Studies have shown that just a minimal amount of ultraviolet rays can deplete exposed skin of vitamin C by 30 percent. Exposure to the ozone in a polluted city can decrease levels of vitamin C by as much as 55 percent. Med­ical researchers have also found vitamin C to be of some help when applied topically. It has been shown to significantly reduce the amount of so-called free radical damage that occurs from sun exposure. Free radicals are naturally occurring unstable molecules that steal electrons from the body’s healthy mol­ecules to balance themselves. Unchecked, they can cause significant tissue damage.

Antioxidants—vitamin C is one—neutralize free radicals by offering their own electrons and so protect healthy molecules from harm.

Since vitamin C prevents skin damage from sun exposure, it’s reason­able to suspect that it can also prevent the consequences of that damage, including wrinkling and age spots,” says reseracher.

One such topical vitamin C product is Cellex-C, which is available in a 10 or 17 percent vitamin C lotion or cream. It can be purchased without a prescription from dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and licensed aestheticians (full-service beauty salon operators) and by mail order from Cellex-C Inter­national. For optimum sun protection, the product should be applied once a day along with a sunscreen, according to doctor, whose patented technology led to the development of Cellex-C.