As skin care products and treatments continue to advance, there are more and more ways to help prevent or reduce facial wrinkles without having to undergo surgery.
With options like dermal fillers, botox, and other non-surgical injectables designed to reduce wrinkles, you can make your face look young and smooth without surgery.
While these types of non-surgical procedures are great at reducing wrinkles and fine lines, they still require a trip to the doctor and a needle to inject these products under your skin. And while these procedures are generally very painless, not everyone is comfortable with products being injected under their skin.
Thankfully there are also a number of non-surgical topical creams and serums that you can use on your face to help rejuvenate your skin and lessen the effects of aging. And while it may seem too good to be true, there have been studies that have shown definite improvement of the skin while using these products.
We’ve talked about a few of these different types of products and procedures on our site in the past like CBD creams, beauty masks, and even laser treatments, but one of the latest trends in wrinkle creams is vitamin C serums.
What is a Vitamin C Serum?
A vitamin C serum is basically what you would expect when it comes to a topical facial product. It’s typically found in a liquid, gel, or cream form that is loaded with vitamin C.
We’ve all been told that vitamin C is great when it comes to fighting off colds or sickness, and that same idea has start to bleed into the skincare market. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which allows it to help break down the elastic and collagen in your skin. This allows for your skin to become tighter and more youthful in appearance.
Even if you take oral vitamin C daily or eat a healthy diet consisting of the proper amount of vitamin C, that doesn’t guarantee that all of those vitamins are making it into your skin. Our bodies need vitamin C to maintain our health by protecting our cells against free radicals. So the amount of vitamin C we take in needs to be distributed throughout the body.
But because research has shown that amped up amounts of vitamin C on our skin can help reduce signs of aging, these vitamin C serums have become extremely popular in skincare.
Do Vitamin C Serums Work for Wrinkles?
Miracle creams and non-surgical products have been touting the secret to younger skin for years, so do vitamin C serums for the face really help reduce wrinkles or is this just another marketing gimmick?
In the case of vitamin C serums, there have been studies done that have shown “visible and statistically significant improvement in wrinkling when used topically for 12 weeks”. This double-blind study had patients apply a topical gel loaded with vitamin C to their faces over the course of 12 weeks. They then were examined as well as had a biopsy taken of their cheeks. The results showed a significant improvement in hydration as well as “increased Grenz zone collagen” without any secondary inflammation.
While this study utilized a smaller sample size, it does show that there was improvement to the skin when using a topical gel with high levels of vitamin C.
In general though, everyone’s skin is different, so what works for one person may not work for you. Your doctor will be able to discuss different skincare and non-surgical options for you based on what they see during an examination.
If you’re using over-the-counter vitamin C serums, just be sure to keep an eye on your skin and discontinue use of the product if you notice any redness or swelling.
Topical serums, gels, and creams have become very popular over the last few years in helping to reduce wrinkling and rejuvenate the skin, but it’s important to have realistic expectations.
Topical solutions take some time to produce results and those results may not be as drastic as you might be expecting, especially when compared to things like non-surgical injectable fillers.
At our Aya Medical Spa in Dallas, our team of qualified estheticians can help you determine what type of skincare regimen is best for you and can help you get that rejuvenated look you’re seeking.