I‘m simply going to throw this on the market: I do not actually wash my face. After spending my teenagers and early 20s coping with bouts of hormonal pimples, I emerged into a fragile equilibrium of (principally) clear pores and skin I used to be hesitant to disrupt. So for effectively over a decade, I’ve gone again to fundamentals: splashing with water within the morning and utilizing cleaning soap (sure, I will say it, bar cleaning soap) to take away mascara—and dabbling in a rotation of assorted moisturizers and oils. Welcome to my skin-care routine.
However now that I am in my 30s, just a few issues have occurred. First, I had two infants, and was left with an unwelcome memento: melasma, a pores and skin situation (and customary aspect impact of being pregnant) that leaves brown or gray spots in your pores and skin. I could also be blemish-free, however uneven pores and skin tone and simply, you recognize, getting older have made dullness enter the image. In the meantime, I have been listening to about vitamin C in every single place—from the web, social media, mates. Not too long ago, my mother requested me if I used to be utilizing it (as a result of she was). It was time to up my recreation.
So in honor of my less-than-glowy summer time complexion, I introduced in some new mates from NOW® Options—a full vitamin C lineup together with serum, moisturizer, toner, scrub, and cleanser—and turned to a dermatologist to study extra about vitamin C skincare advantages. “Vitamin C can tackle many alternative pores and skin issues, together with dullness, dryness, and uneven pores and skin tone,” says Dr. Dendy Engelman, MD. “It’s a very highly effective antioxidant that helps to enhance the looks of darkish spots. Moreover, it aids within the pores and skin’s skill to retain moisture which leads to extra hydrated and radiant pores and skin.”
Hydration is all the time high of my listing, so together with night pores and skin tone and combating uninteresting pores and skin, it appeared like I used to be heading in the right direction. However when deciding on product for max vitamin C skincare advantages, the choices are plentiful—and infrequently expensive. Here is what Dr. Engelman says to search for: “You need to take note of the focus ranges. Something with a focus of under 10 p.c will probably not be very efficient in reaching the specified outcomes.”
All the NOW® Options line meets that threshold, and starting from $9 to $20, it is a significantly budget-friendly approach so as to add vitamin C into your routine. Dr. Engelman places it finest: “You recognize you’re getting extremely examined, prime quality and cruelty-free merchandise at a extremely reasonably priced value level.” Here is my spotlight listing of my vitamin C journey—be part of me.
NOW® Options Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid Serum — $20.00
I’m now the mom of a preschooler and toddler, so drained pores and skin goes with the job description—and this serum has turn into my BFF. “[It’s] good for brightening, tightening, and offering antioxidant safety,” says Dr. Engelman. “You’ll discover the purple versus white label on this product, which suggests it’s a part of their premium line that’s comprised of clinically validated components at a fraction of premium model costs.” The gel-like constantly glides on and sinks proper in, and whereas it may be used each morning and night time, Dr. Engelman notably recommends it in your a.m. routine earlier than moisturizer and SPF.
NOW® Options Vitamin C & Sea Buckthorn Moisturizer — $13.00
This was the primary product that arrived on my doorstep, which appeared like destiny: Moisturizers are my skin-care love language. Dr. Engelman recommends it because the final step in your routine: “Apply a nourishing moisturizer just like the Vitamin C & Sea Buckthorn Moisturizer that helps lock in moisture to enhance elasticity, brighten uninteresting or darkish areas, and promote healthy-looking pores and skin,” she advises. The refined sea buckthorn scent—which smells like nature’s sweet, in one of the best ways—is such a welcome contact, and the components has that not-too-light and not-too-heavy really feel to make it an on a regular basis staple, even in the summertime.
NOW® Options Vitamin C & Manuka Honey Gel Cleanser — $6.00
For my much-anticipated return to utilizing facial cleanser, this delicate components was the just-right gateway. “[It] supplies a deep, light cleanse that helps brighten pores and skin tone, easy texture and renew uninteresting pores and skin,” says Dr. Engelman. I now cleanse as step one each morning and night time, and the additional virgin olive oil, aloe vera, and vitamin E guarantee I’m left with no tightness or dryness. Dr. Engelman does advise, although, to begin with a decrease focus of vitamin C when you have delicate pores and skin, and construct your approach up.
NOW® Options Vitamin C & Acai Berry Purifying Toner — $9.00
If I ever really feel I want a deeper clear—which is extra frequent now that it’s summer time and my pores and skin is extra congested with SPF and sweat—I attain for this bottle. In keeping with Dr. Engelman, there’s reality in vitamin C packing further oomph throughout the sunniest months: “Vitamin C is especially useful throughout the summer time months because of the influence it could have on careworn pores and skin. I like to recommend incorporating vitamin C into your day by day skin-care routine to higher shield your self from environmental stressors that may result in getting older.”
NOW® Options Vitamin C & Oryza Sativa Mild Scrub — $11.00
A couple of times every week, I go for a deeper slough with this scrub, which additionally packs niacin and aloe vera into the light components. With this full routine, I’ve observed extra radiance prior to now few weeks, and really feel assured that I’m serving to to guard my pores and skin from additional summer time injury. “Relying on the efficiency of the vitamin C product and the frequency of use, you’ll sometimes begin to discover outcomes from vitamin C skin-care merchandise in roughly two weeks to 3 months,” says Dr. Engelman. Glow up, initiated.
