Dr. Meghan: Topical Vit C! Evidence, Types, Recs!

May 2018

So many types of vitamin C! What does the literature actually say?
Related videos:
Dr. Meghan: Eating/Drinking Collagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K10He... 
Dr. Meghan: The Deal with SK-II (fermented skin care): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcPJ... 
Dr. Meghan: Antioxidants:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yin9U... 
Popular Types of Vitamin C Commercially Available (not sponsored)
Ascorbic Acid:
Kiehl’s 12.5% serum (also has ascorbyl glucoside)
The Ordinary Vitamin C suspension 23% + HA spheres
The Ordinary Vitamin C suspension 30% in silicone
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% and alpha arbutin 2%
The Ordinary L-Ascorbic Acid powder
Clinique Fresh Pressed Vitamin C Booster (instructions say to mix with your moisturizer, I would be tempted to just use on its own)
CosRx Triple C Lightening Liquid
Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C serum  (also has sodium ascorbyl phosphate)

Ascorbic Acid/Vitamin E/Ferulic Acid:
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic (15% ascorbic acid, 1% vit E, 0.5% ferulic acid)
Drunk  Elephant C-Firma serum (15% ascorbic acid, 1% vit E, 0.5% ferulic acid)

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (aka THD Ascorbate, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate):
Skinmedica TNS serum
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum (also has vitamin E and ferulic acid)
Sunday Riley CEO Serum
The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F 

Aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate: 
Glossier Vit C serum

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate:
The Ordinary Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10% cream

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate:
Klairs Freshly Juiced Vit C serum (also with ascorbic acid as above)

Ascorbyl Glucoside:
The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%

Ethyl Ascorbic Acid:
Dr. Dennis Gross Vit C + Collagen serum
Algenist Genius Antiaging Vitamin C+ serum
The Ordinary Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15%

References: (Too many! Youtube only leaving me enough space to list PubMed ID—enter in search bar at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed to find full citation) 
Baumann L. Skin Lightening Agents: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). In: Cosmeceuticals and cosmetic ingredients. 1st ed.  New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2015: 117-119.
Baumann L. Antioxidants: Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). In: Cosmeceuticals and cosmetic ingredients. 1st ed.  New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2015: 176-181.
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