The Surprising Reason Why Your Topical Vitamin C Isn’t Cutting It

We know we don’t have to tell you that Vitamin C is an almighty ingredient – any beauty lover working toward the goal of glowing skin gets that.

What you might not realise (or remember from your high school health class), however, is that vitamin C has benefits far beyond the complexion. In fact, it’s a major player in the body overall.

And sure, you might be coating your complexion in enough vitamin C to up your outer radiance levels, but that technique won’t aid your inner needs.

So in the spirit of looking after our bodies as diligently as we do our skin, we’re digging into Vitamin C’s many talents (and the reasons why topical forms aren’t the only answer)…

What exactly is vitamin C?

First things first: what actually is vitamin C? Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant essential to keeping your body functioning well. It has an array of different functions in the body, from keeping the skin tone bright to supporting immune health

 It also plays a role in reducing free radicals form in the body. And before you ask (because it’s a very fair question), free radicals are basically unstable molecules that try to attack and damage the healthy cells in our bodies.

Yep, vitamin C is pretty damn important in relation to the body’s ability to function at its healthiest. So what are the ways we can supercharge our vit-C levels? Let’s find out…

The benefits of topical vs. ingestible vitamin C

There are two types of vitamin C: topical (the kind you apply onto the body’s skin) and ingestible (the kind you take orally). Both can offer benefits to the skin (a factor our faces no doubt appreciate), as vitamin C is involved in collagen synthesis1 in the body (as well as helping to keep the skin’s tone healthy).

However, ingestible vitamin C’s abilities span beyond its skin tone and texture-refining talents. It has valuable benefits ranging from supporting immune health to enhancing iron absorption. Because of this, some people like to add an ingestible vitamin C form to their routine to boost vit-C levels from the inside.

See? Important! Now we know how vitamin C can help – how do we go about getting more of it?

How to work ingestible vitamin C into your routine

If you’re interested in boosting your vitamin C levels from within (in addition to your daily fruits and veges), a supplement could be an option worth investigating. For example, Vitamin C Lipo-Sachets Original Sachets ($39.99 at Chemist Warehouse) provide 80 per cent higher absorption to standard vitamin C tablets* and are designed to support immune system health, support iron absorption, and help to reduce the severity of symptoms of common colds and flu. They also aim to aid connective tissue production/formation to assist in the healing of wounds (in addition to working to help your system maintain collagen formation overall1).

Lipo-Sachets also don’t contain artificial flavours, colours, gelling additives, or solvents, and are suitable for vegans, so they offer an option for those who are seeking vitamin support without the fillers. Now, in terms of taste, it’s worth noting that Vitamin C Lipo-Sachets feature the true taste of liposomal vitamin C (as it’s left unchanged by the addition of solvents or additives such as alcohol, sweeteners, artificial flavours, or thickeners). Will it be the most delicious treat you’ve ever tried? Potentially not, but you’re doing it for your body. Most people become accustomed to the distinctive taste over time, however, if you’re having a hard time, try mixing it with water or juice, or adding it to yoghurt or a smoothie bowl. The recommended dosage is simply one sachet a day so you only need to tick it off your to-do list once daily.

Of course, supplements should be ingested as part of a healthy balanced diet that’s made up of a variety of different types (and colours) of fruit and vegetables. If you’re looking specifically for vitamin C, citrus fruits, Brussel sprouts and broccoli can all be rich sources of it.

We also recommend consulting your doctor along the way, as it’s important to make sure your wellness plan is as personalised as possible!