Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1012025
40 september/october 2018 Then there was the "stable and unstable" crowd vying for top market shares. By this time, American estheticians were so confused they didn't know what to believe or buy. The word unstable to a chemist is not a bad word—unstable ingredients are often the strongest in biopower, but denature quickly when confronted with oxygen and put into a product. When you stabilize such ingredients, you modify the power—the ingredient lasts longer, but is weaker in performance. WHY WE SHOULD USE IT When there is gross lack of ascorbic acid, both intrinsic and extrinsic, the skin will sag—and if there is too much excess glucose in the client's system, they will have sagging swags of tissue along with deep, crosslinked glycated wrinkles. This is when elastin and collagen fi bers are kind of "glued" together with sticky glucose byproducts and collapse into deep rhytids or fi ssures. The eff ect looks like you fell asleep on a chenille bedspread. This is the main job of L-ascorbic acid in skin. It does have some free- radical destruction properties, but it is not primary in anti-oxygen activities like the more powerful tocopherol vitamin A or proanthocyanidins. HOW WE SHOULD USE IT Vitamin C is necessary in all phases of skin revision treatments, promoting the production of collagen, keeping skin fi rmer, brighter, and healthier looking. It is also packed with antioxidants, known to help fi ght against cancer, boost the immune system, and prevent signs of aging by protecting the cells from free radicals. Vitamin C has even been proven to boost your overall mood! But if you want to introduce a client to a new vitamin C-rich serum, make sure to start off slow and gradual. The most eff ective vitamin C serums are usually formulated with a low pH and high L-ascorbic acid levels, which can potentially cause irritation— itchiness, redness, fl akiness, or even mild If you want to introduce a client to a new vitamin C-rich serum, make sure to start off slow and gradual. chemical burns in very sensitized skin types. However, a vitamin C product with 5–10 percent L-ascorbic acid will have a milder pH, which is more tolerable for the skin. From there, you can successfully work your client up to a more eff ective product containing 15–20 percent L-ascorbic acid with pH levels around 3.5. It should also be mentioned that a strong vitamin C serum should not be used immediately after a chemical peel, microdermabrasion, or any sort of intense skin resurfacing/ exfoliation treatment, as this could also be quite irritating. However, 3–4 days post-peel, a beta glucan/vitamin C serum can kickstart Langerhans cell activity and new collagen proliferation. There are many professional products available, both for backbar and retail, that contain vitamin C. Do your research and fi nd the best products for your client demographic. expertadvice INGREDIENTS