As we all know, Vitamin C Serum is a powerful antioxidant for the skin. It acts as an anti-aging agent by producing collagen and fights against dark spots and wrinkles for a healthier complexion. But little do we know that it can turn into a pro-oxidant reversing all its benefits into harms if it gets oxidized. The oxidized vitamin C serum can damage your skin by causing inflammation and irritation.
Vitamin C serum oxidation means that it has interacted with air, light, or heat changing its color and chemical properties. Therefore, it is very important to know whether our vitamin C serum is oxidized or stable to protect our skin from any harm. In this article, we shall discuss in detail about different aspects of oxidation of vitamin C serum and find the answers to the relevant questions.
How To Know If Vitamin C Serum Has Oxidized?
Vitamin C is the main ingredient of many skin-care products such as creams, masks, face washes, toners, serums, etc. We usually continue using these products without any concern but when it comes to serums, we must be very watchful about their stability. Why? Because they have a higher ratio of vitamin C, up to 10 to 20 % more than the other products. This high volume of vitamin C makes the serums more vulnerable to oxidation. It leaves us wondering how to know if our Vitamin C serum has oxidized or not.
Well, luckily, it’s not rocket science to know about it. Experts advise keeping a keen eye on the changes in its color and texture. These signs are the indicators of an oxidized serum.
Color Change: A color change is one of the biggest and easiest criteria to diagnose oxidation. Vitamin C serums are usually clear and pale in color. If it turns dark yellow, orange, or brown, it’s oxidized.
Texture Change: Serums are typically runny in texture. If it becomes thicker, stickier, or grainy compared to its original consistency, it is oxidized.
Smell: If you notice a sour or unpleasant odor in your serum, it indicates oxidation. It can be present with or without color changes. It means your vitamin C serum may look fine in color but if it smells bad, it is oxidized.
Skin Reactions: If you experience irritation, redness, or breakouts after applying your serum, it's likely due to oxidation.
You can see it is not complicated to know if vitamin C serum has oxidized. However, there is nothing to worry about if your product is new and you have opened it recently. These signs usually occur after 2 to 6 months of opening a serum bottle when it is exposed to air, light, or heat while using.
What Happens If You Use Oxidized Vitamin C Serum?
While a fresh and stable vitamin C serum acts as an antioxidant to improve the skin, oxidized vitamin C serum acts the opposite. Oxidation can reduce the potency of vitamin C and it cannot provide the desired results such as bright and smooth skin. Applying it will be of no use and thus it will be a waste of time and money. Besides this, if you continue using oxidized serum, you can expect these consequences.
Skin Irritations and Sensitivity: Oxidized vitamin C serum has a low PH and high acid levels which can lead to skin irritations, itching, redness, and inflammation. It is not suitable for the skin and can damage it a lot.
Discoloration of Skin: The discoloration of serum can lead to discoloration of your skin if you keep applying it. The brown or orange color of oxidized serum will ruin your complexion and make it uneven or tanned.
Breakouts and blackheads: The antioxidant properties of vitamin C help protect the skin from environmental damage and promote collagen production. The oxidation diminishes this ability allowing the skin to trap the dirt and oil and it can't breathe. This accumulation in the pores can result in blackheads, acne, and even breakouts.
Looking through these damages, experts advise discarding any oxidized vitamin C serum and using only a fresh one.
How To Keep Vitamin C Serum From Oxidizing?
The shelf life of any serum is normally between 4 to 6 months after you open the bottle. But it largely depends on how you store it. It can go bad and oxidize within days if exposed to the air, heat, or light.
Being highly vulnerable to oxidation, it requires proper storage. Let’s dive in on how you can keep your vitamin C serum from oxidation.
Things Not To Do
1. It is a common practice for many of us to keep skincare products in the bathroom. Do not do this with your vitamin C serum. Temperature variations and humidity can impact the serum. It can trigger the decomposition process sooner than you may know.
2. Do not transfer the serum to transparent bottles if you have to ( like for traveling ).
3. Do not leave the bottle open during application and put the cap on as soon as you have taken out the desired amount of serum.
4. Do not use the serum after its recommended shelf life ( see the package ).
Things To DO
1. It is best to store your vitamin C serum in a cool, dry, and dark place away from direct sunlight and heat. Your refrigerator serves the best for it. Keep your vitamin C serum or other products there and enjoy it for a long period.
2. Remember to close the bottle tightly after each use to minimize exposure to air.
3. If you have bought a large container of the serum, divide it into smaller bottles to keep it last longer. Make sure that the bottles are dark and opaque and not the translucent ones. Opacity blocks the light from interacting with the serum.
4. Use the serum within its recommended shelf life. Vitamin C serums typically have a certain period during which they maintain their effectiveness. Do not use it after this timeframe.
What To Do With Oxidized Vitamin C Serum?
If your vitamin C serum has oxidized, the best thing is to discontinue using it on your skin. Here’s what you can do with it.
Discard it: If there’s a change of color, texture, or smell in your vitamin C serum, it means that oxidation has occurred. Discontinue to use it on your skin as it may not yield the intended benefits. Instead, it can damage your skin.
Do a Patch Test: If you are unsure whether the oxidized serum might cause any side effects, perform a patch test on a small and invisible area of your skin. However, it's better to be on the safe side and avoid using oxidized skincare products altogether.
Review Storage Practices: Take this opportunity to review your storage practices for skincare products. This can help prevent oxidation in the future.
To ensure that you are getting the maximum advantage of your vitamin C serum, be mindful of how you store and use it.
Conclusion
After discussing the oxidized vitamin C serum in detail, we find that it is harmful to our skin on many levels. Using the vitamin C serum carelessly can waste our time and money by triggering the oxidation process. However, if we store our serum properly and as described in the guidelines in this article, we can stop or delay this process and get the most out of it.
META DESCRIPTION
Discover essential facts about oxidized vitamin C serum in this article. Learn how to know if vitamin C serum has oxidized, how to keep it from oxidizing, and what to do with oxidized vitamin C serum. Get the most out of the product by following our guidelines and stop or delay the oxidation process in vitamin C serum.
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