10 Skin-Care Ingredients That Can Fight Signs of Aging

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that neutralizes damage from free radicals and helps complement the effect of your sunscreen, says Zeichner. “In the morning, I have my patients layer vitamin C underneath their sunscreen,” he says. Vitamin C interferes with abnormal pigment production, helping to lighten dark spots, he adds. What’s more, C-packed products preserve collagen fibers and prevent damage to your skin’s supportive structures, a review noted. One thing to remember when purchasing a topical vitamin C, noted the review authors, is that it is a finicky, unstable ingredient, which will lose potency quickly if not formulated correctly. If exposed to high temperatures, it may also oxidize, rendering it ineffective, according to the skin-care company Vichy. If you’ve ever bought a C serum that’s gone amber, that’s exactly what’s happening. Be sure to purchase a vitamin C product from a company that conducts clinical tests on its products and keep your product in a temperature-controlled area. Some people like to buy mini-fridges to store skin-care products like these, as Today reported.

Along with applying a vitamin C serum, also load up on C-rich foods (such as strawberries and bell peppers), as consuming the vitamin also helps your body create new collagen, notes the National Institutes of Health.