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Retinol rebuilds, and vitamin C defends.
Meet the Expert
Dr. Geeta Yadav is a board-certified dermatologist, the founder of Facet Dermatology in Toronto, Ontario, and an expert in medical and cosmetic dermatology.
In anti-aging skin care, collagen is everything. Products like retinol and peptides are all about rebuilding this protein that gives skin its youthful firmness and bounce.
But if you’re only focused on building collagen but not also protecting it, you’re missing out, says dermatologist Geeta Yadav, M.D. And there’s one particular ingredient you definitely want to use (in addition to sunscreen, of course) to lock in all that fresh collagen: Vitamin C.
La Roche-Posay Vitamin C12 Serum
More Anti-Aging Skin Care Derms Swear By
- Dr. Yadav’s Go-To Retinol: CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, $20 (was $25)
- Under-the-Radar Superstar: The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + Hyaluronic Acid Serum, $11
- $12 Peptide Powerhouse: Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum, $12
- SPF Is a Must, Derms Say: EltaMD UV Clear Face Sunscreen, $45
- Retinol Without the Irritation: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $22
- Gentle Retinol Alternative: Neutrogena Collagen Bank Face Moisturizer, $15 with coupon (was $22)
When I spoke with her recently about the best affordable anti-aging products, she pointed me to her go-to nighttime retinol. Topical retinoids, after all, “are one of the few ingredients shown in clinical studies to soften fine lines, refine texture, and even out tone over time,” she says.
But she was quick to recommend a daytime companion that helps amp up retinol’s effectiveness: La Roche-Posay Vitamin C12 Serum.
“This is my daytime counterpart to a nighttime retinol,” she explained. “It targets a different part of the aging picture: the daily oxidative stress from UV light and pollution that quietly breaks down collagen and leaves skin looking dull and uneven.”
In other words, retinol helps rebuild collagen, but vitamin C is needed to help defend those gains from collagen thieves we encounter daily.
Vitamin C “works as an antioxidant, neutralizing the unstable free radicals your skin produces when it meets sun and environmental stress,” Yadav says. “Left unchecked, those free radicals degrade collagen and contribute to dullness and uneven tone.”
In addition to helping neutralize free radicals before they can do damage, vitamin C “also contributes directly to collagen production and helps interrupt excess pigment,” she says, “which is why it is associated with brighter, more even-looking skin.”
The formula contains 12 percent pure vitamin C—that’s the ascorbic acid you’ll see on the label. Yadav recommends this particular concentration because it’s strong enough to be effective, while remaining tolerable even for sensitive skin. And she recommends the La Roche-Posay brand specifically because of its strong track record in skin science.
Reviews say the serum goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly without stickiness, and a few drops in the morning are all you need to safeguard your skin. Better still, Yadav says, it layers well with sunscreen, which is “the most anti-aging topical anyone can use.”
“Sunscreen blocks much of the UV, and vitamin C helps mop up the free radicals that still get through,” she explains, “so layering it under your morning SPF gives you protection on two fronts.”
And if you care about anti-aging, you want all the help you can get.
While most anti-aging conversations focus on building collagen, it’s just as important to protect all that collagen you’ve built, Yadav says. And for protection against the pollution and UV rays that break down collagen, La Roche-Posay Vitamin C12 Serum is this dermatologist’s pick.
Snag it now, and keep reading for other anti-aging skincare that experts have recommended to us.
CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum | EltaMD UV Clear Face Sunscreen |
Neutrogena Collagen Bank Face Moisturizer | Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum |
RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream | The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + Hyaluronic Acid Serum |
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Read the original article on Real Simple
