Scorching heat, increasing humidity and the insatiable thirst for colas and lemonades - yes! Summers are officially here! And we all know what that means for our skin! Our skin is going to need some extra attention and hydration to stay healthy. 

This is because of the excess heat and humidity - our skin’s sebaceous glands become overactive and start producing excess sebum (natural oil), and this excess oil leads to stickiness, greasy appearance and blocked pores. Acne breakouts become worse and your skin starts to feel dehydrated and dull. Not to forget to mention the harmful UV rays. When your skin is exposed to harmful UV rays, it starts producing more melanin to protect your skin from sun damage. And this results in darker, tanned skin. Other problems that your skin can face during summers include itchy skin, prickly heat, sunburns and rashes. 

So how do you take care of your skin during summers? 

One of the most common (and most important) ways of doing this is to apply sunscreen! It doesn’t matter what your skin tone or color is or whether it is a sunny day or a cloudy day - you must wear sunscreen! All you need to do is find the sunscreen for face and skin as per their type. It’s the key to preventing skin cancer, painful burns, fine lines and wrinkles, sun spots, and collagen depletion.

Applying SPF in conjunction with other sun protection behaviours - like wearing dark clothing and sunglasses - reduces the harmful effects of sun exposure. These natural ‘sunscreens’ will block the harmful rays of the sun. 

Another thing that can keep your skin protected during hot summers is Vit C! 

We are sure that you have heard about the benefits of drinking orange juice, but topical application of Vit C can be beneficial for your skin. 

When you pair your sunscreen with vitamin C, one of the best antioxidants in the game, you double-down on all those skin protecting benefits.

Let’s have a closer look at why should you be adding vit c to your summer skincare routine.

1. Provides skin hydration

The topical application of Vit C decreases transepidermal water loss (TEWL), allowing your skin to better retain moisture. It prevents skin from becoming too dry or oily. So, go for vit c for dry skin!

2. It’s brightening

Application of vitamin c face serum impedes melanin production, the pigment that is responsible for the color of the skin. As stated above, hot weather triggers the production of melanin, vit c helps in reducing hyperpigmentation and lowers the dark patches. 

3. Prevents fine lines and wrinkles

Seeing signs such as wrinkles and fine lines can be really depressing! And exposure to the sun can anyway fasten up skin ageing. 

Vit c works beautifully to prevent and reduce these unwanted signs of ageing by enhancing the production of collagen. As collagen synthesis cannot happen without Vit c, the topical application helps in boosting the process. While retinol serums are best known for reversing the signs of ageing, vit c serums also work great in this regard. 

4. Aids skin healing

Vitamin C contains ascorbic acid that helps rapid wound healing by activating collagen formation. It works better when applied than ingested orally. 

5. Protects sun damage

Excessive exposure to oxidant stress like pollutants and UV radiation depleted vit c levels in the skin and increased the number of free radicals on the skin. These free radicals can lead to significant damage to the skin. Vit c being an antioxidant, helps in protecting healthy skin cells by neutralizing these free radicals.

Having said that, you should also be careful about certain things before choosing a face serum for your skin. Vit c serums are generally safe for application, but they can irritate when combined with other acids. So, have a look at the ingredients before making a purchase. 

Why should it c be paired with sunscreen? 

A combination of Vit C serums and sunscreens can double up your defense against the harmful UV rays. As stated above, Vit C can neutralize the free radical damage and act as a defense mechanism against various side effects of sun exposure. 

According to a study, sunscreens only block 55% of the free radicals produced by UV exposure. Vit C can boost your SPF’s efficacy, which means you’re even less likely to experience signs of premature ageing, including dark spots. At the same time, sunscreen helps prevent your vitamin C from oxidizing on the skin, thereby improving its efficacy while also preventing those blackheads. Hence, you can optimize UV protection by pairing it with topical antioxidants, and Vit C is one of the best antioxidants that you can count on! 

In other words, this dynamic duo, just like peanut butter & jelly, works better when applied together. They work in tandem to protect and revitalize your skin.