Vitamin C
Ascorbic Acid · Ascorbyl Palmitate
For tone that looks brighter and more even. The most studied antioxidant on any shelf.
Vitamin C is the antioxidant with the deepest evidence base in skincare. In the skin it neutralises the free radicals that daily life produces, and over weeks of use it is associated with tone that looks more even and a surface that looks smoother.
It comes in several forms. Pure ascorbic acid is the form the largest trials used and the most potent, but it is unstable in water and can sting. Ascorbyl palmitate is an oil-soluble form that keeps better in a cream; it is gentler and the evidence for it specifically is lighter, which is why the study below is on ascorbic acid.
Vitamin C is a morning ingredient by habit — it pairs with the antioxidant work the skin is doing during the day — but there is nothing wrong with using it at night.
The study
Randomised human trialSix months of a 5% vitamin C cream, double-blind against placebo, significantly improved the overall appearance of sun-aged skin, with finer surface texture and fewer deep lines on measurement.
Humbert PG, Haftek M, Creidi P, et al. Topical ascorbic acid on photoaged skin. Clinical, topographical and ultrastructural evaluation: double-blind study vs. placebo. Experimental Dermatology, 2003;12(3):237–244. PubMed 12823436
Research on the ingredient, not a test of any FOUNDER product. Cosmetic benefits only, and skin varies. These are cosmetics, not medicine.
