Sun and C

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As seen in Allure Magazine, May of 2000; “Body News – Sun and C”.

“Almost everyone knows that wearing a sunscreen helps prevent wrinkles. Now a report in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery says that applying topical vitamin C at night will enhance age-defying effects of sunblock during the day. ‘A broad-spectrum sunscreen blocks the sun’s UVA and UVB rays from the surface of the skin,’ says Richard Greco, a Savannah, Georgia, plastic surgeon and author of the report. ‘But topical vitamin C actually gets beneath the outer layer to neutralize free radicals that are generated by sunlight.’ It’s these free radicals that destroy collagen and elastin, which are essential to elasticity and a plump, smooth texture. The damage can be particularly severe, says Greco, if the skin is already depleted of vitamin C – a virtual certainty since it gets only about 8 percent of the vitamin that it needs (which comes from food or other supplements). ‘The advantage of a topical vitamin C,’ says Greco, ‘is that it’s absorbed directly, and once it is, it can’t be wiped or washed off. It continues its healing effects for three days.’ Greco’s advice: Every other night, apply a topical C serum or cream after washing the face, and always wear a broad-spectrum sunblock during the day.”