Youth Elixir

True skincare junkies can’t live without antioxidant serums. And vitamin C to us is like the LBD to the fashion crowd, a basic necessity that will never let you down.

There is a lot of noise lately about vitamin C in skin care products because there is lots of credible research proving that prolonged use of topical vitamin C is one of the best and easiest ways to improve skin radiance and the appearance of wrinkles. When it comes to the efficacy, we now know from studies that vitamin C in a topical liquid formula works better than thicker vitamin C creams and lotions because they are able to penetrate the upper layer of skin deeper. Additionally serums can boast up to ten times the amount of active ingredients found in in a moisturizer.

Back in 2011, I wrote a magazine article about whether or not serums were replacing the need for toners. The two derms and one cosmetic scientist I interviewed made me believe that they certainly can for most people. The only people who seem to really benefit from using a PH-balancing toner are those with severely oily skin, acne-prone skin, and those who wear a lot of makeup and don’t use a well formulated cleanser. Otherwise a toner is a moot step in your skincare regime. One of the derms that I interviewed was Hamiliton-based Dr. Peter Vignjevic, and his quote that I ended up using in the article has been something I think about when I’m ready to restock on a new antioxidant serum. Dr. Vignjevic said, ”I believe if it’s a choice of a lower quality serum along with a toner, versus a high-quality serum, you’re getting more ‘bang for your buck’ with the high quality serum.”

After writing that article, I went on a mission to find a “high quality” C-loaded serum that would pare down my beauty regime by doing all the things vitamin C has been proven to do. Based on what I learned from the experts I talked to, it needed to meet the following requirements:

• It must come in a dark brown glass bottle. This is a sign of stability, as vit C is notorious for being unstable when exposed to light and air.
• It should not smell like oranges. A citrusy scent is a sign of a low-grade product enhanced with fragrance, which may lead to skin sensitivities.
• It should contain other proven antioxidants.
• It should be developed by a pharmaceutical lab that specializes in skin care and nothing else.

My search and trial-and-error led me to the Kellett Vitamin C Ferulic Serum created by my derm Dr. Kellett. I’ve blogged about my love for this serum last summer here when I was living in the city, but I feel it’s time to do a follow up post on this serum because since then I have gone through three more bottles! I never go a day without applying a few drops onto my face and neck first thing in the morning, after cleansing before sunscreen. I feel that it has truly helped reverse some of the sun damage accumulated from my teens and twenties, as well as, and preventing new spots from surfacing (melanin suppression is one of the benefits of vit C). I would always get new sunspots by October, but I didn’t last Fall. What’s more, I think it has evened out my patchy skin tone and smoothed out my bumpy skin texture (but I also contribute this to all those laser peel treatments I’ve gotten this past year). Having smoother even-toned skin has done wonders for my confidence: I only wear foundation when I go to events now. This lower dependency on pore-clogging makeup didn’t happen overnight, of course, but it also didn’t take very long time to notice that my skin was getting better. Compared to the drugstore and spa-grade creams that I used to use, which contained L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), I noticed more even toned skin with the Kellett serum in half the time – about one month. After using it for so long, I have noticed that my skin is firmer to the touch and seems to bounce back better after a late night.

All of my friends know that I’m a Kellett Skincare devotee, and many have taken advantage of the 20% off online discount with the secret check out code “theskiny” in the past year. That code was fab because Dr. Kellett’s products aren’t cheap. Unfortunately that code is going to be expired on July 1, 2014! So if you’ve been wanting to try Kellett Skincare for some time now but don’t know where to start, I suggest this serum because it benefits all skin types and works like like a Swiss Army knife of skincare, able to do so many things! Sure, at $199 per 30 ml bottle the Kellett Vitamin C Ferulic Serum may give you sticker shock, but it’s not like most of the skincare serums out there. Let me help you take a closer look at the ingredients so you can make an informed decision. Here’s what it has done for me, and what it can do for you too:

FADES SUNSPOTS AND POST-ACNE MARKS

Vitamin C needs to be at a concentration of 15% in order to effectively brighten sun-damaged skin, shows research. This pharmaceutical-grade serum has 21%.

IMPROVES SKIN FIRMNESS

Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen synthesis. By stimulating the connective tissue in your skin regularly, your skin will appear and feel firmer.

SMOOTHES SKIN

Speeding up cell turnover is the key to maintaining a youthful radiance. This serum refines bumpy skin texture as it contains an oil-soluble derivative of salicylic acid, a chemical exfoliator.

SPEEDS UP HEALING AFTER TREATMENTS

Shown to help reduce redness and improve wound healing, vitamin C is ideal to use after dermatological procedures such as lasers and deep peels when skin is desensitized. Personally I find that by using it immediately after a fractionated laser, my downtime is reduced from about 7 days to 4-5.

PROTECTS AND REPAIRS SKIN FROM SUN DAMAGE

Sunlight creates inflammation mediated by free radicals, which can damage collagen and DNA and ultimately lead to skin cancer. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, help mitigate the damaging effects of UV exposure. Your complexion will look healthier and clearer when there are fewer free radicals present underneath your skin.

In addition to vitamin C, this serum contains other antioxidants such as vitamin E, green tea extract, and ferulic acid. This combination acts to stabilize each other thus increasing their overall performance and shelf life.

The best way to use this serum is to layer it underneath a broad-spectrum sunscreen to give your skin a double defence against photo-aging. And if you slip up and do get burnt in the sun, having this serum comes handy because vitamin C has been shown to reduce the number of sunburned cells after sun exposure (aloe vera can’t do that).

So what are you waiting for? Purchase the serum now here, while the discount is still active. And get ready to kiss away many of your skin woes!

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