Vitamin C in Skincare: A case of delivery

In recent years there has been a movement in the online skincare and general beauty community away from buzzword-based DIY/natural/organic ingredients and products, to a more science-based approach to looking after your skin. The popularity of skin care brands such as The Ordinary have a huge role to play in this movement – naming your products by the main ingredients (“niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”, “mandelic acid 10% + HA”) while being at a relatively affordable price, forces consumers to read into the ingredients they use on their skin. Which is of course a positive development, you would think. Even opening the skincare page on Boots leads you to different Vitamin C products, retinols, “anti-pollution” products and micellar waters. It seems beauty companies are responding to the demand in products targeting specific issues for specific skin types, but there comes a point where we as consumers need to stop and take a step back; what started as a self-education and interest has led to the same marketing ploys and a new set of buzzwords.