Does Vitamin C Help With Acne? How It Affects Your Skin

Acne is a common skin condition that affects about 50 million people in the United States every year. Depending on the type or severity, treating acne can be difficult. This is why some people may try remedies like vitamin C alongside other acne treatments.

Vitamin C is necessary for your skin and overall health. It may help manage acne by reducing inflammation from lesions (bumps), healing scars, and evening out skin tone. Understanding how vitamin C works for skin health can help you determine if it’s a good management option.

Vitamin C may help with acne because it can lower inflammation, improve scars, and reduce hyperpigmentation, which causes the skin to become darker. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP), a type of vitamin C found in many skincare products, is known to improve and reduce acne.

Vitamin C combined with other treatments may also relieve and heal acne. For example, using vitamin C and microneedling may help get rid of acne scars. Microneedling uses tiny needles to prick the skin, producing more proteins like collagen and elastin, and supporting healthy skin. Another treatment, iontophoresis, uses electric currents to deliver vitamin C into the skin, which may improve hyperpigmentation.

More research is necessary to determine if vitamin C is useful for treating acne long-term.

Vitamin C and Skin Health

Vitamin C is important for keeping your skin and body well-protected and healthy because it:

• Protects against sun damage: Vitamin C may help prevent skin damage from UV radiation. It can also protect against oxidative stress, a process that can cause cell damage, and can treat wrinkles from too much or repeated sun exposure.
• Supports wound healing: Vitamin C may help heal skin tissue by lowering inflammation and boosting collagen.
• Boosts collagen and reduces signs of aging: Topical vitamin C helps make collagen and elastin, which keeps your skin plump, reduces wrinkles, and increases skin elasticity. It also prevents signs of premature aging.
• Keeps skin hydrated: Vitamin C helps form the outermost layer of skin and prevents water loss. Researchers found that people who took vitamin C had better hydrated skin than those who didn’t.
• Improves skin appearance: Vitamin C may minimize redness and create a more even complexion.

To use topical vitamin C, like a serum, apply it after you wash your face and right before applying moisturizer. Vitamin C serums can be safely used twice a day, eight hours apart. If you use vitamin C consistently, you should see results after three months, including improved texture and appearance. For best results, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Generally, you should look for a serum with a concentration between 10-20%. Research suggests that using a serum higher than 20% could irritate skin. Make sure the serum is in a dark bottle since vitamin C can become less effective with direct sunlight.

Before trying topical vitamin C, consider speaking to a healthcare provider to find out what concentration is right for you and to make sure it won’t interfere with any other acne treatments you may have.

There’s limited research on whether or not vitamin C can reduce acne, but it may be able to address changes in skin color and redness that can sometimes occur with acne.

Topical vs. Dietary

Low levels of vitamin C can cause your skin to look more aged or photo-damaged. Getting enough vitamin C is an important part of overall skin health. Vitamin C can be used topically or orally (by mouth) by eating foods or taking supplements.

Research suggests topical vitamin C may be a better option for treating acne than taking it orally. Vitamin C supplements aren’t likely to work as well as topical options because it absorbs better into the skin than when taken orally. This is why medical experts often use topical vitamin C to support surgical healing and improve tissue reconstruction.

You should still eat a vitamin C-rich diet because it can help with the inflammation your acne may cause. Recommended foods include:

• Oranges
• Grapefruits
• Peppers
• Guava
• Parsley
• Wild rose
• Blackcurrants

Vitamin C is safe to use on the skin daily. You can also use it with other skin products like sunscreens and products with ingredients like alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). AHAs are common types of acids that can be found in many skincare products and help with wrinkles, skin texture, and an uneven skin tone.

Some people using vitamin C may experience yellowing skin, hypopigmented (lightened) hair, and stained clothes, which happens when vitamin C is exposed to air. People prone to allergic reactions or with sensitive skin may experience stinging, redness, and dryness. A quality moisturizer can help. Very rare side effects of vitamin C include hives (urticaria) and lesions (erythema multiforme).

Before using vitamin C, you may want to do a patch test. Test it on a quarter-sized skin patch for a few days to see how you react before applying it to your face. Dermatologists, doctors specializing in skin, hair, and nail conditions, recommend putting vitamin C on the test spot twice daily for seven to 10 days. If you don’t have a reaction, it may be safe to use on larger areas.

Vitamin C may benefit skin health by boosting collagen, protecting against sun damage, reducing redness, helping heal wounds, and possibly treating acne.

Topical vitamin C, in particular, like creams, oils, and lotions, may improve acne, reduce scarring, and hyperpigmentation. Although vitamin C is generally safe to use on your skin, consider speaking to a dermatologist, especially if you have sensitive skin or already have an acne treatment plan.