Cosmetics -Is Vitamin C good for your skin?

Is Vitamin C good for your skin? Mairead Robinson delves into the benefits of vitamin enriched skincare.

We all know that vitamin C is vital for our good health. Even as children, our mothers would regularly give us vitamin C to stave off colds in the winter months. Mostly we get it from fresh food like fruit and vegetables, but taking a vitamin C supplement has been popular since well before the other vitamins, such as B, D and E joined the list.

But what about applying vitamin C to the skin in the form of creams and serums? You are probably more used to pouring yourself a glass of orange juice to start your day, but did you know that you can give your skin a morning boost with vitamin C in a serum or cream? The benefits include a brighter complexion and even skin tone, while also diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Many of the newer skin care products now on the market include Vitamin C in their list of ingredients, and one brand I came across recently from Image Skincare is their Vital C range. These products are all about putting back into the skin what it needs to be healthy, nourished, radiant and glowing - in other words – replenished. Certainly, after years of mask wearing and having just come out of another cold Irish winter, our skin needs this now more than ever. The range includes a cleanser, anti-aging serum, hydrating repair cream and an enzyme masque. I particularly like the hydrating anti-aging serum, as it suits all skin types and succeeds in locking in hydration with multiple forms of Vitamin C which really brightens the skin.

As most of us have not had the pleasure these last few years of warm Mediterranean sunshine giving our skin a golden shine, it might be worth investing in a good skin care product that will encourage a streak-free tan – at least until we can hit the beaches again. And if that product is also an Irish female-owned brand, it is certainly worth finding out more. He-shi products are dedicated to bringing exceptional skincare ingredients that work to keep skin looking youthful, while simultaneously protecting against further aging damage. Express Liquid Tan contains 100% natural tanning actives and uses moisture lock technology to lock in hydration. H20 Glow Hyaluronic Facial Mist locks in moisture and creates a fresh naturally tanned and youthful glow. Lastly their H20 Glow Tanning Mousse is a clear luxurious mousse containing a cocktail of avocado oil, Aloe Vera and Aragon oil. Check out these products on www.he-shi.eu

The popular cosmeceutical brand Skinician, which has featured on these pages previously, was also founded by the same mother and daughter team ten years ago, and these are the women who are now behind He-shi. Over the past ten years, Skinician has been highly successful in a very competitive skin-care business, and their most popular products include Purifying Cleansing Gel, Advanced Restoring Night Cream and Revitalising Day Moisturiser. It is certainly great to see a wholly Irish owned company producing such as excellent products in the global skin care industry.

When it comes to caring for our skin, we should never forget our hands. They really do show some of the first signs of aging. The dreaded liver spots and the wrinkled skin on our hands can give us a shock and we suddenly feel like they are our grandmother’s hands we are looking at! But when you think about it, our hands are exposed to the elements most of the time, except when we are wearing gloves in the winter. We use our hands often to wash-up; they can be in and out of water and detergent quite often. And indeed, we were told to wash our hands very regularly during the pandemic. So, we really should be protecting them with a good hand cream. In fact, every time we take out hands out of water and dry them, we should be applying a good hand cream. Clarins have a luxurious Hand and Nail Treatment Balm rich in shea butter, which is ideal for deeply nourishing the hands. It helps to protect from very cold weather, sun, hard water and frequent hand washing. It actually softens the skin and targets the dark spots. It is a rich creamy and non-sticky formula which also helps to strengthens the nails. Use each time you take your hands out of water. Clarins have also developed a beautifully fragranced body cream, rich in essential oils including hazelnut oil and also shea butter. It is from their Eau Extraordinaire range and really does leave your whole body feeling nourished and silky. You can complement this body cream with their Eau Extraordinaire fragrance which also contains citrus and ginger together with jasmine and patchouli to wake up your senses. For a real feeling of wellbeing, treating yourself to luxury creams and fragrances brings strength and comfort to both body and mind. And you know you are worth it!