It's Vitamin C Day: 3 Reasons We Love This Skin Care Staple + Our Favorite Selects

Mark your calendars, folks: It's Vitamin C Day. A more recent addition to the faux holiday calendar (it began in 2019, a nod to the beauty benefits of this hero ingredient), but if there's any reason to celebrate one of our favorite antioxidants—we'll go ahead and take it. 

Collagen literally holds your skin together—it's what gives your skin that youthful, plump bounce, and it diminishes over time for a variety of factors. As such, experts recommend supporting collagen production while you age, through topicals and supplements. 

But here's the ticket: Vitamin C is a vital part of the collagen production process. According to Julia T. Hunter, M.D., founder of Wholistic Dermatology in Beverly Hills, "If you don't have vitamin C, your collagen can't cross-link to lift and tighten skin." 

That's because vitamin C can actually promote fibroblast production1 and regulate collagen synthesis2 (aka, the pathway in which collagen is made). "Vitamin C is a key cofactor in the synthesis of collagen and elastin, [which helps] give your skin that plump and youthful appearance," Keira Barr, M.D., dual board-certified dermatologist, told us about vitamin C in collagen supplements.

When someone mentions vitamin C, the phrase "glowing skin" tends to follow—for good reason: While antioxidants at large can manage UV damage (the primary cause of discoloration), vitamin C is the antioxidant for skin brightening—its glow-inducing abilities are well documented, as research shows using vitamin C topically can help diminish hyperpigmentation3, even skin tone4, and help reduce skin inflammation3.

Let's circle back to the vitamin's free-radical-fighting abilities: As you likely know, free radicals (triggered by UV damage and other environmental aggressors) can lead to oxidative stress and visible signs of aging: like crepey skin, fine lines, and other textural and pigmentation changes. Antioxidants—oh, hello vitamin C—can protect the skin against photoaging by both absorbing UV rays and preventing UV-induced free radical damage5.