Repairing photoaging damage in the skin

Vitamin C may reduce skin aging

One of the main topics that research in the field of dermatology has focused on in recent years is the damage of photoaging. Research consistently proves that UV rays are the main cause of premature aging of the skin. But can the photoaging damage be repaired? The good news is yes. New studies recently presented at the conference of the Photoaging Research Society prove that it is possible to influence the skin's natural repair mechanisms and stimulate their ability to repair DNA damage. Among the substances tested, the well-known antioxidant vitamin C was found to be particularly effective.

The natural environment in which we live is aerobic - that is, it contains oxygen. We depend on oxygen for our very existence, but besides its great importance, it has been known for many years that oxygen also has harmful effects on our health and on our skin. Reactive oxidation products that are formed in our body and in our environment cause wear, destruction, disintegration and death of cells, and as a result, diseases and acceleration of the aging process. One of these ingredients is hydrogen peroxide, a very powerful free radical, which is formed, among other things, during exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

The damage of photoaging

The common characteristics of photoaging damage to our skin include changes in the dermis layer, such as the loosening and depletion of elastin and collagen fibers, as well as in the epidermis layer, where damage is caused to the keratinocyte cells that protect the skin from the penetration of foreign factors, to the Langerhans cells, which are essential to the skin's immune system, and to the melanocytes , which produce the melanin that gives the skin its color. Recently, a team of Japanese scientists, led by Dr. Morohashi Toyoda, studied changes that occur in skin damaged by UV rays, and compared the characteristics of such skin with those of skin protected from the harmful rays. Two of their studies, published in the medical journal British Journal of Dermatology, showed that there are significant differences between healthy skin that was protected from the sun's rays and skin that was exposed to the sun's radiation and was damaged, which are expressed in the configuration of the melanocyte cells. Another important finding was that multiple exposure to UV rays causes changes in the density of nerve fibers in the skin, and that in the process of photoaging in the skin, interactions that occur between the nerve cells in the skin and mast cells - white blood cells that play an important role in protecting the body but also in the appearance of reactions - play an important role allergies.

The weapon: vitamin C

Alongside the serious findings on the damages, it has become clear in recent years that our bodies have natural mechanisms that deal with identifying and repairing damages caused to DNA as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. These repair processes are carried out by special enzymes, which are able to counteract the negative action of exposure to radiation and reduce the extent of its damage. At the same time, and no less importantly, it turns out that it is possible to influence these mechanisms and make them work more efficiently. One of the enzymes discovered is the Prdx6 enzyme. In a series of studies conducted in Switzerland, the researchers created genetically modified mice with a high level of this enzyme. To their surprise, they discovered that the increase in enzyme levels increased their resistance to the damage of UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays, and also improved the ability to heal and repair skin damage in these mice.

Among the many substances that have been studied, the most influential and effective ones that have been discovered are the antioxidants, and especially - vitamin C. The studies indicate that this substance, which is well known as an effective antioxidant, may give us a very effective weapon in the fight against photoaging damage and premature aging of the skin.

"The role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in preventing radiation damage and even in repairing this damage has been studied for quite a few years," explains Tzvi Dekel, CEO of Holyland Cosmetics, which specializes in the development, production and marketing of pre-medical cosmetics. "By virtue of being an antioxidant, it inhibits the oxidation step in the formation of melanin, thereby inhibiting the uncontrolled formation of melanin and helping to reduce pigmentation spots. In addition, vitamin C is one of the few substances that studies have proven capable of influencing collagen production and even causing the collagen fibers to reweave. It is also used as a catalyst in the production of elastin fibers and other important components in the skin tissue, and therefore plays an important role in restoring the elasticity and vitality of the skin, which are damaged as a result of photoaging damage. Additional studies indicate that vitamin C is better absorbed deep into the skin when it is applied to the skin than when swallowed."

Indeed, in an article published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the researchers summarized the effectiveness of ascorbic acid for the skin as follows: "Although taking the vitamin orally may also be beneficial, applying it to the skin can transfer a larger amount to the area where it is needed. Applying the vitamin to the skin increases the skin's ability to neutralize free radicals created by solar radiation, thus preventing sun damage to the skin... Applying vitamin C to the skin is an important addition to the protective factors."

Ascorbic acid - the most active and effective

Due to its proven effectiveness in preventing and repairing photoaging damage, many cosmetic companies use vitamin C in their products. But this important vitamin poses a difficult problem to the cosmetics industry: it is unstable and tends to oxidize easily in the presence of air, heat, light and moisture - a fact that makes it very difficult to preserve it without it losing its effectiveness. As a result, many cosmetic companies avoid using vitamin C itself - that is, ascorbic acid (L-Ascorbic Acid), and instead use its various derivatives, such as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate or ascorbyl citrate. These derivatives are indeed easier to stabilize, and some also require lower concentrations of the vitamin (to achieve effectiveness of L-Ascorbic Acid a concentration of at least 10 percent is necessary), but they are much less active and effective in encouraging the creation of collagen, brightening the skin and repairing sun damage!

"For this reason," explains Dekel, "it is important to use only pure vitamin C - L-Ascorbic Acid, which is the most active and effective. The C The Success series developed by the Holyland Cosmetics company contains high concentrations of the vitamin, and the flagship product in the series - vitamin C serum, contains an extremely high active concentration - over 15% pure vitamin C, a concentration that allows to achieve an effective result. In order to solve the problem of the stability of the sensitive vitamin, the vitamin is stored in millicapsules, which allow it to be preserved until the moment of use."