Antioxidants Vitamin C and Retinol

The best antioxidants for facial creams with Vitamin C and Retinol

Vitamin C and Retinol have been integral components in facial creams for many years, highly regarded for their ability to revitalize and enhance the skin’s appearance. These ingredients are well-known for delivering noticeable benefits, such as reducing wrinkles and improving skin tone. However, despite their effectiveness, they face a common challenge: their susceptibility to oxidation, which can significantly reduce their effectiveness over time. This brings us to the importance of antioxidants for facial creams and in skincare formulations, particularly those that contain Vitamin C and Retinol.

Among the various antioxidants available, tocopherols stand out as essential components that help protect and stabilize these and other ingredients prone to free-radical deterioration. This article delves into the synergy between Vitamin C, Retinol, and antioxidants, highlighting Btsa’s Tocobiol® C as an innovative and natural solution for enhancing the stability and efficacy of skincare products.

Skin benefits of facial creams with Vitamin C and Retinol

Facial creams with Vitamin C and Retinol have become synonymous with effective skincare, thanks to their well-documented benefits.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, known as ascorbic acid, is a potent antioxidant revered for its ability to brighten the complexion, fade hyperpigmentation, and stimulate collagen production. Collagen is the structural protein in the skin that maintains its firmness and elasticity, making Vitamin C a key ingredient in the fight against the visible signs of aging. Furthermore, Vitamin C offers protective benefits by neutralizing free radicals, that can cause premature aging and damage to the skin.

Retinol

Retinol, a derivative of Vitamin A, is another effective ingredient in skincare, known for its ability to accelerate cell turnover. This increased turnover helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smoothens the skin’s texture, and reduces the visibility of age spots and blemishes. Retinol is also effective in regulating oil production, making it beneficial for those with acne-prone skin. When used together, Vitamin C and Retinol offer a comprehensive approach to skincare, addressing both the signs of aging and the overall health of the skin.

However, the effectiveness of these ingredients is highly dependent on their stability, as they are prone to degradation when exposed to light, air, and heat, making the formulation of these products particularly challenging. This instability can greatly diminish the effectiveness of these products, underscoring the need for stabilizing agents in their formulation. Antioxidants are key to this process, providing the necessary protection to preserve the potency and efficacy of these sensitive ingredients over time.

The role of antioxidants in facial creams based on Vitamin C and Retinol

Technological antioxidants are indispensable in skincare formulations, especially when working with ingredients as potent and sensitive as Vitamin C and Retinol. These antioxidants protect cosmetic formulations against oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals, which can not only damage skin cells but also degrade the active ingredients in skincare products, thereby diminishing their effectiveness.

Vitamin E: antioxidant function for facial creams

Vitamin E, or tocopherol, is a lipid-soluble antioxidant that works synergistically with Vitamin C, a water-soluble antioxidant. When used together, these two vitamins enhance each other’s stability and effectiveness. Vitamin C helps regenerate oxidized Vitamin E, restoring its antioxidant capacity and extending its protective effects on the skin. This interaction between Vitamin C and Vitamin E is beneficial also for the longevity of the formulation itself, helping to maintain the potency of the active ingredients over time.

Furthermore, the combination of Vitamin E with Retinol in skincare formulations has been shown to improve the stability of Retinol, which is notoriously prone to degradation when exposed to light and air. Vitamin E stabilizes Retinol by protecting it from oxidation, thereby prolonging its effectiveness in the product. Additionally, this combination can reduce the potential irritation often associated with Retinol use, as Vitamin E’s soothing properties help to mitigate the sensitivity to Retinol.

Moreover, several scientific studies support these synergistic effects, indicating that formulations containing both Vitamin C and Vitamin E, along with Retinol, exhibit enhanced photoprotective properties.

The proven power of Tocobiol® C as an effective natural antioxidant solution

Among the wide range of antioxidants for facial creams available in cosmetic formulations, Tocobiol® C has consistently proven its value in cosmetic formulations containing Retinol and Vitamin C. Developed by Btsa, Tocobiol® C is a natural antioxidant made from tocopherols derived from Non-GMO vegetable oil. It is specifically designed to protect cosmetic formulations against oxidation, ensuring that the active ingredients remain potent and effective throughout the product’s shelf life. Additionally, the natural origin of Tocobiol® C, combined with its approval by Ecocert for use in natural cosmetics, makes it an attractive option for those seeking clean and sustainable beauty products.

Tocobiol® C is unique in its formulation, combining tocopherols with other naturally occurring ingredients such as squalene and phytosterols. This combination creates a synergistic effect, significantly enhancing the antioxidant power of the product.

  • Squalene, a lipid naturally found in the skin. It is known for its moisturizing properties and ability to penetrate the skin’s layers, providing deep hydration and protection.
  • Phytosterols, plant-derived compounds, offer anti-inflammatory and skin barrier-repairing benefits, further boosting the effectiveness of the skincare formulation.

Btsa’s R&D department conducted two tests to determine the antioxidant activity of Tocobiol® C at different concentrations (2000, 4000, and 8000 ppm) in stabilizing a Retinol-based serum, and a Vitamin C-based serum. They employed the RapidOxy method, which, as illustrated in our informative video, accelerates the oxidation process by increasing temperature and oxygen pressure in contact with the sample in a sealed chamber.

Vitamin C serum + TOCOBIOL® C

The first test analyzed the following samples:

  • Vitamin C serum + 2000 ppm TOCOBIOL® C
  • Vitamin C serum + 4000 ppm TOCOBIOL® C
  • Vitamin C serum + 8000 ppm TOCOBIOL® C

FIGURE 1

As illustrated in Figure 1, the test revealed that Btsa’s Tocobiol® C notably enhanced the stability of the serum formulations, with its effectiveness increasing in direct relation to the higher concentrations of the antioxidants used.

Natural Retinol serum + TOCOBIOL® C

The second test analyzed the following samples:

  • Natural Retinol serum + 2000 ppm TOCOBIOL® C
  • Natural Retinol serum + 4000 ppm TOCOBIOL® C
  • Natural Retinol serum + 8000 ppm TOCOBIOL® C

FIGURE 2

Figure 2 demonstrates that Btsa’s Tocobiol® C substantially improved the stability of the serum formulations, with its activity becoming more pronounced as the concentration of the antioxidant was increased.