Vitamin C: Skin Savior or Marketing Myth

Kimmie has a question: Which are more effective moisturizers, commercial skin care products like (Philospophy and Clinique) or dermatological products (like Citrix?)

The Left Brain is brutal:

In my opinion a product like Citrix is a grand waste of money. Charging $45 for 2 ounces of product is shameful! Even their body lotion at $30 for 6.7 ounces is overpriced.

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, let me explain:

Citrix’s claim to fame is that it contains Vitamin C. Is this a credible benefit? Sure, Vitamin C has been proven to be a beneficial ingredient when properly delivered to skin. Unfortunately, Vitamin C is notoriously unstable and it can be rendered ineffective by formulation factors like concentration and pH, as well as other factors like exposure to air and light. Go read Cosmetic Cop’s very thorough discussion of the benefits of Vitamin C in cosmetics if you want to learn more.

To Citrix’s credit, they do claim to have special technology that ensures the stability of Vitamin C, which is what makes their product much more expensive. But is it really worth it? Does this product provide a benefit beyond what other products can provide? Not really – there’s no research showing that Vitamin C is the magic bullet for skin care. As Paula Begoun points out:

Although vitamin C is clearly an effective ingredient for skin, there are many antioxidants that are as good, including beta-glucan, vitamin E, vitamin A, green tea, grape extract, selenium, curcumin, lycopene, superoxide dismutase, and on and on. Furthermore, many researchers studying antioxidants and their effects on the human body feel the best plan of attack is to use multiple antioxidants rather than narrowing your choices to a few well-publicized options or the mistaken belief that there is a single “best” antioxidant to apply and consume (Sources: Archives of Dermatologic Research, April 2005, pages 473-481; Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, February 2005, pages 515-528; Photochemistry and Photobiology, January-February 2005, pages 38-45; and Mutation Research, April 2005, pages 153-173).

So while I’m not saying that Citrix products are BAD, I’m not convinced they provide a benefit that’s worth the cost. In most cases, these more expensive products will not work any better than high quality mass market products like Olay or Ponds. As we discussed in a recent post on wrinkle creams, spending a lot more doesn’t always guarantee that you’ll get a better product.