(Also see updated post, #2 of 2, posted December 26, 2016)
If you have read my earlier posts, you'll know that I have been trying to make a vitamin C serum. I'm still playing with the proportions, but what I have right now is a 20% by volume solution. I've also found that I can add Hyaluronic acid to the serum, also at 20%. Here is the recipe below which are links to the same ingredients I use:
20% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid Serum:
- 1/2 tsp Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C; Pharmaceutical grade, USP)
- 11/2 tsp Distilled water
- 1/2 tsp Hyaluronic Acid (liquid form used; see below)
- 1 or 2, 1/2 Oz non - clear (therefore it should be a color such as amber, blue or green) eye dropper bottles
[Optional] Vegetable Glycerin (USP Pharmaceutical Grade) may be used instead of Hyaluronic Acid, or with it to dilute if the recipe as written irritates your skin.
Step 1 - Place water into a very small bowl or shot glass.
Step 2 - Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to the water to dissolve. This will dissolve much faster if the Vitamin C has been pulverized to a powder first. What I did is whirled about 3 TBSP IN my smoothie blender and placed it in a small container to use as needed. I store this in the fridge.
Using the eye dropper from one of the eye dropper containers in which you will store your serum, aspirate and expel the vitamin C solution from the eye dropper, in order to mix. Be patient as it will take about 2-5 minutes to dissolve.
Step 3 - When dissolved, add 1/2 tsp of the pre-prepared (liquid) Hyaluronic Acid. Mix again with the eye dropper. When done, use the eye dropper again to transfer the serum to the eye dropper bottle. Label it with the date and "20% Vitamin C and HLA Serum"
Note: L- Ascorbic acid is safe for your skin (and you can add the Vitamin C powder to food too if it is pure), butbecomes unstable with time, in the presence of water and air. This is why it should be discarded after about a month, and DEFINITELY should it start turning yellow, as that indicates oxidation has already begun. At that point it is no longer good for your skin. To be safe, make a new prep of this every 2-4 weeks. The amount of serum this prep makes will last that long depending on if you use it once or twice a day. Be sure to test it on your skin to make sure it doesn't cause irritation. If it does, add vegetable glycerin, or more Hyaluronic acid instead of water to dilute it so its consistency doesn't become too thin. It will otherwise be difficult to add to your face.
There are more stable forms of L-Ascorbic acid, and these derivatives are typically used in many facial Vitamin C products as they will not degrade for a long time and will penetrate the skin more easily. There is a dark side to one in particular however. Ascorbyl palmitate, which is currently used in many facial serum and creams as it is able to penetrate the lipid (fatty) layer of the skin more easily than L- Ascorbic acid, but in the presence of sunlight, Ascorbyl palmitate induces the formation of chemicals that attack underlying skin cells that may lead to skin cancer.
Lastly, I use 2 eye dropper bottles. That way while one is being used, the other gets cleaned and dried until the next prep is made.
I hope you like this recipe, but if you have any questions feel free to ask at plmwellness@gmail.com! I would also appreciate your comments on how it worked for you, and if you could, please like us on Facebook and share! Thanks!
Eyedropper Bottles
Ascorbic Acid
Vegetable Glycerin
Hyaluronic Acid
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