Why This Brand-New Form of Vitamin C is a Total Game Changer for Skin

Woman holding bottle of ALASTIN's C-RADICAL Defense next to face

Meet C-RADICAL Defense Antioxidant Serum, a radically new, clinically proven form of vitamin C that has the power to help combat the appearance of wrinkles, discoloration, and other visible signs of aging through free radical defense.

Why Do I Need Vitamin C in My Skincare Routine?

Do you ever notice new discoloration or fine lines in your skin? Those tell-tale signs of skin aging are the product of free radical damage. Free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells in our skin) are formed by a host of different factors that we are exposed to all day, every day. Some of the biggest culprits include UV light from the sun, air pollution, inflammation, and your body’s natural metabolic process.

Free radicals damage skin cells by stealing their electrons. This leads to the appearance of wrinkles, loose skin, discoloration, and other signs of skin aging.

Unpaired Electrons donation

The bad news? Free radicals are more or less unavoidable. The good news? Their effects can be addressed with antioxidants like vitamin C. Vitamin C gives up its own electrons to neutralize or “turn off” free radicals so they don’t attack your cells.

The benefits of vitamin C for your skin include a reduced appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, redness, brown spots, textured skin, and other signs of aging.

However, not all vitamin C serums are created equal.

That’s where C-RADICAL Defense Antioxidant Serum comes in. The brand-new formulation from ALASTIN Skincare helps protect against environmental stressors that cause free radicals, while supporting the skin’s ability to create and conserve both collagen and elastin to promote healthier, bouncier, and brighter-looking skin.*

Is All Vitamin C the Same?

Just because a product says “vitamin C” on the label, doesn’t mean you’ll get all of the possible amazing benefits of vitamin C. The type of vitamin C used, the delivery system, other ingredients included, and even the packaging can make a huge difference. Here’s how C-RADICAL Defense delivers to maximize anti-aging benefits you can see.

The C-RADICAL Defense Difference

Vitamin C: Sodium Ascorbate vs. L-Ascorbic Acid

Vitamin C: Sodium Ascorbate vs. L-Ascorbic Acid chart

The vast majority of vitamin C serums available today use a type of vitamin C called L-Ascorbic Acid. While L-Ascorbic acid can help aid in the production of collagen, the most recent research shows that it can negatively affect and even damage elastin. Elastin is a stretchy protein in the skin that functions like a rubber band, allowing your skin to stretch and rebound. It’s 1,000-times more flexible than collagen, and provides the skin with a youthful resiliency and “snap back.” When elastin is damaged, it can lead to the look of saggy, wrinkled skin.

The bottom line: While L-Ascorbic acid has some anti-aging benefits, it also has negative effects that may speed up the look of aging.

Sodium Ascorbate, on the other hand, is a novel form of Vitamin C used to power C-RADICAL Defense. This Vitamin C salt has been demonstrated to help stimulate the production of both collagen and elastic fibers. That means you get all of the benefits of Vitamin C—but with the power to protect elastin.

A Proprietary Delivery System

A skincare product’s “delivery system” is a way to describe how it's formulated to allow your skin to receive the active ingredients. Vitamin C in skincare is notorious for its instability and low skin penetration. That means it needs a carrier in order to make a true impact on your skin.

Liposome Delivery System

C-RADICAL Defense uses a unique sodium ascorbate phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposome to help the vitamin C penetrate the skin safely and effectively. This protects the active ingredient, making the product more stable, while allowing your skin to absorb it 20 times more effectively than it would otherwise.

Additional Anti-Aging Ingredients

C-RADICAL Defense marries the amazing benefits of Sodium Ascorbate vitamin C with powerhouse ingredients to help minimize the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and visible signs of aging. Additional science-backed ingredients include:

Lactoferrin: Helps prevent free radicals and oxidative stress by decreasing iron build-up in the skin
Pomegranate: Helps protect against sun damage, while providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Carnosine: Powerful antioxidant known for helping to increase collagen production to decrease the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Physalis Angulata: Anti-inflammatory that helps repair collagen and fight free radicals.
Ectoin: Helps reduce signs of wrinkles, while protecting against common causes of free radical damage, including pollution, sun damage, and blue light.

Protective Packaging

Hands holding bottle of ALASTIN C-RADICAL Defense

Vitamin C is often unstable, meaning it can oxidize when exposed to sunlight. C-RADICAL Defense is packaged in a pump system that prevents light from penetrating the formulation. This means the formula will stay potent—without oxidizing, changing color, or losing effectiveness—so you get your bottle’s worth down to the last drop.

How and When to Use C-RADICAL Defense

For those looking to optimize and level up their anti-aging skincare regimen, C-RADICAL Defense is an essential step. The product is appropriate for all skin types, including dry, sensitive, and sun-damaged skin.

When to Use C-RADICAL Defense

Unlike other vitamin C formulas that are only appropriate for either a.m. or p.m. use, C-RADICAL Defense can (and should) be used twice a day. Applying the serum in both the morning and night can help ensure your skin is ready to go all day. The skin naturally builds up a storage of antioxidants as you sleep. It’s also when blood flow to your skin increases, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin.

In a 12-week clinical study, 100% of participants agreed that C-RADICAL did not cause facial skin irritation, and saw an improvement in patchiness/redness of up to 69 percent.*

How to Layer C-RADICAL Defense

When you’re introducing a new product to your skincare routine, it can be tricky to know how to layer it. It’s always best to follow the guidance of your skincare professional, but your optimal anti-aging routine might look like this:

Cleanser
ReSURFACE Skin Polish (use once a week)
HA (Hyaluronic Acid) IMMERSE Serum™
C-RADICAL Defense Antioxidant Serum
Restorative Skin Complex with TriHex Technology®
A-LUMINATE Brightening Serum™
Renewal Retinol .25 or .5 (only at night)
Restorative Eye Treatment with TriHex Technology®
Moisturizer
Sunscreen (only in the morning)

*Reference: Data on file at ALASTIN Skincare®

Article Reviewed by Wendy Johnson

Vice President, Marketing

Wendy Johnson brings to Alastin Skincare over 22 years of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and aesthetics industry experience in various sales, training, marketing and thought leader development roles.

After spending 10 years in gastroenterology at Tap Pharmaceuticals and Prometheus Laboratories, with sales and marketing oversight for in-line and pre-launch products, Mrs. Johnson transitioned to an aesthetic career at SkinMedica in 2004. While there, she was responsible for marketing one of the top 2 branded prescription hydroquinones, launching a leading branded low potency steroid, and oversight of the acne franchise line extensions.

In 2010, Wendy joined Merz North America where she developed and managed the Physician Relations department in support of injectable, topical and device business units under Medical Affairs, before transitioning into managing a Regional Aesthetics Marketing team.