About Vitamin CG
Vitamin CG, or ascorbyl glucoside, is a synthetic form of vitamin C, and offers similar benefits when incorporated into your skincare routine. A powerful antioxidant, it fights free radicals and helps to reduce the visible signs of aging to keep skin looking smooth and radiant.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Vitamin C and where does it come from? At Garnier, we use a stabilised form of Vitamin C: Vitamin Cg, also known as ascorbyl glucoside. But how exactly is that possible? Well, without getting too technical, Vitamin Cg is a vitamin C molecule with a glucose molecule bound to it, which helps to improve the stability. In Vitamin Cg, the G stands for Glucose. That increases the overall stability so there’s less risk of degradation or loss of effectiveness, and it makes it much easier to formulate with. Vitamin Cg also has natural origin – it’s a great ingredient that helps defend against oxidative stress and pollution. -
What does Vitamin C do for the skin? Once vitamin Cg is applied, an enzyme – α-glucosidase – which is present on all skin, breaks the glucose apart. This reaction is called a ‘natural bio conversion.’ Skin can benefit from the properties of vitamin C that are released throughout the day, which is why this antioxidant should be a staple part of everybody’s skincare routine. We are all exposed to damaging elements every single day, and everything from pollution to free radicals (which are small molecules that react to energy sources, such as UV radiation which can damage skin and cause oxidative stress) can damage skin cells and break down collagen, leading to dullness, dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. However, vitamin Cg can protect against free radicals. as well as preventing dark spots appearing by acting on the formation of melanin and improving overall texture and tone of skin. -
How to use Vitamin C serum? The final thing that makes vitamin Cg so universally great is that it can be used by anybody who has pigmentation or dullness concerns. Some skin types may find that using vitamin C causes irritation, however vitamin C on the whole is suitable for sensitive skin. Like all our products, those containing vitamin C are subjected to a strict evaluation of their quality and safety.
It is often asked if vitamin C can be used with retinol. It is not recommended to use vitamin C skincare products with retinol skincare products at the same time. Retinol is a powerful anti-aging ingredient that can cause irritation, and by layering a vitamin C-based product with retinol-based product could irritate the skin more. However, if you want to benefit from the efficacy of retinol, you could try using a product with vitamin C in the morning alongside sunscreen, and a product with retinol in the evening.
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When to use vitamin C enriched skincare? In terms of how often it can be used, we would suggest using either a vitamin C-based serum or day cream at least once a day as part of a morning routine, using it after cleansing – Vitamin C serum can also be used in the evening to take advantage of all its benefits – and before applying a sunscreen.