Introducing:
Morning Dew Vitamin C Serum
February 20, 2023
15% Vitamin C infused with NZ antioxidants to brighten and protect the skin.
Vitamin C is a power player in creating that dewy, youthful glow. There are a gazillion studies proving it to work time and time again; offering a ton of regenerative benefits for your skin. When applied topically, it remains on the skin for 48 hours thereby having 30 times the therapeutic effect of oral vitamin C.
Designed for NZ skin: We wanted to launch with a vitamin C serum because (other than SPF) it is one of the most proven ingredients for skin protection against the sun/ photoaging, so is especially important for people living under the harsh NZ sun to have in their routine.
Main Benefits
Protect
Because it is a powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C helps protect the skin from future damage: We know that 80-90% of ageing is caused by UV radiation. The reason for this is because UV radiation causes over expression of naughty MMP’s which break down of skin collagen and elastin, leading to loss of skin elasticity and resilience, and the appearance of skin wrinkles.
Brighten
Vitamin C brightens the skin. It does this by inhibiting an enzyme that makes the skin pigment, melanin. As a result, it can brighten and even out skin tone, which may be helpful for hyperpigmentation disorders such as melasma — dark patches— as well as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — dark spots that can develop from acne, eczema, or other skin conditions
Anti-ageing
Vitamin C reverses and protects against future lines and wrinkles.
- It reverses lines by boosts production of collagen to plump the skin and fill in lines and wrinkles.
- It prevents against future fine lines and frown lines through its antioxidant capabilities, which protect skin cells from damaging free radicals caused by UV exposure.
Where do I sign up, right? But – hold up - not all vitamin C’s are created equal. Vitamin C’s are notoriously instable and some can even irritate skin.
L-ascorbic Acid being the most biologically active and well-studied form of Vitamin C
when it comes to skincare but there two major downside
- It is unstable AF. It breaks down when it's exposed to air, light and heat [1], which
means by the time it reaches your skin, it has lost all the good stuff and you’re wasting your time/ money. It is also the most reactive form with the greatest
incidences of irritancy.
- It struggles to penetrate into the skin because of its molecular structure. L-ascorbic acid is a hydrophilic (attracted to water) and an unstable molecule, hence the poor penetration into the skin because of the hydrophobic (repels water) character of the stratum corneum skin surface. L-ascorbic acid is also a charged
molecule, which further limits its penetration [2].
- Potential for irritation. At a basic chemistry level, your skin's acid mantle sits at a pH of around 4.5 to a 5. And vitamin C is a potent acid, so in order for it to best penetrate your skin, "it has to be at a pH level of about three (or even less). Playing
with your skins acid mantle can cause some skin irritation, redness, and dryness.
Other forms of Vitamin C include Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, and Tetrahexadecyl Ascorbate. The primary benefits to choosing a formula with one of these other forms of Vitamin C are increased stability, greater absorption through the skin, and reduced potential for irritation, which is important for those with sensitive skin. We use Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate as our core vitamin C because it is GENTLE and STABLE (i.e. the good stuff reaches your skin).
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a holy grail of mine as it offers similar perks as L-ascorbic acid, mainly antioxidants, and collagen-boosting and pigment-evening properties. Research has also shown it can regulate sebum production and acne inflammation [3] [4], sebum oxidation, which is the early stages of acne development, so it’s essentially stopping acne production process before its begun. Boom.
We strategically combine Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate with a second complimentary form of vitamin C, called Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate. Another super-stable form of Vitamin C, studies demonstrate that Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate will remain in the skin cells forty to eighty times longer than L-ascorbic Acid and will have as much as four times the effect [5]. Additionally, studies have shown faster absorption into the skin than other forms of vitamin C owing to its lipid solubility [6].
[1] Al-Niaimi. Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications, Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2017
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544223/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18492184/
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20367669
[5] Stamford, n. (2012). Stability, transdermal penetration, and cutaneous effects of ascorbic acid and its derivatives. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 11(4), 310-317
[6] Pilot evaluation of safety, efficacy, and tolerability of a new topical formulation for facial hyperpigmentation, combining ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate and crosslinked resilient hyaluronic acid, Hema Sundaram, MD, 2018
The Botanicals
We pair our power duo of Vitamin C’s with wild-crafted active New Zealand botanicals for extra skin protection, firming, and nourishment. New Zealand has some of the highest UV radiation in the world, and the plants have had to evolve to protect themselves. These power botanicals allow your skin to stand up to the harshest conditions.
New Zealand organic Blackcurrants, which have higher Anthocyanins than other berries in the world. Anthocyanins have been shown to work as a "plant sunscreen" by guarding cells from damage by UV light, and also have an ability to prevent the generation of free radicals (naughty unstable molecules that damage skin cells and can cause sagging, loss of elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles, brown spots & hyperpigmentation) by UV exposure [7]
Native Marine Sea Algae, hand-
harvested off the Southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. This sea algae pumped full of antioxidants from arctic streams that come up from the Antarctic, which brings a plethora of antioxidants and rich minerals, providing long-lasting hydration and nourishment.
Wild-harvested NZ Alpine Rosehip which thrives on exposed and freezing mountaintops. A natural form of Vitamin A and fatty acids, especially omega-3 (linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid), rosehip softens skin and improves skin barrier function
Native Kānuka soothing and
repairing damaged or inflamed
skin conditions such as acne,
redness, eczema, and rosacea, all concerns that are detrimental to radiant skin, due to its high
concentration of arabinogalactan
proteins (AGPs), which are
known immunostimulators,
contribute to its wound-healing,
skin-strengthening properties.
Mamuku Black Fern, a unprecedented chain of polysaccharides, so if you stretch and release it, it will bounce back. When you apply it on the skin, its like stretching an elastic band. After a few minutes, it will give an instant lift and firming action.
These ingredients all work together synergistically to give a brightening, smoothed, dewy radiance. They all have their different process to achieve these benefits, which means we multiply the effect and cover all of the different pathways.
Last but not least, we have two different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to supercharge hydration and give a dewy look on the surface of the skin, as well as hydrating deeper layers of the skin for lasting hydration throughout the day.
And there we have it. A synergistic blend of cosmeceutical and New Zealand botanical ingredients that have been carefully selected for their potent protective, skin brightening, and anti-ageing properties.
